Joe stood outside a house hoping that she wouldn't notice that he had been crying. He knocked on the door gently after composing himself already hearing laughter coming from inside the house. Children's laughter. The door soon opened revealing one of his three older sisters Jenna with a towel over her shoulder, she gave him a warm smile which soon dropped when she realised what time it was, he was supposed to be at school.
"Joe what's wrong? Why aren't you at school?" Jenna questioned Joe just shrugging his shoulders, she sighed letting him in Joe slipping his shoes off turning around when he heard a voice.
"Uncle Joey!" Joe smiled as the two year old toddled over to him lifting her up in his arms, he only smiled wider when she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey Gemma!" Joe exclaimed kissing her forehead, Jenna smile seeing her younger brother with her daughter. Jenna was twenty eight, Joe had two other older sisters. Bethany who was twenty five and Sarah who was twenty three. It wasn't until their daughters were a little older that Paul and Denise decided to try again for a son and that's when Joe came along, he got on well with his whole family besides Gary who was his step father. Joe still saw his father every couple of weeks and still had strong bond with him even with the distance they have from each other.
"Me watching Frozen!" Gemma exclaimed back.
"Well don't let me stop you from watching it then," Joe kissed her head again before setting her down on the ground Gemma soon making her way into the living room again. "How is Jackson?"
"He started smiling the other day, come on." Jenna stated leading Joe upstairs into the nursery that was set up for Jenna's three month old son Jackson. Joe couldn't help but smile as he saw his nephew in his bassinette sleeping clearly after a feed judging by the cloth over his sister's shoulder.
"He's getting bigger." Joe grinned.
"Now tell me why you aren't in school." Jenna demanded grabbing his had the two of them sitting on the couch Jenna often fed Jackson on, Joe just looked down at the ground fiddling with his own fingers, he still couldn't believe Demi had found out.
"I-I just couldn't be there or home right now." Joe admitted.
"Still not getting on with Gary?" Jenna inquired Joe shaking his head, nobody knew about Gary abusing him besides the two of them and they both planned to keep it that way.
"He's a jerk but nobody else sees it." Joe mumbled leaning back on the couch.
"And what are you doing fighting again, your better than this Joe." Jenna lectured Joe sighing looking at his older sister, she was used to seeing him beaten up but of course Joe told them that he had been in a fight and not because their step father was beating him for fun.
"Promise your alright though?" Joe questioned.
"Of course we are Joe, Matt is finishing early to come spend some time with the kids but you're welcome to stay but I'm gonna need to call mom and tell her that your here." Joe sighed nodding his head gently smiling when she kissed his cheeks.
Joe made his way downstairs sitting down on the couch next to Gemma who was still watching Frozen, he smiled when she started singing along knowing every single word that was sung. He had watched Frozen plenty of times himself, he had plenty of nieces and nephews who watched it Gemma being just one of them.
"Uncle Joey sing!" Gemma demanded.
"No baby girl, Uncle Joey can't sing so you sing for me." Joe smiled as she crawled onto his lap Joe locking his arms around the little girl who was still singing along to the show. Joe defiantly saw himself as a father one day. If he could actually get the courage to stop his step farther from abusing him. He still didn't understand how Demi knew so soon. They had only class together and she seemed to know even before then.
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