How It All Changed

Chapter 22

Kace
It was a day before Christmas eve and I had gotten woken up by Adan getting up to go to the bathroom. He has been off since Jazmine had came. He would get up in the middle of the night and just sit in Mina's room. He wouldn't come back to the room until I was fully awake. Adan didn't think I noticed but I did. I finally got sick of him going through whatever he was going through alone. So tonight I got up and walked to the bathroom he was standing in the mirror wiping water on his face.

"Babe you know that is going to wake you up all the way." I mumbled walking towards him and putting my arms around him. "Shit." he hissed. "I didn't mean to wake you up." I shook my head and got in front of him so he could see me. "Baby what's going on? You have been getting up in the middle of the night for a week straight now. Please tell me what's wrong I want to help you." I told him putting my hand on the back of his neck.

"When Jaz came the other week-" he stuttered "She told me that my dad was in the hospital shot many times and I just shrugged. I just shrugged. I didn't have any emotion towards it. I feel cruel. I didn't care babe. I shrugged to the possibility that my dad could be on life support dying in the hospital right now." He almost started crying but he stopped himself. I just looked at him and brought him in for a hug. "It's not your fault baby. You haven't told me why you reacted that way you did but I know you. You are not a cruel person. I know. I know you act a certain way towards somebody for a certain reason." I whispered into his ear.

I told him to sit on the toilet and tell me everything. He told me that his dad was not the most accepting person when he came out. He wasn't physically abusive but he was verbally and mentally abusive. And just to him so that made him feel all alone. The man even sent some of his little goons to terrorize Adan. He told me that he had been having this dream and that he felt like it was telling him he was a bad person just like his father.

After he explained everything to me he couldn't help it he just cried. I was sitting on the counter and he just cried into my lap. I rubbed his head and didn't say anything for awhile. "Do...do you want to go visit him? Maybe for closure?" I hesitated to ask. He looked at me and wiped his face.

I have never seen him so upset his beautiful chocolate eyes were all red and his pretty caramel skin was a red tint.

"Maybe. Maybe I can go later today." he said questioning himself. "And...and Kaleb, Jimina and I will be right there waiting for you when you come out after speaking to your dad." I said trying to make sure he knew I was there for him. We were all there for him. "But you have to go to your family's house tomorrow." he softly said. "It will be fine. Christmas eve is tomorrow and I want you to come with us. I know you say you don't want to be a burden but your not. My family loves you and we can just get a hotel for those two days." I explained to him. He had no choice but to agree because I was not giving up.

After we had talked a little bit more about the game plan we finally went back to bed I couldn't help but cuddle him when I went back to sleep. I could feel that he was still awake so I just rubbed his cheek bone with my thumb so he could know that I'm still right there.
____________________________

Morning had finally came and I was the first one up. I will admit I was still very damn tired but I was up. Adan had fallen asleep which made me very happy it was hard not seeing him be his self. I got up and got Mina. I changed her diaper, fed her and put her in her high chair so I could cook. Kaleb woke up shortly after I began to cook. I told him about our day plans and he was on board.

"Damn is he okay?" he wondered looking at the bedroom door. I nodded my head and started to make plates. I gave Kaleb a plate and I gave him a plate with a tiny bit of eggs and 1/4 of a biscuit to give Mina.

After I made sure they were settled I went into the room with Adan to wake him up. He was still fast asleep so I kissed all over his face until he woke up. "Hey baby." he said pulling me on top of him for a hug. "I made breakfast. So get out of bed lazy bones." I told him laughing as I was getting up. He got up and put on a shirt and we went into the kitchen.

"Good Morning Kaleb." He greeted my brother as he kissed Mina on the head. "Good Morning Bro." Kaleb replied causing me to burst out laughing. "Bro." I mocked him as I made Adan's plate. "You know I can make my own plate right?" he asked me sitting at the table. I nodded my head and gave him his plate "I know you can but I wanted to treat you." He didn't like for me to do too much work for some reason. He always told me 'I never want you to feel obligated to do something for me and I want you to always feel safe to be with me.' and he stuck to his word.
____________________________

After breakfast we all had to go get dressed and showered . Kaleb got dressed first and then I got Mina and I dressed as well. Adan was the last to get showered he kept telling us to go I think he was just trying to stall. It was finally his turn. I mean we did have two showers but he just had to use the one in our room. "What if I'm not doing the right thing?" he asked me going into the bathroom. "Then you can at least give your self credit for trying." I said shrugging my shoulders.

It had felt like his shower was an hour and it was finally time for us to go. I drove which Adan rarely lets me do so I know he was not himself.

We finally got to the hospital. Adan told them his dad's name and we went to the floor. His brother and Jazmine was there. Adan and his brother hugged and stepped away to talk before he went into the room. I could not really hear what they were saying. "Hey I'm Jazmine and you must be Kace it so good to finally meet you. I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Jazmine said she came up to me like she had known me forever. She hugged me almost smothering Jimina that was in my arms.

"It is so nice to meet you too." I said hugging her back. We sat down and talked. Before I could notice Adan and Seb had went to his father's room. Jazmine and I talked some more. After a while a older hispanic woman walked up to me with a very heavy New York accent. "Mimi." she said playing with the baby on my lap. "I'm sorry. I'm Nora, Adan's mother." she put her hand out for me to shake. I quickly hoppers up and shook her hand. "It's so nice to meet you Mrs.Santiago" I said shaking her hand. "Oh no I'm not Mrs. Santiago anymore please call me Nora." she explained and laughed. I nodded my head.

After a few I gave her Mina because she kept talking about her. Mina cried in her arms which made me feel very bad. "Dada." Mina had said loudly. I looked so surprised and smiled at her. I knew Mina was speaking because she was calling Adan Papa but this took me by surprised. "She calls you....dad?" Nora asked. "Apparently so." I said ticking the baby and grabbing her. This had made my day completely. Nora didn't say much after that for a few minutes. Jazmine and I began to talk again and Nora had started to get into the conversation. After awhile Nora asked who Kaleb was and said he looked just like me. I said thank you and we started talking again.

I was finally meeting his family and they had actually liked me I think. Who knows but this felt great.