We Are Free

A Long Week

We get to Zac's house and I get the kids out and put them inside on the couch I put the garbage bag in the main part of the truck. Zac and I grab the bags and play pen. We bring it inside.
Zac lives by himself in a two bedroom house. He has the guest room all set up. A bed, closet, bathroom, dresser, and more. He also has a orange and black alley cat he adopted named Stitches. She is named Stitches because she came up to Zac's door step while it was raining. Zac took her to the vet and the vet had to put 10 stitches above her right eye.
Zac fell in love with her as soon as he saw her and decided to take her home with him. She is such a sweet kitty and the kids love her, she cuddles with them and never has once hissed or acted bad to them. I take Andrew's play pen and put it in an empty corner in the guest room.
I put all our bags in the room. I get the kids ready for bed and lay them down Emily just sleeps in my bed with me. By the time I get them down it is 8:00. I put my pj shorts on and go to the living room.
"You owe me an explanation." He says raising and eyebrow at me.
"It was late and my dad would be home any minute if he catches me trying to leave he will most likely kill me if I let him or beat me half to death. I don't want that to happen and I don't want the kids seeing that. They see it enough and they shouldn't period. It scared the crap out of me I wanted out. I was so scared I have never been that scared of him before." I tell him. I am still shaking and shaken up. I feel like I am babbling.
"Yeah I agree with you but you are okay, plus I was there."
"I know it still scared me though. It isn't your battle to fight." He ignores my last comment. He tosses me a can of soda at me I catch it and open it in one swift motion.
"Now let's be honest how long you want me here?" I hope he has forgotten but knowing Zac he hasn't and when he acts like he did you better take him seriously. Sure it is time to give up I just don't want to believe it. Maybe my dad isn't fixable.
"I said you're staying here." He says, I knew he wouldn't forget.
"I might take half a day tomorrow." I say ignoring him. He is right. I am here and I am staying. I wonder what I did to deserve such good friends.
"I don't blame you."
"Yeah come in after lunch, let them sleep, give me some time to think."
"Alright that's your choice."
"I know, yeah I'm taking a half day."
"Alright." I get up and get my phone I call Dan.
"Hello."
"Hey Dan."
"Hi Jace, how's it going?"
"It's going I want to know if I could come in after lunch hour there has just been a lot going on and I'm staying with Zac and it's just gotten bad and I'm scared out of my mind I just need some time to think." I start crying not even trying to hold it back.
"Okay that's fine."
"Okay thanks."
"Yup bye."
​​ "Bye." I hang up and wipe my face. I sit back at the bar stool at the bar strip. I breath deeply and try to stop shaking.
"It will be okay just breath." Zac tries to soothe me but he doesn't really know how.
"I'm trying."
"Keep doing it." He breaths with me then Emily comes out of the bedroom. She is crying. I put her on my lap she holds onto her blanket and teddy bear.
"What's wrong princess?"
"I had a nightmare that daddy choked you so hard you stopped breathing. I was crying and screaming at him to stop but he didn't. When he stopped I shook you but you wouldn't wake up or breath again. It scared me I wanted to see if you were okay." She says tears in her eyes.
"I won't let that happen it will never happen because I'm here to say and your stuck with me. I am okay there is nothing to worry about."
"I want you to stay. I want to be stuck with you. I don't know what I would do without you." She wraps her arms around my neck. I hug her back.
"I went potty in my pull up on accident."
"That's okay you can just put a new one on."
"Okay." I carry her to the bedroom and grab a pull up and a wipe. I take her to the bathroom and she takes her pull up and shorts off I hand her the diaper wipe and get the new pull up ready she puts the wipe in the trash can and I hand her the new pull up.
She puts it on and grabs her shorts she puts them back on. I grab her hand and walk her to the bedroom I put her in bed. She grabs the covers and puts her legs under in. I tuck her in and kiss her goodnight I tuck her teddy bear next to her.
It is pink with a purple tutu on it, a golden crown with jewels, and purple ballet slippers. On the stomach of the bear it says princess. She has had it since she was 3 and it was old.
It was still in good shape though. She takes it everywhere with her. It's the only thing she has left of our mom. I leave the room and sit back on the bar stool.
"So?" Zac asks me.
"She is fine, back in bed."
"Okay." It is 8:30. Zac and I sit on the couch drinking our sodas. We talk every now and then and watch tv.
"Well I'm going to bed." I announce.
"Okay have fun."
"Always." I brush my teeth and get in bed next to Emily she is sleeping again. I kiss her forehead and go to sleep.
*Morning*
I wake up and Emily is still sleeping so is Andrew. I sneak out of bed and go pee then I go out to the living room. I know Zac is gone. I grab his laptop out of his room.
I know he won't mind. I take it to the bar and set it down. I boot it up and sign in under my account. I look up houses for sale. I look for about a half hour before Emily comes up to me.
"I'm hungry." She says glaring at me. She is trying to be angry like Halo does but it's not working. I hold back a laugh as she can be a real terror when she does get mad. I do not want to go there.
"Okay." I say once again trying not to smile. I get up and get her a bowl of cereal. Then I seat her at the bar next to me. I continue looking for a house.
"Do you have to work today?" She asks no longer glaring.
"Yeah, but we are going in at 1:00."
"Why?"
"I have some things to do and you guys can sleep some more."
"Okay." I hear Andrew squealing I go into the room and get him. I put him on the ground and he walks out with me. I take him potty and get him toast. He sits on my lap and eats his toast with peanut butter. I keep looking until I find a house it is perfect 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, and lots of space enough for us.
It is 5 grand. That is cheap, really, really cheap it is in a wooded area not far from work and all the necessities. Pets are allowed and it is perfect in everything and every way it is just awesome. Kevin would never find us. I find the number. I grab my phone and call the owner.
"Hello." The Owner answers the phone.
"Hello my name is Jace and I'm interested in buying this 4 bed 2 bath house you have for sale."
"Okay Jace what is your last name?"
"Parks."
"Okay, is there anyone that will be living with you?"
"Yes, my sister and brother."
"Okay and where is your current living situation?"
"Hell." He starts laughing.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes sir I am."
"Okay, well I am sorry I would be interested in meeting with you when is the next time you could maybe meet up with me at the house?"
"How does Thursday sound?"
"Sounds awesome what time would work for you?"
"5:30ish."
"Okay sounds good see you then."
"Yup thank you."
​​ "Thank you bye."
"Bye." I write down the address and close the laptop, I take a deep breath.
"What?" Emily looks at me.
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"Okay." She shrugs her shoulders and puts a spoonful of cereal into her mouth before shoving the bowl my way telling me that Stitches can have the milk. I feel relieved I'm one step closer to giving them the life they deserve. When Andrew is done eating I take him potty. I get them both dressed and I get dressed and eat some food.
When noon comes buy we leave after eating lunch. I get inside both kids walking next to me when I walk in I hear surprise and there is confetti, streamers, a table with food and much more. I cover my mouth with my hand.
"What is going on guys?" I ask.
"Well we are throwing a party for you." Dan tells me. I can't move. I can't think.
"Why?" I am really confused I have done nothing to earn this. I just do my job nothing more and nothing less.
​​​ "You are an inspiration to all of us here you are 16, you work a full time job and raise 2 kids, so we had a fundraiser for you and raised over 2 million dollars for you and your siblings. Plus we are throwing a party and don't say no because we don't wanna hear it so until five tonight we party." I start crying and hugging everyone.
"I don't know what to say thank you guys all of you but, all of us should party for each other. We all deserve it you guys are an inspiration to me as much as I am to you so thank you for everything this party is for all of us not just me and Emily and Andrew."
I'm so happy once everyone is calmed down we are all sitting at the lunch table. The kids are eating on some cheese, crackers, and grapes. They have no clue what it means. We party until five eating snacks, drinking soda, and having fun at five we say our goodbyes and head home until it's just me, Zac, and Dan.
"Well I'm heading out see you later." Zac says tapping me on the shoulder.
"Okay."
"The money has already been put in your bank account and is good to go." Dan tells me. I am still in a state of shock. The kids are just happy they got to do something besides color at the table.
"Okay sounds good I just wanna thank you, you help us so much and do so much for us and without you I don't know where I would be. Words can't describe how thankful I am for all you do for me."
"Your welcome, now I want you to go home and get yourself a house, all the things you want and need, and raise those kids right."
"Yes sir." We head out and back to Zac's house. When we get there we are full from the party so I give Emily a bath and get her ready for bed.
"Crap."
"What?" Zac answers me. He was exhausted. I could see it in his eyes.
"I didn't grab Andrew's little bath thingy."
"Then take one with him."
"Take a bath with him." I raise my eyebrows at him. I have never done that except for when I was 13 I took one with Emily she was outside playing in mud and my mom needed to clean her quick. She showered with me real quick.
​​ "Yeah he's only two and has the same parts you have, unless you aren't telling me something."
"No he has the same parts."
"Then take one with him."
"Okay that would work." I grab him and get him clothes and a pull up then I get in the bath with him. We bathe and get out I wrap the towel around my waist and get him dressed. Once he is dressed I get dressed.
I put them both down for bed. It is 7:00 they need sleep. I hang around with Zac for a few more hours. I still can't believe that they did that for me. It is amazing. It leaves me feeling happy and settled knowing that I won't have to worry about paying bills, getting a house, getting them what they need, and more.
I go to bed around 9:00 tired and happy. I'm still on cloud 9 after today. Now I can buy that house. I fall asleep right away. I wake suddenly to Emily screaming I feel for her on the bed but she wasn't there I start to panic a little bit.
I turn the lamp on and get up she is on the floor kicking the ground holding her arm and screaming Zac comes in and Andrew wakes up and starts crying. Zac grabs him.
"What happened?" I ask her between her cries and gasps for breath she manages to answer me.
"I fell off the bed and my arm hurts. Please help me Jace." Her face is red and wet with tears she is crying so hard she is coughing and gasping for air.
"Okay I will make it feel better." I pick her up and carry her to the living room she is still screaming Zac gets some ice for her arm it is black and blue and swollen already.
"I'm taking her to the children's hospital." I tell Zac, I am a little scared.
"Okay." He answers me and hands me the ice.
"Can you stay here with Andrew?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Thanks." It is times like this I am really truly grateful for him. I put my shoes on grab the ice and grab Emily. I don't put shoes on her. Zac grabs her teddy bear and blanket I wrap her in it and she holds her teddy bear with her good arm while crying.
"It will be okay." I try and soothe her. I put her in her car seat. She is kicking and screaming. I hate to see her like this and there isn't anything I can do about it. I get in and take the quickest way to the hospital. I talk to her the way there to try and calm her down.
When we get to the hospital I grab her and carry her inside it is empty but it is also 4:00 AM I go to the front desk and sign her in and they get us a room by now she can't feel her arm. The doctor walks in
"So what's the problem?" The doctor asks as he sits in his chair.
​ "She fell off the bed and hurt her arm."
"When was this?"
"About a half hour ago I woke up to her screaming and she was kicking and holding her arm. I brought her into good lighting and her arm was black and blue and swollen so I got in the car and brought her here."
"Okay let's take a look." He looks at Emily's arm and she cries more I hold her hand.
"Please stop it hurts don't move it please." Her voice comes out hoarse and thick, she starts crying again. I hug her
"He has to to make it feel better." I tell her.
"Okay all done. I want to get x-rays of her arm then we will go from there." He says.
"Okay."
"Are you the caregiver?"
"Yeah."
"What's your relation to her?"
"Brother."
"Okay well let's get pictures and go from there." The x-ray guy comes in with a wheel chair. I sit her in it.
"Can I take my teddy bear?" Emily reaches for it her bottom lip sticking out.
"Yeah." He responds as she continues to reach for it. I hand it to her and she hugs it. I follow him and Emily. He puts Emily on the X-ray table. He takes 3 pictures. She cries more. We go back to the room they put her on an iv drip for the pain.
The nurse brings her a snack and both of us a bottle of water. She cuddles with her blanket and teddy bear while watching tv. She eventually falls asleep again. An hour later the doctor comes back in and shows us the X-rays her forearm bones are snapped in 2.
"I'm going to put a cast on it and put it in a sling." He says. I can't believe it is broken.
"Okay does she have to leave the room?"
"No she don't I will bring everything here with me and fix her up."
​​​​ "Okay."
"I will be back."
"Okay" I wake Emily up and tell her what's happening. The doctor comes back in and has all the stuff he needs.
"What color do you want?" He asks her.
"Pink." She says.
"Pink it is." He puts the cast on her and explains what to do with it and gives her a sling, he puts it on her.
"Alright I will be right back with your paperwork."
"Okay." It is 5:30 in the morning I am going to be late for work. It didn't matter though. The doctor comes back with a backpack and Popsicle. He disconnects her iv.
"In this backpack is some goodies for you and you get to take them all home and I brought a Popsicle for you to but it's up to your brother if you can have it."
"Yeah that's fine." I say.
"Alrighty." He opens the Popsicle and gives it to Emily she takes it. He sets the backpack down next to her. I fill out some paperwork.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome you are a very nice young lady and you are very brave to." She gives the doctor a hug and I put the backpack over my shoulder I wrap her in the blanket and put her teddy bear there and she hangs onto her Popsicle with her good hand I put her in the car. I buckle her up and put the backpack up by me.
"You were very brave and very good I'm very proud of you." I tell her.
"The needle and x-ray were scary." She says before taking another lick of her popsicle. It is a double one. It has two sticks.
"They were?"
"Yeah, but I did it."
"Yes you did and I'm proud of you for that." We get to Zac's and he was up but Andrew was still sleeping. I tell Zac what happened. I lay Emily on the couch to sleep but take her sling off. We look through her backpack.
There is a Barbie doll with a few extra outfits. A blanket with lady bugs on it and a pillow case with lady bugs on it. There is some bubbles, a sucker, teddy grahams, sunglasses, two coloring books, and a box of crayons.
I get Andrew ready and myself dressed. Zac get ready. He helps me with Andrew. I get Emily dressed and her sling back on her arm. We all get in the car and leave running late by almost and hour. I get to work and clock in. Dan comes out as soon as I pull my ID badge off the hook.
"Reason?" He says.
​ "Emily fell off the bed at 4:00 in the morning and broke her arm and hour and a half at the children's hospital."
"I forgive you get to work." I nod my head and get them set up at the table they play on. When lunch comes around everyone signs her cast but they are careful not to hurt her. Thursday can't come fast enough and it's only tomorrow.
I work and try to pass the time but it doesn't work. So many emotions run through my body. I really hope I get this house so much. Finally Thursday comes and the day goes by even slower. As the hours tick by I get more and more excited.
I feel like a kid ready for Christmas break and the school bell won't ring fast enough. Finally five comes around. Zac and I grab the kids and our stuff and leave. Zac hops in the truck after we get the kids inside.
"Where is this place?" Zac asks as we drive into a wooded area.
​​ "The middle of nowhere."
"That's awesome!"
"Yeah, I know." We get to the house and I pull the kids out of the car. Yesterday I had taken the money out of my bank account just to be safe. The owner's car is in the driveway and he is on the porch.
I walk up with Andrew on my hip Emily walking at my side and Zac behind me.
"Hi you must be Jace, I'm Dave." The owner shakes my hand.
​​​​ "Yes I am and this is Andrew and this is Emily and this is Zac he is here for support."
"Okay sounds good why don't we go look around inside."
"Sounds good." We look around the house and it is absolutely beautiful when we are done looking we stand in the kitchen.
"So what do you think?" Dave asks me.
"I like it. It's really nice enough space everything."
"Okay."
"What you two think?" I ask the kids. Emily has a smile ear to ear.
​​ "It is awesome." Emily says.
"Yes." Andrew replies to her.
"That's awesome."
"If you want to buy it and have the money I will be more than happy to sign the paperwork but since you are still a minor I need an adult's signature." Dave tells me.
"I knew you would come in handy." I look at Zac.
​​ "Yeah, you use and abuse me." He says and we laugh a little bit.
"Okay it's up to you." Dave says rocking back onto his heels then onto his toes.
"Yeah, I will take it let's close a deal." I say.
"Okay let's do it." We shake hands. He pulls the paper work out and we do all the signing Zac signs it to since he is a legal adult being 18. I pay Dave for the house. He gives me the keys.
"Here you go you will never have to hear from me again unless there is a problem with the house itself."
"Okay thank you." I say with a smile.
​​​​ "Thank you." He replies. He leaves but we stay behind.
"I just bought a house I can't believe it!" I tell Zac.
​​ "Me either high five." I high five him and we look around some more.
"I'm buying Andrew a new bed because he's big enough I need to buy everything basically."
"Yeah."
"Well if you or Halo could watch these two I could get everything done I want to move out of hell this weekend to get it done and stay with you until I get in here."
​​ "Okay that will work."
"Yup alright let's get out of here."
​​​ "Let's go out to dinner I'm buying."
"You don't- " He cuts me off.
"Let's go." He gives me a serious look and throw my hands up.
"Fine." We go out to dinner the week still goes by slow. I'm nervous about moving out of hell though. After what happened when I left to stay with Zac.
I don't wanna go back but I have to. I will make it I just know it. Dan gives me the week off to move knowing I need it and Halo's mom offered to watch the kids. I'm excited for this new chapter in my life.