I am laying in my bed when I get a knock at my door. I go to the door and see my grandmother.
Lara:Nana.
Karla:I want your father out of my house.Your mother is so stubborn she won't come to you for help.Lara your father is abusing us.I saw him slap Zarmilla an hour ago.Hes drunk and asleep on the couch.Your mother is in her bedroom crying.You need to help us.
I grab my jacket and purse.
Lara:Lets do this.
After a while we arrive at my grandmother's house with police trailing behind me and I park my car getting out with my grandma.
Lara:Nana stay out here.Just in case.
Karla:Your the boss.
I enter the place and see beer bottle smashed on the floor.Dexter is laying on the couch asleep.I go upstairs to my mom's room and I see her in the corner crying.
Lara:Mama.
Zarmilla:Laramelia."Sniffles".
Lara:Lets go.We are gonna set you free of him.
Zarmilla:No honey I love him.He didn't mean it.
Lara:Mom it's time to face the fact that the man you married is long gone.Think about it.Whens the last time you had a date?,Spent time alone happily,Or when he hasn't put others down?.Or yelled.Mom Dexter is not the man we knew.Hes not the person that treated me like his little girl.Grandma is getting older she can't take the stress of him.You don't need to live in misery mom.You can get your life back on track and be happy.
Zarmilla:He can come after us.
Lara:Not on my watch.Hes being arrested for domestic abuse as we speak and we are gonna have the joy of packing his things and handing it over to the police.
At that moment I see Fin walking to the bedroom doorway.
Fin:Um Lara can we speak a moment?.
I nod and follow him into the hallway.
Fin:He was just sent to the hospital. He started puking blood when we woke him.
Lara:"Nods".I'm gonna tell mom.
The next day Me,Nana Karla and my mother finish packing Dexters things and putting it outside when I get a call that informs me that Dexter needs a blood transfusion and a kidney.I hesitantly agree to get tested.
Lara:Mom.Nana Karla.I have to go to the hospital.Ill be back soon.
Zarmilla:Be careful.
Lara:I will mom.I love you both.
Zarmilla,Karla:Love you too.
After a few hours I get my test results saying I'm not Dexters blood type and not blood related.I sit up in my mom's bed shocked at the news.After getting off the call I go downstairs to see my mom in the kitchen.
Lara:How are you holding up?.
Zarmilla:Is it bad to say I feel relieved?.
Lara:Not at all...The hospital just called.Said I don't have his blood type...Said I'm not biologically his daughter either.
Zarmilla:What?.
Lara:Yeah.Not biologically his.You don't have to tell me who my father is right now.Your still processing last night and the past 30 years.
Zarmilla:"Tears up".I thought you were his.Dexters.I was wrong.
My mother walks over to a cabin and pulls out a box and opens it.I see piles of photos.
Zarmilla:It was one night.He was so charming.We met in a park and spent the whole night together.
My mom puts a photo on the table and I look at it.
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Zarmilla:A few days later I saw my high school boyfriend Dexter and the love we had was still there.He proposed and we eloped.I didn't even give it a second thought.But then a month later I learnt I was pregnant.I knew there was a chance you weren't Dexters but I refused to face it.But then when you were 10 Dexters came home with John Munch and Donald Cragen.John didn't even question me cause I was with Dexter around the same time I was with him.You grew a fascination with John.A stronger bond than with Cragen or Dexter.I Should've seen it but I didn't.
Lara:Its not your fault.
The next day I enter the precinct and see my birth father at his desk.I start to feel nervous as I walk over to mine.
Munch:Good morning Lara.
Lara:G'morning.
Munch:I heard about Dexter.Is your mom and grandmother okay?.
Lara:As good as they can be.
Munch:And you?.
Lara:Glad my mom and nana are okay.
Cragen walks into the precinct seeing me.
Cragen:Laramelia you should be home.
Lara:I'm fine.
Cragen:Your father was arrested and is in the hospital.You should be with your mom and nana.
Lara:He's not my father...Hes my step father.
Munch:What do you mean?.
Lara:He's not biologically my father...You are.
Munch looks at me in shock and I nod.
Lara:I was told last night after I found out I couldn't give a blood transfusion or a kidney to Dexter.My mom realized my birth father was the man she spent a night with 34 years ago.You.
Munch:I'm so sorry.I wasn't there I-
Lara:"Hugs him".You are there for me now."Pulls back".I'm still in need of processing this news.
Munch:Me too.
Cragen:Lara I think you should process this out of work.Your mom and nana need you.
Lara:My mom was wanting me out of the house.Said I was driving her crazy.
Cragen:Take a mental health day then.I want you working at your best.
Munch:You should listen to him.
Lara:"Sighs".Fine.
I grab my things and leave the building and go to the one place I feel like being.I knock on Rafael's door and he answers.
Lara:Got time for company?.
Rafael:Always for you.Come on in.
I enter Rafael's place.
Rafael:I was just about to go see you I was told about what happened.
Lara:Well I have a shocker.Dexter isn't my biological father.Munch is.
Rafael:Woah that is a shocker.
Lara:I got a call a few minutes ago.Dexter went into cardiac arrest.He flatlined.Hes dead.
Rafael hugs me and unexpectedly I begin to cry.
Lara:He was my father for so many years before he changed.I thought I grieved him years ago.
