Before We Were Fifty

Chapter 10

**LAX**

Getting to the baggage claim, I hold Lukas on my hip and my bag over my shoulder. When I get to Zeppelin in his dog crate, a hand stretches out for it also. Looking up, I happily squeak at the sight of Jesse and my Mom- Stella apparently didn't want to pick me up, but rather make the phone call. Throwing myself into his arms, I try not to squish my son against his half uncle. He looks so much like my dad that I almost cry at the sight of him.

"Hey, Kota Cat! Where've ya been?" Kissing my cheek, I loved growing up with him. When I was 7 and he was 14, we used to run around my Father's house playing cops and robbers. Oh how I miss those days. His mother Patti D'Arbenville was always very nice, though not my first pick for my dad.

"I've been busy filming. What about you?"

"Well, I've taken a bit of a break from the screen. Yer Mom called and asked if I wanted to come pick you up, so I obviously had to say No..."

"Jerk!"

"Kidding Kota Cat. I've missed you so much. And how's my little buddy?" Lukas shy's away, but still smiles at him. He probably doesn't remember him from Christmas last year. Which reminds me, it's coming up in three months. Oh tis the season for pulling my hair out.

"Lukas can you say hi to Uncle Jesse?" He waves his hand and then jumps for my mom.

"Nuna! Nuna!"

"I'm coming sweetheart. I'm coming. Oh Coqui. How are you feeling?" She kisses my temple after picking up Lukas.

"Better Mama. Can we get out of this airport though. It's weighing on me."

"Of course. Jesse can you grab Zepp, please and thank you."

Riding in my brother's Hummer- which I detest because it's basically saying 'Hi, I'm compensating for things' and not to mention it's a gas hog- I gaze out upon the city I used to know like the back of the hand. For a while I was in New York for just a getaway, then with Fifty they moved us to Vancouver and I haven't had the pleasure of coming home to Los Angeles. At the same time, this is basically paparazzi-ville because you can't go anywhere without a camera snapping and the photos or videos surfacing in under an hour. Looking over at Lukas, this will be the first time he has to be introduced to that- oh shit. Yeah, this was a terrible idea. Me with my son for the world to finally see- oh the questions. Oh the magazine articles, the blogs, the E! news updates! Fuck am I in deep. My mother must have noticed my despair because she reaches behind her seat and touches my knee- of course she knows. She's been here. She's been here multiple times- marriages, Alex (my other brother), me, divorces, Stella- she's seen and done it all. She's strong, so so strong that I don't think I ever could be. How am I going to do this? How am I going to make it through this trial in life?

"Welcome home, Kota Cat." Jesse beams in the rearview mirror as he shuts the car off in my Mom's driveway. Getting out, he opens the back of the car and let's Zeppelin out while grabbing a bag. Taking a deep breath I get out of the car and grab Lukas. May be if I just stay home for this weekend no one will know I'm here. No one will suspect anything. But what if they do? What if they find me?

Rushing inside with Lukas, I hold the door for Jesse and Zepp as Mom sets the keys on the counter in the kitchen. Her house seems...different. I'm not really sure what it is, but something is definitely off here. The walls, it must be the walls- color or photos, both maybe. Glancing about the furniture is still the same, excluding the new arm chairs she has in her foyer and the chandelier in the dining room- everything else is the same. Or...is it?

"Is that who I think it is? Familiarity rings in my ear- a voice I haven't heard in almost a year, sadly.

"Daddy?" I turn around to check. When I see him, I jump up and down with Lukas still firmly in my grasp. Rushing over to him, I hug my father so tightly Lukas giggles from being smashed slightly. "Daddy, I've missed you so much!!!"