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The table was really awkward, Melissa didn't say anything yet she just introduced me so now Scott is looking at me confused and Melissa looks completely distressed. "Do you want me to tell him why I'm here?" I asked. "No, it's just having this happen brings me back I don't quite know how to process my emotions." It's strange knowing how she feels, she's explaining things to make me understand. Being raised by men I was never supposed to worry about them, they were never sad or soft with me about little things. It made me confused when I was little but as I grew older I was tougher, I handled things quietly and little people in my life have ever seen me upset or cry. "Can you pass the Mac and cheese?" I glanced to the plastic bowl that was in front of Scott. He passes it over to me, I notice his knuckles are bruised and I got an uneasy feeling. I use the spoon to pour some Mac in my bowl, next to the fried chicken. I barely eat stuff like this but I haven't eaten all day and I'm not going to ask for something different. "Scott this is your sister. I had her when you were one." "Like, you gave birth to her?" He glanced from me to her. "Yes." "I see it." He nods, Melissa and I look at each other. I see it too. I looked way more like my dad, but we had the same eyes. "Why was she..." he stops and tries to find the right word. "Not here?" He finally asks. "I cheated on your dad with her dad. And you know how your dad is." "Was." Scott interrupts. Melissa closes her eyes and sighs. "She was small and she wasn't his, he wanted me to abort her. Javi wanted her. he wanted to be a father and I never-" her voice cracked and she covered her eyes. Scott stood up and hugged her. He locks eyes with me. "Dad was a really bad alcoholic and he was abusive." He kisses the top of Melissa's head before letting her go. "Selena, Im sorry I wasn't in your life but im here now. After this month I changed my schedule so I could have the weekends off and we can get to know each other. Spend some time as a family ok?" I didn't know how to feel, my dad is gone but being here it feels like im learning about a part of him I didn't know, learning about the woman he was with that made me. Learning about my mom was something I have never thought about. "Yeah and I'll pick up more shifts at the vet to make up for the weekends." "Scott no we don't need to-" "We do. You need help and that's ok. I can help with bills and we can also spend more time as a family." Scott nods and looks at me, his expression was softer than when he first saw me. "I can get a job too until Tio gets his shop up." I agree with Scott she's alone here and now she has me to feed too. "No Scott is enough help. I can't have you work after your dad and now you're whole life has been uprooted." "No it's okay, I like to tutor it's good on my transcript. At home I tutored a couple days a week and I helped Jason fix cars." I spoke with some food in my mouth, I would wait to swallow but by the time I shoved more food into my mouth, I was starving. "What's a Tio?" Scott looked confused. Melissa sniffled and wiped her tears before holding out her hands for us to hold. Scott grabs hers and I wipe my sweaty hands onto my pants before grabbing it. "I know I work a lot but I'm here and I'm trying my best. Let me know if anything goes wrong okay?"
