Broken (Edited edition)

Cincinnati

A week later, we're told that my Mother will be going to jail for her crimes. I'm sitting at the counter, and Mark tells me the news." Your Mother is being taken into custody today." He says, leaning against the counter looking at me. I nod, and look down at my coffee. I don't respond to anything he says, and I just run my fingers across my warm cup." Lyca?" Mark calls my name, and I look over at him." It's okay to be upset." He says, rubbing my arm. I look over at him, and he gives me a warm smile." It's hard to believe, I'm now technically an orphan." I say, and Mark smiles." No you aren't, I'm your parent now. I'm your Dad." He says, and I smile. I'm wearing a light gray cardigan, black jeans, and my hair is down. Mark took me to get a haircut a few days ago, and I've gotten bangs now. My hair is clean and shiny now, where it use to be all greasy. Mark actually had to drag me into the shower the second day I was here.

I take in a deep breathe, and stand up." Where are you going?" He asks, grabbing me around the waist. I smile at him, and he picks me up." Hey, I've got an idea." He says, putting his head on top of mine, and I look up at him." What?" I ask, rubbing his arm softly." It's my Mother's birthday this weekend, and I was gonna go over there. Since Danny and the others are busy, I have to take you with me. Plus, you'll be able to meet my Mother and Brother." He says, and I stare at him." Really? I get to meet your mom?" I ask, and he grins." Your Grandmother as well." He says, and I smile." Wow, a new Grandma." I say, and he sighs." She'll probable not want to be called Grandma." He says, and I smile at him." When will we leave?" I ask, and he looks at his phone." In about two hours." He says, and I stare at him." Shit, I haven't packed!" I say, and run up the stairs. He starts laughing from downstairs, and I grab the suitcase under my bed.

I start grabbing clothes off my hangers, and fold them into my suitcase. I pull in a pillow, shoes, toothbrush, brush, shampoo, and find some other things to put in. I grab my stuffed lion, and put it in my carry on. I also put my laptop in there, chapter books, and my drawing book. Mark is leaning against my door frame, and is just smiling at me." Damn, it's almost been twenty minutes." He says, and I zip up my bags." Why didn't you tell me we were going today?" I ask him, and he shrugs." I wanted to surprise you." He says, and I roll my eyes." Did you pack?" I ask, and he shakes his head." Go pack, we need to leave early to catch our flight." I tell him, and he smiles." Lyca, relax. It's okay, don't worry. I've packed a little bit, just need to put a few items in my bag. My laptop and some chargers." He says. He picks up my suitcase, and I watch him carry it downstairs. He sets it down next to the door, then comes back upstairs.

I've walked into his room, and I see his suit case is open on his bed. His clothes are neatly stacked, his computer is on top, and he has all of the items he needs. Except for his phone, and some books to read." Aren't you going to be bored on the way there?" I ask, and he shakes his head." No, I'm going to play on my phone and take one of your books." He says, and I smirk at him. I help him back up some other things, and I zip it for him. He picks it up, and I pack him a carry on." Do we need water?" I ask, and he shakes his head. I bring our two carry on's downstairs, and set them by our suit cases." We'll stop at a coffee shop before the airport." He says, and I nod." That sounds amazing." I tell him, and he grins." I've turned a beautiful girl into addicted to caffeine." He says, and wipes a fake tear away. I make a face at him, then stumble on my own feet. Mark catches me, and asks if I'm alright." Yeah, I just stumbled a bit." I tell him, and say I'm going to change my pants." Why?"

"Because I'd rather be in sweats than jeans for the trip." I tell him, and he scratches the back of his head. He's wearing sweats as well, so he doesn't have the right to complain." Okay, then we'll leave. Hurry up." He says, and I walk upstairs." Hey, I have a question." I yell from upstairs. I yank on black sweat pants, and tie my shoes back on." Sure, question away." Mark shouts back, and I walk over toward the stairs." What's your brother like?" I ask. Mark is pulling the bags over his shoulders, and he just looks up at me." He's a lot like me, but taller and with a lot more facial hair." Mark says, and I smile." I mean, does he understand why you adopted me? Does he think you made the right decision?" I ask, and Mark's mouth just drops." Lyca, why would you ask that? Of course he understands, and yes he thinks I made the right decision." Mark says, and I walk down the steps." I just had to ask, and you know why." I tell him, and stand in front of him. He pats my head, and I look up at him." I just need to make sure okay?" I tell him. He presses my face into his stomach, and I hug him close to me." I promise you that my brother will love you just as much as I do." He says, and kisses my cheek." Now no more sulking, time for some fun with your new family." He says, and stands up straight.

We walk down the steps, and out onto the streets. Mark called an Uber, and he drives us to the Airport. Mark tells the man to stop at a coffee shop, where we get coffee. Mark gets a warm coffee with vanilla flavoring, and I get a vanilla iced coffee. Iced coffee tastes so good to me, now I get it all the time when I can. We get back in the car, and the driver drives to the airport. We get out, pay him, and go to our gate. We sit down at one of the cafe's near our Gate, and start chatting away while drinking our coffee." So, your Mother is from Korea? And your Father was from Germany?" I ask, and he nods." Yep, so I'm split right down the middle." He says, and I smirk." What are you?" He asks." German, French, Italian, and Russian. My family is from all over Europe mostly." I say, and he looks impressed." Wow, you have a lot in that tiny body of yours." He says, which makes me laugh. I finish my drink, and Mark holds onto my hand. We don't speak, we just smile at each other. I get off my seat, and walk over to him. He picks me up, and hugs me close to him.

Some people start looking over to us, and are mumbling to their friends about us." What are they talking about?" I ask Mark, and he shrugs." Maybe wondering why your mom isn't here, or wondering if I'm a single hot dad." He says, and I start laughing. A woman walks past us, and grins at us." Your daughter is so adorable." She says, adjusting her strap on her purse." Oh, thank you." Mark says, and hugs me tighter." Is there a mom in the picture?" She asks, brushing her brown hair behind her ear. I keep my mouth shut, trying not to laugh at how quick this woman came onto Mark." Yes there is, she's just not joining us on the trip." He says, and stands up with me still in his arms." Good day Ms." He says, and we leave. Are plane is being boarded, and we get on. We are next to a window, and we put our seatbelts on. Mark stops me from buckling mine, and does it for me." Really?" I ask, and he grins." It's the small things that count Lyca." He says, and I smile.

We're waiting for about an hour, when we start to take off. I lean against Mark, holding onto my stuffed Lion, and shut my eyes to sleep. Mark holds me close to him, and kisses my head." I'm here for you baby." He whispers, and I fall asleep.

I stare up at the roof of the plane when I wake up, and sit up a bit more." Hello." Mark says, and I look up at him." What time is it?" I ask, and he grins." It's only been two hours." He says, and I look down at my hands." Is everything okay, did you have a nightmare?" He asks, and I shake my head." No, I just scared myself."

"How?"

"I thought about Todd." I tell him, and he rubs my shoulder." He's not here anymore Lyca." He mumbles, and I stare at him." He's still in my head though." I say and he smiles at me warmly." Hey, don't think about him, he's not going to come back anytime soon, he's never going to hurt you again." He says, and hugs me tightly against his body. I feel cold all of a sudden, and shiver visibly." Here, put this on." He says, and takes off his jacket. He wraps it around me, and I thank him." No problem. Anything for my girl." He says, and I smile at him. I take in a deep breathe, and slowly shut my eyes for a moment.

We are in the air for about another hour, and we get off the plane. Mark carries me slowly through the airport, holding me close. I'm really tired still, and I lay my head against his shoulder. He kisses my cheek, and I fall asleep again.

We're finally here, Cincinnati.