Left Behind

Time To Move On?

    "Come on! Ring! Ring! Ring! Just please ring!" Ava called out as she stared at the phone that just wouldn't ring. She didn't get it. Carlos wasn't calling or texting her anymore. And every time she tried to call or text him it would go to voicemail or read and never get answered.

Ava just didn't get it. She missed her brother and she didn't really know Mal that well, but she missed her too. Ava just wanted to hear Carlos' voice again, but unfortunately he wasn't calling or answering her anymore.

"Ava what's going on," Nolan asked his secret girlfriend who just sighed as she looked up from her phone. "I miss them," Ava told Nolan who just nodded even though he didn't really care about the two kids as they were a distraction to Ava and could expose them, but he did care for Ava.

And he could see she was upset and hurting right now. "I know you do, but there's nothing you can do. If they won't call or answer you then maybe it's time to move on. I'm sure that's what they would want," Nolan told his girlfriend who just sighed again as some tears started to fall.

Ava couldn't stop thinking about all the memories she shared with Carlos and even the small ones she had with Mal as she knew that she couldn't handle never being able to share anymore with them. She didn't want to just move on. These weren't just some old friends that it would hurt to lose but it would get better these were her baby siblings. The ones she had always vowed to take care of and love.

"I don't want to move on! I want my siblings back! Carlos stopped posting on Instagram too. Do you think something happened to them! Oh my god what if something happened to them and I didn't even know. This is all my fault! I pushed him away and now he's never going to call or answer me again! What kind of a sister am I!" Ava cried out as she was feeling horrible.

She had been pushing Carlos away to try and protect him, but now she couldn't get him to even talk to her anymore.

Their conversations used to be Ava's favorite thing ever, but now she doesn't even get that anymore or even his voice mails that Ava used to listen to every day whenever she would miss her siblings which is every day.

"Ava come on I'm sure they're fine. Carlos is 12 right he's not a baby. He probably just doesn't want his big sister babying him all the time. I felt the same way with my sister Taylor when we were kids," Nolan told Ava trying to ease her worries.

"But Carlos isn't like that. And Mal is literally a baby! She still needs me and Carlos needs me too. Okay that's it I'm calling Jay and telling him I want my siblings back. I never should have sent them away like this," Ava quickly told her boyfriend as she grabbed her phone and started looking for her cousin Jay's number in her phone.

Just as Ava was about to press on Jay's number Nolan grabbed the phone from her making Ava get upset and annoyed as she reached towards her phone not liking how Nolan keeps trying to stop her from calling her cousin.

"Nolan what are you doing! Give me my phone back now!" Ava practically screamed out to her boyfriend who just rolled his eyes as he looked at her. "Ava you're acting insane right now. If he doesn't call you or answer your calls then he probably just doesn't want to. You shouldn't be forcing him. You know there comes a time where you need to let go. You're in college now Ava. You shouldn't be tied down to two kids that aren't even yours. You're not a parent Ava. It's time you realize that. It's hard to accept I know but it's true," Nolan told Ava as he was sick of hearing her complain about Carlos and Mal all the time.

"Nolan you don't get it! My parents are gone! I am all they have left! I don't have a choice!" Ava screamed out as she didn't get why Nolan was acting like this. Taylor was basically his best friend and Taylor is his big sister. If anything he should be relating to her situation.

"Oh please they have other options! But you are 18 you shouldn't be forced to raise two kids that aren't even yours," Nolan told Ava again making Ava lose it as she couldn't take it anymore.

"They aren't just two random kids! Carlos is my little brother! I practically raised him for like 12 years! I used to look out for him! I comforted him during his nightmares, I protected him from mean bullies, I helped him feel better when he was hurt, sick, or sad. He isn't just some random kid and I promised myself to protect him, but I just gave him up. Who does that! And Mal is a baby! She needs someone to care for her. I used to hold her all the time and stay up with her at night. I didn't birth her, but she was basically my baby too. Nolan these aren't random kids! These are my baby siblings! I've made up my mind I'm getting them back!" Ava told Nolan who just shook his head no again as he grabbed the phone from her yet again.

"Ava come on I understand that they are your siblings and you looked out for them, but Ava you're in college now. They can take care of themselves. It's time to move on," Nolan told Ava again trying to finally convince her to give up on Carlos and Mal.

"I can't just move on and they need me. Why are you being like this! You have Taylor, your sister! How would you feel if you lost Taylor! Would you just move on like she never existed," Ava screamed out to Nolan making him get upset as Ava knew how important his bond with his sister was.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT TAYLOR LIKE THAT! YOU KNOW THAT LOSS IS A VERY SENSITIVE TOPIC IN MY FAMILY AFTER MY DAD!" Nolan told Ava with a venomous tone making Ava backup in fear a little at his tone.

"Okay I took that too far. I'm sorry, but I was just making my point. I can't just forget about Carlos and Mal like that," Ava told Nolan who nodded as he started to calm down a little.

"Never bring up Taylor like that again! And Ava the difference is that Taylor wants to talk with me and I want to talk with her. Carlos doesn't even call or answer your calls. And Mal doesn't even know who you are. You're so worried about your siblings, but they clearly aren't worried about you. I know it's hard to accept, but it's time to," Nolan told Ava who just started crying again as Nolan's words hurt especially because everything he said was true.

Carlos didn't want to talk to her anymore and Mal was 4 months old and spent 3 weeks with her. There's no way Mal even knows she exists. It was time to move on. She loves her siblings, but Nolan was right.

"You're right but it hurts. I'm just gonna try one more time though just to be sure and if he doesn't answer then I'll just have to push away my feelings and move on," Ava told Nolan as she grabbed her phone and called her brother again.

"Oh Nolan I have to use the restroom really quickly can you hold this and please let me know if he answers," Ava told Nolan as she quickly handed him the phone and ran to the restroom. As soon as Ava ran off to use the restroom Carlos picked up.

"Ava! Thank god you called! I knew that jerk dude Nolan or whatever his name is was lying about you not wanting to talk anymore! I know I've been ignoring your calls but my phone broke and I couldn't get a new one, but my friend Ben managed to get me one and got me back into my phone! I am so sorry for ignoring all your calls! I missed you so much! Ava I have to tell you something important! I don't have much time. She's gonna be here soon and then... Oh no she's here I gotta go before she hurts Mal! Ava please help us! We wanna go home please!" Carlos rambled out over the phone but before Nolan could answer the phone went dead again as Samantha managed to break Carlos' phone again.

"Hey did he pick up!" Ava asked her boyfriend once she came out of the bathroom. Nolan just looked at the phone as he knew this was wrong to do, but Ava was his girlfriend not some mother. He just quickly went to Carlos' recent call as he deleted the call from the log before pretending to sadly hand her the phone back.

"Nope sorry Ava," Nolan lied out to Ava who just nodded sadly as more tears slipped down her face. "Well I guess he moved on," Ava sadly told Nolan who just pulled Ava close to him just letting her cry on him.