Bad Dreams //mgc

29.

*Cara's POV*

It's been a fun day so far. The guys have stayed in the basement most of the day. With the air hockey table, pinball machines, full kitchen and newly discovered Xbox One down there, I don't think I'll ever get them to leave! They've been hanging out with my brothers and my only two other guy cousins (Danny stays upstairs with my aunt) down there and have been really loud. But, they just blend right in with the rest of us. I can't help but smile at how easily they were made to feel right at home.

I'm outside on the furthest side of the van having a smoke when a pair of arms wrap around me. "I thought I'd find you out here" Michael whispers. "You've been kind of quiet today."

I just shrug at him. "Just been thinking about a lot of stuff."

"I know," he says as he puts his head on my shoulder. "You doing okay?" I nod and we stand there in silence as I finish my cigarette. I put it out carefully on the driveway and throw in the trash can as we walk back in, hand in hand.

"There you guys are!" bellows Uncle Pete. I really didn't think I'd be missed in that short amount of time, but I guess I'm wrong.

"I'm stealing Michael from you for a bit," he says. "By what Calum says, it looks like I might actually have some real competition in Call of Duty for once!" I just start laughing.

"Some things never change Uncle Pete!" he's always been addicted to video games! "Go kick his ass Mikey!" Mikey's eyes widen at my language. I made sure the guys knew not to swear around my family, but this is Uncle Pete. He doesn't care. I shrug and smile at him as they head off to the basement. Guess I won't be seeing them for awhile!

I decided to go catch up with my grandma. When my mom was extremely ill those last few months, David and I stayed with my grandparents. Dad was working full time and when he wasn't, he was at the nursing home with her. My mom was the only person there that wasn't old. She was 29 years old, in a nursing home. But that's because Dad didn't have any other choice. It was our towns equivalent to a hospice. My grandma means a lot to me. And now that I'm not a little kid anymore, I've been seeing a different side to her. She cracks me up with her sass!

We were talking for awhile about college, which starts back up in a few weeks, she asked how California was, and she asked about TJ. Of course. Everyone in my family knew TJ, but it doesn't seem to bother me anymore. This led to her asking about Michael. I can't help but smile.

"He seems like a very nice boy," she says, "and he cares about you a lot. I can tell. I'm not too fond of his tattoos," of course not. I knew that was coming, "but he's a good kid. I've been spying on you two!" I can't help laugh. The way that she said that made her sound like a teenager, not an 85 year old woman.

"The way he looks at you when you're not looking, the way you look at him. Trish is smiling down at you two. She had a hand in bringing you two together, I know it. She watches over you every day and helps guide you through everything life throws at you. She brings the right people into your life when you need them most. Michael is definitely one of those. He's going to be around for awhile, Cara. I may be an old lady, but I'm a wise old lady!"

Thanks for making me cry Grandma! "Its just hard to trust people sometimes, ya know?"

"I know it is sweetie, but something tells me you can trust him more than anyone else."

I turn around to see Uncle Pete and Michael come through the door from the basement. "I want a rematch later Michael! I'll beat you before this weekend's out!" Michael's face is glowing with pride. Michael and his video games! He looks at me and sees the tears in my eyes and rushes over to me. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

I glance at my grandmother and she smiles and nods ever so slightly, then turns to Uncle Pete and starts teasing him.

"I'm fine Mikey," I tell him. "Grandma and I were just talking about my mom."

"Should I go get Ashton?" he asks.

"No. I'm good. Let's just go find someplace quiet." We stand up and I ask Uncle Pete if we can go sit in his office for a little. "Absolutely Cara! Just don't let me walk in on anything that'll make me sick!" We all start laughing. "We'll try!" and head down to his office.

Michael sits down in the rolling office chair and pulls me into his lap. "Are you really okay Cara?" he asks. The worry in his voice is obvious.

"I'm fine Mikey. Really." I don't know how to explain to him why I was crying. "I just really miss my mom sometimes. I can't help but wonder how things would be different if she was still alive. I left the east coast to get away from...shit around here.. All the bad stuff has happened since she died. I mean, all the shit with Trevor was because I was running away from...." Grandma's words are running through my head so I tell him, "from my grandfather."

a/n: I'm not quite sure where to go from here, so bear with me. This is something I really haven't told anyone, and I have to work through this as I go. I've started this story out with the easiest to work through and things just get harder and harder as I go along.