Days Like These

“Who are you?”

“Rachel, this is the boy that was kissing Kellin on the front porch the day you came over.” Katherine said with a sigh. “This is Kellin’s boyfriend, Vic.”

“Nice to meet you Vic.” She said with a smile, sticking her hand out. Vic hesitantly stuck his hand to shake hers. “I assume you have questions?” Vic nodded. “I’ll be happy to answer any questions as best as I can.”

“I just have one for now.” Vic said, finding the resemblance between her and Kellin. She nodded, signaling for him to continue.
“When are you planning on telling him who you are?”

“You know him better than any of us.” She replied, catching him off guard with her response. “When do you think the best time is?”

“I can ask him tomorrow if you’d like.” He offered.

“Oh yes please!” she said delightedly. “Now let me introduce my kids. This is James, he’s twenty; there is Thomas, he’s eighteen, and then Kaylee is fourteen.”

“So Kellin has siblings.” Vic whispered to himself. “Uh, hey.” He said louder, shaking their hand too. “Like Katherine said, I’m Vic and I’m Kellin’s boyfriend.” They nodded and things got awkwardly quiet.

“Anyways …” Katherine said. “Kellin just went to sleep but tomorrow we’ll meet down here. Is that good?”

“Yeah that’s fine.” Rachel replied.

“Uh, Katherine, can I stay?” Vic asked. “I just, I need to be close to Kellin after having him gone for so long.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll take you up the room.” She said, and then she looked over at her sister. “You can come with so you know where the room is, if you want.”

“Yes, please.” Rachel replied. “Here,” she said to her kids, handing them the car keys. “Wait for me in the car and I’ll be there in a bit.” The older one, James, nodded and took the keys with him as his younger siblings waited to for him by the door.

They all walked up to the room in silence, while heart monitors beeped. There were nurses and doctors walking around with manila folders in their hands. It was somewhat creepy. Once they got to Kellin’s room, they all stopped.

“You can go in but don’t touch him. He doesn’t know you’re here.” Katherine said as she opened the door. Vic walked in first and headed towards the couch on the side of the wall. Rachel walked towards her third child and stood at the foot of the bed.

She began crying when she saw how pale he looked. He looked dead. “Is this normal? His appearance?”

“He went into shock after they shot him.” Vic said, startling the women. “A cementer off, and they kill him instead.”

“What about the, um,”

“Baby?” Rachel nodded. “He’s fine. It’s after he’s born, that the doctors are worried about.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Kellin has been through so much during his pregnancy that they think the baby may have some type of disorder.”

“I’m going to be a grandmother.” She whispered.

*

The next morning Kellin woke up to the sun shining through the windows. He blinked and looked around a bit, trying to get the sleep out of his system. He looked down at his stomach, sighing with happiness at how big it is.

It sometimes bugged him but he would remind himself that this is necessary for his little peanut to grow healthy. He leaned his head against the hospital pillow and rubbed his stomach gently. There was a knock on his door before it opened slowly. A nurse popped his head in, smiling when he saw Kellin awake.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I feel tired but not tired?” Kellin said, the end of his sentence taking a questioning tone. “Did, um, did anyone come to see me?”

“Yeah, a boy actually came and stayed the night. Don’t know where he went though.” The nurse relied as he checked Kellin.

Just then, the door opened and in walked Vic with a bag of breakfast. “Hey.” He said as he walked to the side of the bed the nurse wasn’t by. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Kellin relied with a small smile.

“Ok, everything seems fine right now. Nothing we should be concerned about. Your guardian will have to sign you out though.” The nurse said as he finished.

“She’s outside the door actually.” Vic said to him. Once the nurse left, Vic sat on the edge of the bed. “Hi.”

“Didn’t we already get through with the greetings?”

“Sassy are we?” Vic said with a smile.

“Sorry.” Kellin whispered. “I just … I feel so happy and like … I don’t have to look over my shoulder and worry about someone stalking me.”

“It’s fine babe. I want to see this side of you more often.” He got more comfortable on the bed and seriously said, “I have something to tell you though.”

“Um, what about?” Kellin asked weakly.

“What would you feel about seeing your mom?”

“I already said I wanted to meet her but you went crazy about it.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But you were right. I grew up with my mom and even though you didn’t, you should be able to make start a relationship with here even if that’s starting now.”

“I appreciate that but where is this coming from?”

Before Vic could respond, Katherine walked into the room. “If you’re ready Kellin, we can leave.” She then turned to Vic and said, “Did you-.” But stopped when she him shake his head.

“Give us another minute and we’ll be out.” Katherine nodded, and closed the door. Kellin gave Vic a confused looked. “We, she knows where she is Kellin.”

“She?”

“Katherine knows where your mom is.”

“What?”

“And I met her yesterday while we waited for the doctor to tell us if anything happened to you. Once they told us you were fine, we came in here and she was scared; asked if you should’ve been that pale. She’s um, actually at your place right now.”

Kellin let out a little gasp. “How did … how did you guys find her?”

“Don’t get mad at Katherine ok?”

“Why would I get mad at her for? She found my mom!”

“She … she’s related to you Kellin.”

“Well of course she is, she’s my mom.”

“I’m talking about Katherine. She’s related to you.”

“She’s not my m-mom, right?”

“No, no she’s not.”

“I don’t understand then.”

“She’s your aunt Kellin. Katherine is your mom’s sister.”