Hard to Call This Home

Walking into the living room of Frank’s or Dad’s house I mean, I saw a beautiful woman dad’s age, sitting on the floor with two babies who sat in their swing chairs, giggling at the woman. She looked very familiar, probably helped out at school also.

“Jamia, we’re home.” Jamia looked my way and smiled at us, as she got off the ground brushing the invisible dust off her black skinny jeans. Frank put his hand on my lower back as he guided me towards Jamia.

“Jersey, this is my wife Jamia, and over there are your twin sisters Lilly and Cherry.” I sort of felt my heart drop at those words, my dad had a wife and two kids already, and I guess this might be why he was never in hurry to connect with me.

“Jersey, I’m so excited to finally meet, when Frank and I found out about you two months ago, I knew I was excited to meet you, just as much as Frank was. I hope we can make you feel comfortable. Please don’t ever think I’m trying to be your mom, or replace her, I just hope we can be pretty close.” Jamia quickly pulled me into a hug, and holding me tight.

Frank looked over at me and mouthed sorry, as I struggled to keep breathing. Grandma hadn't given tight hugs like this when I was growing up so this was defiantly something I was going to have to get used to. Jamia let go of me as she started to make her way back to
Cherry and Lilly.

It was still sort of still hitting me like tons of bricks, Frank didn’t know about me till two months ago? Why hadn’t Grandma ever told him about me, or she tell me about him? Just how long had Linda known I was her granddaughter? For a moment I thought I was going to have a panic attack till Frank, grabbed my bags.

“Come on, I have to show you to your room, Jamia, Alica, Lyn-Z, Monet, and Gerard helped set up your room, I sort of just brought the furniture and stuff that I knew I would have liked to have when I was a your age.” Frank had stopped in front of a chalk covered bedroom door that read Jersey in red paint on it. Smiling at me Frank opened the door for me, letting me go first, I had to admit this bedroom was probably my dream room.

Walking in there walls were painted my favorite colors mint green and brown, all the furniture was brown to match the walls. The curtains made the room dark to block out the sun, which I highly dislike, I had a desk that had a lap top on it with a desk lamp. A TV sat on the opposite side of the room from my bed, not that I would be using it much, but this is the room I’ve always wanted.

“Do you like it?” looking over at Frank I nodded and quickly pulled him into a hug. I think he was a little taken back just like I was, because I don’t think I ever planned on hugging him this early. Walking over to the bed, there was a handmade quilt, out of band t-shirts, which made a smile grow on my face.

“Those are my old band t-shirts, along with some of your Uncle Mikey’s. Mrs. Way and my mom, they sat together over the past couple of weeks and made this come to life, Monet has one just like it, but none of my shirts, all Uncle Gerard’s and Uncle Mikey’s shirts.” I simply just nodded my head as I sat down on my bed.

“I’m going to let you unpack if you want; you have your own bathroom through that door. When you’re done, I’ll give you the number to the cell that Monet most likely has, and you can invite her to sleep over, and go out to dinner with us.” I nodded my head in agreement as I ran my fingers over the quilt that felt soft and warn out. Just as the door was about to close, I looked up.

“Thanks, Frank.” Frank looked in and gave me a small smile, and just nodded his head, closing the door. I let out a frustrated groan, I’ve been with my dad for two hours already and I've barley said anything, this I can tell is going to be hard.

”I wish could touch you again, I wish could still call you friend, I would give anything.”

I sat there listening to Panic! At The Disco’s “Nine In The Afternoon,” play through the speaker of phone as Jamia started to pack the diaper bag. Frank was writing stuff down on a piece of paper, smiling as he mumbled along to the song.

“Hey Jersey, I knew it wouldn’t be too long till you missed my sexy body.” I’m sure my eyes went to twice the size they originally are, because Frank scoffed, and Jamia giggled, was this natural thing with Monet?

“Hey Money, um, Frank told me I could invite you to sleep over tonight and go out to dinner with us, would you maybe – Yes! I’ll be ready in five home skillet.” The line was dead before I could even say okay.

“Don’t worry Jersey, Monet is always like this, you’ll get used to it honey.” Jamia kissed the side of my forehead which was something that no one ever did to me, but in a way it comforted me, I smiled at her as made her way over to the babies.

I followed Frank and Jamia out of the kitchen pulling on my flats, which I had left by the front door. I think smiled a million dollar smile as Frank kissed my forehead also, then giving my hand a squeeze. I’m still uneasy right now about what is going on but I had a feeling things might fall into place.

“Come on, let go before Monet, starts to say we took forever.