Unfolding Truths: KO x LMM

Eleven

Karen woke up in bed next to Matt. They smiled and slowly got up, careful to not wake him up. Once they were up, they walked out to the kitchen for a glass of water. As they did, a knock sounded.

Grabbing a knife, Karen slowly went over and opened the door to see Lin. "What do you want?" They asked, lowering the knife. "It's the middle of the night?"

"I had to see you." Lin's words were slurred and it was clear he was drunk.

"Did you drive here? For god's sake, tell me you didn't drive here."

"I took a cab." Lin stumbled over his words. Matt walked out.

"Karen? What's going on?" He asked, rubbing his face.

"Karen, I'm still in love with you." Lin said, his words still slurred yet quite clear.

"I can't have this conversation with you, Lin. Actually, I won't. I do not love you. I did love you, but I don't and I will never love you again."

"Just listen!" Lin leaned in and kissed Karen. Karen stood there for a moment, shocked, before pushing him off themselves.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Karen shouted. "YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN HERE AND KISS ME! You know I'm in a relationship, Lin!" Matt had made it to Karen's side now.

"Karen, leave him. We have a kid together. It should be you and I who are together."

"No. Lin, go home."

"This was meant to be our home."

"But that didn't happen, Lin. Now leave!"

Lin didn't leave. Instead, he leaned in to kiss them again. Matt wasn't going to let that happen, punching Lin in the face. Lin grabbed his eye.

"Get the hell out, Miranda." Matt snarled. "Karen call him a cab. But make sure he pays for it." Karen nodded and went to grab their phone and called a cab.

Once Lin had left, Karen sat on the couch, in the dark. Matt went and sat next to them. "I'm glad Gracie didn't get woken up by everything." Karen whispered, looking over at Matt before breaking into tears.

"Oh, baby. It's okay. It's all gonna be okay." Matt wrapped his arms around them protectively.

The light in the stairwell came on and Gracie came downstairs. "Mom? Dad? What happened? I heard shouting and I got scared but now that everything's quiet..." Gracie froze upon seeing her mother crying "Mami?" She rushed to her mom's side.

"Lin showed up." Matt said.

"What?" Gracie stood up. "Why?"

"He kissed me!" Karen said, crying more, not fully realizing what they were admitting to their daughter.

"Mami? He...he kissed you?"

"Gracie, Lin came over, drunk, rambling on about how he still loves your mother and then he...he kissed her. They said they don't love him back and he tried to kiss her again. We called him a cab and sent him home." Matt sighed. "It's taken a toll on your mom. I need you to be on your best behavior. Just, do your part and I know your mom will really appreciate it." Matt said, rubbing Karen's back still.

"Of course." Gracie sighed. "Is there anything I can do right now?"

"Go back to bed, honey. I'll come say goodnight in a bit, okay?"

"Okay Daddy. I love you." Gracie crouched down. "I love you, Mami. You're the best mom I could've ever asked for." She gently kissed her mom's head, gave Matt a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and walked back upstairs to bed. But she couldn't sleep.

Instead, she hatched a plan. She would go to Lin's then next afternoon. She would confront him. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. All Gracie knew was that this was her way of sticking up for her mother.

An hour later, Matt came up. "Hey sweetie. You okay?"

"How could Lin do that to Mami? He knows she's with you. And he's married. And I'm not saying I like Vanessa, but she deserves more than someone who is just going to get drunk and then go kiss his ex. No one deserves that."

"I agree."

"Mami really doesn't want to be with him though, right? She wants to be with you?"

"Yeah, she wants to be with me." Matt sat on the edge of the bed. "Is that bothering you? That she wants to be with me? It's okay if it is."

"No. It's not bothering me." Gracie sighed.

"Then what is?"

"I know I can tell you anything. You raised me, and you love me unconditionally. It's just...I don't know how to talk to you about this. But it's not just you that I don't know how to talk to about it, it's Mami too."

"What if I throw out some things and if I say it, tell me and I can throw out reasons it could bother you and if I get that, just explain?" Gracie nodded. "Okay. Is it school?"

"No. It isn't school."

"The move?"

"Not that either."

"What about your mom and I getting back together?"

"No, I'm happy about that."

"Okay. Is it Lin?" Gracie nodded. "Is it because you have to see him or are you struggling to get used to him being your dad?"

"It's everything about having him in my life." Gracie sat up. "I really don't like having him in my life. I just...ever since he came into my life and came back into Mami's, all he's done is mess things up. He's kissed Mami, without consent, cheating on his wife of 12 years. He's done nothing good for any of us, Daddy. I liked it better when he didn't know I existed." Gracie began crying. "And I miss Manuel so much. I just want my brother back!" She sobbed.

"I know. I know." Matt kissed Gracie's forehead as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm right here, honey."

"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending like he never existed! I can't do this without Manuel anymore." Gracie had never felt so helpless before.

"It's been hard on all of us, sweetie. But it's been hardest on you, I know." Matt sighed. "Your mom has been trying so hard to be strong for you but you've been doing the same for her. You both need to let yourselves grieve." He pulled his daughter onto his lap and rocked her back and forth, trying to comfort her, the same way he'd done when she was a little girl. He slowly started singing a verse from her favorite song. A song he and Karen had written for her and Manuel when they were babies. One that that had always calmed them after a nightmare or when anything bad happened.

The sun will always be back
Even if the skies are dark
Just close your eyes
And I'll hold you close in my arms.
Listen to the sound of my heart
And I will be right here to hold you.
Never forget that I love you.

"I haven't heard that song in forever, Daddy." Gracie whispered, wiping her eyes.

"I miss singing that to you."

"Manuel used to climb into bed with me when you and Mami would sing that to us."

"I remember that."

"Do you think I could sleep in your room tonight? With you and Mami?"

"Of course. It'll be just like when you were three, always sleeping right in between us."

"Thanks Daddy."

Matt and Gracie headed downstairs and into Matt and Karen's room. They got comfortable in bed, Gracie right between Karen and Matt and soon, all three were asleep.