Unforgettable Adventures

Before the Storm

"These are the moments I wish I had Danielle to help me with her." Luke said quietly over the phone to his best friend.

"I know, Bruddah." Charlie sighed, unable to help his best friend with this problem. "But is Lil' Reggie alright?"

"No, she will be though." Luke said, looking through the doorway at his kids.

"Why don't you get another parent's perspective on this? I'm sure that Sandy and Manny would be able to shed some light onto the situation."

Luke nodded absentmindedly instead of verbalizing his thoughts over the phone.

"You okay, Bruddah?" Charlie asked when he didn't receive a response.

"Oh yeah, I can go talk to them." Luke said quietly before adding, "...and no, I'm not okay."

He wasn't okay, and he knew deep down that Reggie, who had been holding onto this secret for months wasn't okay. He was worried about her and was afraid of what would have happened if she wouldn't have come clean.

"Luke, if you need anything, I'm here for you, like always." Charlie said, trying to reassure his friend that he had his back with this. "I love those kids like they were my own. Regina is a strong young woman and will be okay, it will take time. She has many people who love her like family and who will support her through this that she will be stronger in the end. Trust me."

"You just didn't see what I saw tonight." Luke said, tears forming in his eyes. "She was my five year old princess again. She let me just hold her while she cried. She looked so young. I couldn't make her feel better even if I tried."

Charlie felt tears forming in his own eyes, "It will all be okay." It was all that he could say.

"I hope you're right." Luke said before

Luke wasn't sure how to handle this situation. He had already talked to Charlie about this, and both men were completely unsure of how to handle the situation. Charlie suggested that he go over and get the Martinez' opinions since he needed an outside perspective from someone else who had kids.

Luke walked back into the living room, looking at his daughter asleep on the couch, then to his son who was watching a movie.

"I'll be back shortly." He whispered to his son, heading out the front door.

Confused, Miles went to their front window and watched his dad walk across the street to Theo and Maddy's house. He wondered if he was going to tell Mr. and Mrs. Martinez what had happened.

He grabbed his phone and texted Maddy -- "My dad is over there talking to Sandy and Manny. Wanna find out what's going on?"

Maddy began to reply, before calling him instead. "Hey..." She whispered.

"Hey, Reg told dad what happened..." Miles whispered into the phone as he walked into the kitchen to not disturb Reggie, before heading Sandy's muffled voice in the background.

"Yes, ma'am." Maddy replied to whatever Sandy had said.

There was a silence before Miles heard a door shut. He figured Maddy was now in her room. "Sorry, Sandy asked me to head to my room. They are sitting in the kitchen now, I guess."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. Dad looked like he was going to fall apart." Miles replied.

"Wait, so Reggie just told you and your dad today?" Maddy asked, knowing what had happened at the pizzeria earlier that day.

"Yeah, and you and Theo don't know the whole story from last summer... well, you might." Miles replied, still trying to process it himself.

"She needs to tell us everything, she has to talk about it."

"She will." Miles said, knowing that she would have to talk about it now that she wanted help.

Miles heard her door open, and shut. He figured it was Theo coming to see what was going on.

"Hey, what's happening downstairs?" Miles heard Theo ask Maddy.

"You're on speaker phone now." Maddy told Miles, bringing him into the conversation in her room.

"Hey man." Theo started to say before he asked, "Why's your dad here?"

"Reggie." Miles replied not knowing how much more to say. "Let's just say that she is in this way deeper than she lets on."

"Is she okay?" Theo asked quickly, wanting to make sure she was okay.

"No." Both Maddy and Miles said at the same time. Miles could hear Theo get up from where he was sitting and start to leave.

"Sit down." Maddy said to him. Miles knew he must have done what she had said since he didn't hear any more movement.

"Theo, let her tell you when she is ready." Miles said, "She just told dad and I tonight. You've known more than us this whole time."

"Yeah, but I..." Theo started to say. He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated that no one was telling him what was going on.

The next thing Maddy knew her door was open and Theo was heading downstairs. Miles heard the phone drop then silence.

Miles tried to stop him from going downstairs, but as he entered the kitchen, he overheard the last thing he needed to hear.

"...she just knows that he raped her." Luke said through tears. Sandy was crying, shaking her head at all that he was saying. Reggie was like a daughter to her, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Both kids stopped immediately in the doorway of the kitchen once they heard the words come out of Luke's mouth. Their eyes were wide. Luke looked over at them, and immediately knew that they might not have known.

"I told you to stay upstairs!" Sandy snapped at them.

Both kids turned to leave the kitchen, but neither went upstairs. Maddy followed Theo as he walked out the front door and across the cul-de-sac to the Kennedy's house.

After hearing silence for a minute, he figured that Maddy was snooping downstairs with Theo. He wasn't expecting them to show up at his door.

"Where is she?" Theo asked, walking straight into their house.