Have You Ever Heard Me Scream 'I Love You'?
everything happens for a reason
Sitting in a small room, I sighed softly.
"You know, I never wanted this." Zack mumbled sadly, he was feeling guilty.
I nodded as I reached over and took his hand in mine tightly, "It's not your fault, Daddy should've never laid a hand on you."
He nodded, "I know," He looked at me, "I heard them talking about foster parents. Kayla, dont let them give me away to someone I dont know, please."
"We're trying to get you so you can live with Aaron." I said simply.
He nodded, "But, what if he doesnt qualify?"
"He will, and if he doesnt, I'll see if I can get you, I'll be damned if you go to a foster home."
He looked at me and seemed extremely stressed. Suddenly, the door opened and Aaron walked in slowly, before shutting the door, "Good news," He said as he sat down and looked at us, "I got you."
I smiled, "Seriously?"
He nodded, "Yeah, there will be random visits, unannounced, just to make sure you're getting taken care of, which is fine," He rubbed his chin, "But, you'll have to go to court."
"Why?"
"You and Tyler have to testify against Daddy," Aaron said softly, "I am too."
Zack looked at us blankly then frowned, "So, Daddy is going to prison?"
"Yeah," Aaron nodded, "Abusing a child is serious, he's not getting away with this, even if we do drop charges, the city will press charges and put him in jail."
Zack rubbed his face tiredly, "Can I go today?"
"No, not yet. I have to get a house, because my apartment only has bedroom. You're going to be staying here a couple more days."
He nodded, "But not foster home, right?"
"Right. No foster home."
"Ok," He nodded in approval, "Hurry up with that house hunting."
"I'm looking today, right after I leave," Aaron smile, "So, it'll be me, you and Stacey."
Zack smiled, "I like her, she's pretty awesome."
Aaron nodded agreeing with him, "Yeah, she is," There was a long pause then Aaron got up, "Alright Zack, we're gonna head out," He said softly as Zack stood up, "Hopefully, I can find a house tonight," He wrapped his tatted arms around him then kissed the top of his head, "Remember, I'm always a call away." He said simply.
Zack nodded as he backed away. I walked to him and hugged him tightly as well, "Maybe we'll bring you by a burger for dinner or something, ok?"
"Ok," He whispered as he let me go. I kissed his cheek softly and gave me a half smile. We exchanged I love yous, then we left the room, leaving him in there. His social worker then quickly walked in, to escort him back to his 'living' quaters.
Once outside and in Aaron's car I looked over at him. He started the car and glanced at me, "What?"
"Nothing." I whispered shaking my head.
As he pulled out of the parking lot he nodded, "I know, it hurts."
I agreed with him as I pulled out a piece of paper from my purse. The restraining order against my Father.
I put it back and looked at of the window, "And to think, I used to look up to him. He used to be my hero."
Aaron reached over and rubbed my arm, "No," He whispered, "I remember when we were kids, you used to walk around saying Craig was your hero."
I smiled then looked over at him, "I did." I agreed.
"You looked up to Daddy, but the litte girl in you still thinks the boy next door, in his homemade cape, saving the world from aliens, is her hero."
I smiled, "I do."
He laughed, "I remember back in highschool, Craig could fix everything. You're having cramps, call Craig. You have a headache, call Craig. You got an F on a report, call Craig. You always called Craig."
I shrugged, "I still do. I call Craig for everything." I smiled.
"Daddy had this coming," He said simply, "It was a matter of time before he got caught, or one of the twins cracked and did something. I'm glad I caught him before Zack decided to take matters in his own hands," He paused, "I know he's a skinny smart kid, but I think if he had to, he could really hurt someone."
I tried not to think about my little brother trying to hurt someone. Loudly, my phone rang, alerting me that I have a text. I pulled it out and saw a text from Craig, simply saying that he loved me and asking me if I was ok.
Sliding the screen open, I wrote him back, answering his question and replying to his I love you.
Slowly, Aaron drove into my neighbor hood and stopped at a house about four houses down from mine. He looked up at it, "That's the one I want," He said, pointing to it, "it's not as big as yours, but it doesnt need to be, I wont have little toddlers running around in a year or two."
I smiled, "It's an open house, let's go look at it."
"Ok," He parked the car then we got out. Walking up into it, the realtor met us, smiling, "Hi, I'm Evelyn."
"I'm Aaron, this is my sister Kayla," Aaron smiled softly, "I'm interested in buying this house."
She smiled, "Good choice" She nodded, "The neighborhood isnt finished---"
"I know," He cut her off, "She lives four houses down."
She smiled, "Well, then, family want to stay close?"
"Something like that," He nodded, "How much for this?"
"$300,000," She answered, "The backyard isnt finished, and you'll have to pain the garage, but everything else is brand new. You're actually the first customer to come look at it."
Aaron nodded, taking a few steps in he glanced around, hurried up the stairs then seconds later came down, "I'll take it," He said simply with a nod, "How long until it's mine and I can move in? I'm kind of in a hurry."
She smiled, "Well, we'll need to go over the down payment, mortgage payments, and I'll need you to sign some contracts, so we can start that today. I can have you in here in as little as two days."
He smiled, "Let's get started." He said simply, not wanting to waste any time, for Zack's well being, we just want to get him home as fast as possible.
Loudly, my phone rang once more. I pulled it out of my purse to see a picture message on my screen. I opened it, only to see a picture of Craig with a homemade sign, reading that he misses me, and a puppy dog look. I laughed to myself, shaking my head at my husband and how strange he is sometimes. I put my phone back in my purse and put my attention back on my Brother.
Maybe this situation is for the better. Like the saying goes; everything happens for a reason.
"You know, I never wanted this." Zack mumbled sadly, he was feeling guilty.
I nodded as I reached over and took his hand in mine tightly, "It's not your fault, Daddy should've never laid a hand on you."
He nodded, "I know," He looked at me, "I heard them talking about foster parents. Kayla, dont let them give me away to someone I dont know, please."
"We're trying to get you so you can live with Aaron." I said simply.
He nodded, "But, what if he doesnt qualify?"
"He will, and if he doesnt, I'll see if I can get you, I'll be damned if you go to a foster home."
He looked at me and seemed extremely stressed. Suddenly, the door opened and Aaron walked in slowly, before shutting the door, "Good news," He said as he sat down and looked at us, "I got you."
I smiled, "Seriously?"
He nodded, "Yeah, there will be random visits, unannounced, just to make sure you're getting taken care of, which is fine," He rubbed his chin, "But, you'll have to go to court."
"Why?"
"You and Tyler have to testify against Daddy," Aaron said softly, "I am too."
Zack looked at us blankly then frowned, "So, Daddy is going to prison?"
"Yeah," Aaron nodded, "Abusing a child is serious, he's not getting away with this, even if we do drop charges, the city will press charges and put him in jail."
Zack rubbed his face tiredly, "Can I go today?"
"No, not yet. I have to get a house, because my apartment only has bedroom. You're going to be staying here a couple more days."
He nodded, "But not foster home, right?"
"Right. No foster home."
"Ok," He nodded in approval, "Hurry up with that house hunting."
"I'm looking today, right after I leave," Aaron smile, "So, it'll be me, you and Stacey."
Zack smiled, "I like her, she's pretty awesome."
Aaron nodded agreeing with him, "Yeah, she is," There was a long pause then Aaron got up, "Alright Zack, we're gonna head out," He said softly as Zack stood up, "Hopefully, I can find a house tonight," He wrapped his tatted arms around him then kissed the top of his head, "Remember, I'm always a call away." He said simply.
Zack nodded as he backed away. I walked to him and hugged him tightly as well, "Maybe we'll bring you by a burger for dinner or something, ok?"
"Ok," He whispered as he let me go. I kissed his cheek softly and gave me a half smile. We exchanged I love yous, then we left the room, leaving him in there. His social worker then quickly walked in, to escort him back to his 'living' quaters.
Once outside and in Aaron's car I looked over at him. He started the car and glanced at me, "What?"
"Nothing." I whispered shaking my head.
As he pulled out of the parking lot he nodded, "I know, it hurts."
I agreed with him as I pulled out a piece of paper from my purse. The restraining order against my Father.
I put it back and looked at of the window, "And to think, I used to look up to him. He used to be my hero."
Aaron reached over and rubbed my arm, "No," He whispered, "I remember when we were kids, you used to walk around saying Craig was your hero."
I smiled then looked over at him, "I did." I agreed.
"You looked up to Daddy, but the litte girl in you still thinks the boy next door, in his homemade cape, saving the world from aliens, is her hero."
I smiled, "I do."
He laughed, "I remember back in highschool, Craig could fix everything. You're having cramps, call Craig. You have a headache, call Craig. You got an F on a report, call Craig. You always called Craig."
I shrugged, "I still do. I call Craig for everything." I smiled.
"Daddy had this coming," He said simply, "It was a matter of time before he got caught, or one of the twins cracked and did something. I'm glad I caught him before Zack decided to take matters in his own hands," He paused, "I know he's a skinny smart kid, but I think if he had to, he could really hurt someone."
I tried not to think about my little brother trying to hurt someone. Loudly, my phone rang, alerting me that I have a text. I pulled it out and saw a text from Craig, simply saying that he loved me and asking me if I was ok.
Sliding the screen open, I wrote him back, answering his question and replying to his I love you.
Slowly, Aaron drove into my neighbor hood and stopped at a house about four houses down from mine. He looked up at it, "That's the one I want," He said, pointing to it, "it's not as big as yours, but it doesnt need to be, I wont have little toddlers running around in a year or two."
I smiled, "It's an open house, let's go look at it."
"Ok," He parked the car then we got out. Walking up into it, the realtor met us, smiling, "Hi, I'm Evelyn."
"I'm Aaron, this is my sister Kayla," Aaron smiled softly, "I'm interested in buying this house."
She smiled, "Good choice" She nodded, "The neighborhood isnt finished---"
"I know," He cut her off, "She lives four houses down."
She smiled, "Well, then, family want to stay close?"
"Something like that," He nodded, "How much for this?"
"$300,000," She answered, "The backyard isnt finished, and you'll have to pain the garage, but everything else is brand new. You're actually the first customer to come look at it."
Aaron nodded, taking a few steps in he glanced around, hurried up the stairs then seconds later came down, "I'll take it," He said simply with a nod, "How long until it's mine and I can move in? I'm kind of in a hurry."
She smiled, "Well, we'll need to go over the down payment, mortgage payments, and I'll need you to sign some contracts, so we can start that today. I can have you in here in as little as two days."
He smiled, "Let's get started." He said simply, not wanting to waste any time, for Zack's well being, we just want to get him home as fast as possible.
Loudly, my phone rang once more. I pulled it out of my purse to see a picture message on my screen. I opened it, only to see a picture of Craig with a homemade sign, reading that he misses me, and a puppy dog look. I laughed to myself, shaking my head at my husband and how strange he is sometimes. I put my phone back in my purse and put my attention back on my Brother.
Maybe this situation is for the better. Like the saying goes; everything happens for a reason.