Belonging - an adopted by Hamilton sequel

October 26th 2020: Meeting

[A/N: Hiya! Thanks for popping by. I just wanted to point out that this is a sequel to Belong, a fan fiction that I spent years writing and finished a few months ago. But I guess I couldn't quite leave the story there, or that I could put my pen down. However, if you haven't read Belong, I highly suggest that you do that. If you have, I hope you'll enjoy Belonging as well💛]

October 26th 2020

"Hey Mom, I was gonna go grab a drink at that coffee shop I was telling you about the other day, do you want anything?", I asked my Mom, leaning onto the doorway as I looked into her makeshift office in my parents' bedroom. She had her glasses on, and was focusing on reading a document on her computer.
"A latte would be lovely, Rue", she replied, looking at me with a smile after taking her eyes off of the screen. "Are you sure about this, though?"
I nodded.
"I need to get better", I said, sounding determined.
And I did need to get better.

Everything had happened at the same time - moving away, living alone, starting university and then the pandemic in March. It had gotten so bad. I had gotten so deep into myself that I had taken so many steps back in terms of my recovery.
I knew I'd never get completely well. But every time I really tried to be normal, it just kept hitting me back. I hadn't been so deep in it since that first spring with them. That was more than four years ago. In a sense, it had been easier then. Now every step seemed so far away, because I wasn't supposed to go outside, or see anyone in person.

But it was October now.
So when my favourite coffee shop Benny's, one that was just located about a 20 minute walk from our house, had announced that they were reopening a week ago I'd decided that it would be my first, real, task to do on my own. Until today I had only walked around the neighbourhood. First with them, then slowly on my own.
And so, I needed to do this.
To do something on my own.
In order to get better.

Vanessa smiled at me, putting her glasses up on her head.
"Alright", she told me. "Oh, and ask your Dad if he wants anything. He always craves something with caffeine in it"
I laughed, nodding, as I closed the door to the bedroom. I turned around and went to the actual office of the apartment, which had now been turned into Sebastian's and Francisco's learning and kindergarten area. I knocked on the door, before opening it.
"Hi, Niñita", my Dad quietly said, as he was taking off his headphones and walking towards me from his seat, where he was working on his laptop whilst making sure that Sebastian did his work and Francisco played nicely next to him. "What's on your mind?"
"I was just about to go to Benny's, y'know that coffee shop I told you about?", I explained, to which he nodded. "Do you want anything?"
A grin formed on his face.
"Thought you'd never ask. A plain, black, coffee, please", he told me, and I knew he only got that so that he could properly assess whether the coffee was good or not. "And get a treat for Frankie and Seb. I think they'll have had enough of Zoom 1st grade then...", he pointed out, nodding towards them.
"Sure", I answered, and turned around. But before I could head off, he grabbed my hand.
"Call us if anything happens, alright?", he asked me, as I turned myself back around.
I nodded, smiling.
So, he let me go, and mouthed a good luck.

I walked over to the front door, where I carefully put on the coat I'd bought for myself last fall when I headed off to college. I had gotten my first ever job during the summer. It was at a summer camp for young children at the local library, a place where I'd come to spend so much over the last few years. It was like, as I slowly got better, my love for reading had come back. I could suddenly read again, without getting distracted. And now I had spent a summer reading and writing with children of all ages.