Picture Perfect

25.

I sit on my phone scrolling through the hundreds of pictures Kyler and I have taken on our trip here. It's taken us 3 days but that's only because we took lengthy stops in both, Omaha and Milwaukee. We are just about to pull into my parents' driveway and I feel compelled to lock my phone and gather my thoughts.

"You nervous?" He asks.

"What would make you think that?"

"You've been quiet the past few minutes. And we are practically here now, the energy has certainly shifted. I can feel it. What's up?" He takes my hand.

I shake my head as if to say nothing, but that's a lie. I came here for a reason.

"I haven't seen them in years, and I'm just going to show up out of the blue and what? Pretend like everything is so happy go lucky? And let them know know that I'm divorcing my husband because I'm with his teammate? Goodness gracious. What the fuck are we doing here? We should just go straight to Cleveland, get a hotel and do what we need to do so we can get back. The team has been without you long enough."

"Samantha. Cut it out."

"Do not talk to me as if I am a child."

"Well, you're kind of acting like one. A scared one at that." He smiles and then leans over to kiss me as we turn into the driveway.

I kiss him again and stare into his beautiful eyes.

He puts his forehead to mine.

"I got you. I'm here. If it don't go the way you planned, we'll just leave. Okay?"

"Okay."

The door opens and SJ stands confused as if he's looking at some sort of alien.

"Hi?" I giggle and wave.

He smiles and steps out to hug me.

"SJ did you Uber eats again?" I hear my mom's voice. "Why did you even come home if you won't let me cook for you?" She stops as he pulls away and she screams. "Terrence, honey, you would never believe who's at the door babe!" She practically pushes SJ out of the way to grab me and pull me into the house.

"Jeez, Ma?" I'm pulled into her and she wraps her arms around me.

"Don't Ma me. I should kick your fucking ass."

"Wow." She pulls away to look at me. She just admires me.

"You're so pretty. You've always been so pretty. I was just about to get the pressure cooker going. You hungry?" And then she catches a glimpse of Kyler I assume.

"Do I have to get the Glock? What ya'll got going on down here?" He comes down the stairs as he puts his glasses on.

"Get the Glock? Pops, you're not him. Please." SJ walks into the house behind Kyler after closing the door.

"Um, you're not Gary... but nice to meet you young fella." She looks at me and smiles. "What's your name?" She strikes up a conversation with him.

"Um, I'm Kyler. I'm a friend of Samantha's I just came for moral support."

"No, I came here wanting to be honest. I've got a lot of stuff to say to you guys and I just want to be honest. Me and this one, have been fucking. I love him, not my husband, who I'm about to leave because he doesn't make me happy, he got a teen girl pregnant, he's fucking about 10 other ones and that may be an underestimate. Oh, and he beats my ass. So my life has been a mess, and I didn't come here because I want you guys to help me fix it. I came here because I realize how selfish I've been. And how wrong I was for excommunicating myself from this family because I thought that being a foster kid was the worst thing to ever happen to me when in reality it wasn't. You guys only ever loved and respected me and it could've been worst, it was before I met you guys, and it has been since I've left." I just word vomit and cry a little bit.

"Yeah dad, get the Glock. Cause that nigga has got to be insane if he thought he was gone put his hands on her and that the shit was gone slide. And you little girl, you did distance yourself and it hurt us. It hurt me. I love you. You are and will always be my little sister, fuck all that other shit. I'm not even the most upset about the fact that you walked away, I'm upset about the fact that you suffered when we could've and would've stepped up to help you. And support you through all the shit you've been through. We are your family!"

"I know! I just fucking apologized!" I look around at all of them. My mom nods in understanding teary eyed.

"And I accept your apology but I'm still mad. I still had to say what I needed to say!"

My dad comes to hug me.

"Go sit down somewhere. She's here. That's all I care about." He points to direct SJ in another direction.

"Kyler... sweetheart, I hope you like Pot Roast."

I look back at him and he just nods.

"Yeah, Pot Roast sounds lovely ma'am. Thank you. I can help you in the kitchen if you'd like." I can tell he kind of wants no part of SJ and any of his smoke right now.

"Oooh." She looks impressed. "You cook?" She links arms with him and starts to walk him into the kitchen.

"I can do a little something." He laughs tapping my behind sneakily as he walks past me.

"I saw that shit, and oh, you not off the hook either. Ain't you ole boy teammate? What business you got with Samantha?"

"Saint John don't come for him. He's been here. He loves me and he makes me feel safe. He makes me happy. I will fucking fight you, right here, right now about him. So shut up and find something else to do. You're such a loser I swear." I snap.

"Hey, hey. You not fighting anybody." Kyler turns around and grabs me. "Relax. The man has questions I'm cool. Both of ya'll chill out. The hell y'all got going on? What a toxic ass siblingship." He pulls me along.

"So I'm going to go see what that noise is in the garage."

"Oh Terrence we know you're going to go smoke honey. You go check the garage around the same time every day. We do this every night." She waves him off. "Please don't mind my husband. He can be a little delusional, he has a little habit he swears I don't know about." My mom explains to Kyler.

"Mhmm. Who am I to judge." He looks down at me and winks.

I cover my lip with a finger.

"I'm going to go check on the garage with you pops."

"Yeah you do that." I snipe him.

"Shut up and cut the carrots."

My mom laughs.

"Oooh it sounds like old times." She's so excited and it makes me emotional I can't lie. They've missed me, they've wanted me this whole time.