We Are Free

A New School Year

The next morning we get the kids and bring them home. All week we get ready for his party little by little Ava is coming but her mom isn't. She has to work. Lately she has been thinking about getting a job at the shop.
I told her if she wants to let me know and I will start training. Finally the day comes and it is his birthday. We all go in his room and sing to him. He gets up and starts jumping.
     "Are you excited?" I ask him.
     "YES!"
     "That's good."
     "Here are your clothes get dressed." Halo says. He takes his clothes and gets dressed we leave his room and I put breakfast on the table. We all eat breakfast and Halo does the dishes. When she is done she gets ready.
     "What time is it?" Andrew asks me.
     "It starts at noon. We are picking up pizza then heading over but we have to be there a half hour early. We also have to go to Walmart so we need to get moving."
     "Okay."
     "Okay Jace go get ready." Halo says. I get up and go to our room. I get dressed. I go to the living room and we put everything in Halo's car. We put the kids in and head to Walmart. We get juice boxes and soda. We also get plastic sliver wear, paper plates, and napkins. We pick up his cake.
We go to the pizza place and pick up the pizza, we go to the bowling alley and the man gives us bowling shoes. We set up the table were everything is we can watch the kids bowl and play on the equipment.
We put presents on the floor and put everything else on the back counter. We line it up. Zac shows up with Zane. He helps us finish. Emily and Andrew play in the ball pit. When we finish Ava shows up. The continue to play and we sit down and talk.
"They are starting school soon right?" Sac asks me.
     "Yeah I'm putting Andrew in Preschool."
     "Why?"
     "He just seems behind and I wanna give him that jump start."
     "Okay."
     "After this we are going school supply shopping not today but some other time."
     "Yeah don't you have to enroll him?"
      "Yeah I do, but oh well, then after that the 8th of September will be one year since Halo and I have been together."
     "That's good right?"
     "Yeah it is. I wanna do something special."
     "Like?"
     "I don't know."
     "Well, Halo isn't the materialistic type."
     "I know that."
     "I know, get her a baby."
     "No." He starts laughing.
     "Yeah haha." I roll my eyes.
     "I don't know and you know that she will be happy no matter what."
     "Yeah true. I just wanna focus on the kids right now and get them started in school then I will worry about that."
     "Okay. I am drained."
     "Why?"
     "Zane he never stops. It's always go go go."
     "Yeah kids do that can you imagine having 2 of them."
      "No. I mean I want more kids I would love to have a little girl one day. Its just not now."
     "Yeah how long have you and Chloe been together."
     "Ummmm the beginning of February like right after you know what." He says.
     "Yeah I know."
     "I don't want to bring the memories back."
     "It's okay I'm fine."
     "You're not fine. Jace it happened 6 months ago not 6 years ago."
      "Okay maybe I have a nightmare here and there." He looks at me funny. I know he don't believe me I'm not a very good lair.
     "Okay and I may wake up and have to shower because I'm soaked in sweat. Then I may or may not cry til I can't breath and can't stand."
     "Jace!" He says.
     "What?"
      "Does Halo know?"
     "Yes and no. She knows about the nightmares."
     "Just not about the rest."
     "Yeah."
     "Jace you have to tell her."
     "I don't know."
     "If you don't I will."
     "Okay I will her."
     "Thank you."
     "Just keep it shut."
     "Okay I will." I look down at the bench we are sitting on. He puts his hand on my shoulder.
     "Have you told your therapist?"
     "Yeah and he said I need to tell Halo because she calms me down."
     "When was this."
      "I don't remember."
     "Jace!"
     "What?"
     "Oh my gosh."
     "I will tell her I promise."
     "Okay."
     "Let's just have fun." I say changing the subject.
     "Okay."
     "Thank you." He puts his hand on my shoulder again and looks at me like he is dead serious. It isn't a look I see often but when I do, I take it seriously.
     "We are here for you. No matter what. If you decide you wanna talk to me, I don't care if it's three in the morning call me. If you are breaking down call me, okay. You don't always have to go to Halo. I will help you and if you want me to come over I will.
If you want to come to my house I don't care either. I don't love you like a brother. You are my brother and with all you have been through hearing that you are having breakdowns makes me worry."
     "Thanks man." He gives me a quick hug. I feel so lucky right now. Emily comes to me and says she is hungry. I get her some pizza and we all decide to eat. Zac cuts Zane's pizza into strips for him to eat. When we are done with pizza Andrew opens his presents.
I put candles in his cake and light them. He blows them out and I take the candles out. I cut it up and give everyone a piece. We eat cake and play. Halo puts on the Velcro suit. I pick her up and throw her onto the wall.
She sticks to it. Zac puts Zane in a small one and sticks him to the wall. He laughs and smiles. Zac takes him off and he cries. He puts Zane back on and he starts laughing. We take pictures of them. We jump in ball pits and climb the bounce houses.
Zane wanted me so I take him through a bounce house. He laughs as I chase him. We go down the slide and Zac catches him. We eventually pack up and go home at 4:00. We get home and I give the kids a bath while Halo puts everything away. We start dinner and clean up a little bit.
I serve dinner onto the table and we eat. When we are done I get the kids teeth brushed while Halo does dishes. We put the kids down for bed at 7:00. They were tired and falling asleep. Halo and I decide to get ready for bed and lay down. She takes a shower and I lay in bed.
She comes out of the shower and lays next to me. I put my arm around her and we go to sleep. It was a long day and we were all tired. Andrew had fun and so did all the kids and that's what matters. I go to sleep with the satisfaction that I did something good and I made Andrew happy.
The next morning we wake up and get ready for work. We drop the kids off at Anna's and go to work. All week we go to work and the normal stuff we have to do. Andrew is excited about school and so is Emily I got their school supply list and the card for the school supplies.
We narrow down to things we actually need for them. They both need backpacks. We put their supplies in separate plies. Halo is going to take Emily and I am going to take Andrew. Saturday comes and we all get dressed and ready. We go to the store and I take Andrew.
     "Jace." Andrew says.
     "Yes."
     "Can I pick out my supplies?" He asks.
     "Yeah that's fine."
     "Okay." We get his supplies then go to the backpacks.
     "Okay pick out a backup." He grabs a gray one with blue skulls on it. He hands it to me and I put it in the cart. We go to the clothes and he gets a few new outfits for school. We go to shoes and he gets a pair of blue and gray camo high tops. They have laces with a strap that goes over them. He picks out a ninja turtle lunch box and water bottle.
     "You done?" I ask him. He smiles.
     "Yeah."
     "You happy?"
     "Yeah."
     "Okay, I have to call Halo." I say to him.
     "Okay." He sways back and forth. I call her and she was done to. We check out and go home. When we get home we set up their back packs. I put their clothes in the washer and we make dinner. We eat dinner and the kids get their pjs on. We lay down and watch a movie.
It was a movie we have seen a million times but the kids love it. Halo and I don't pay much attention to it we make small talk and play Subway Surfers. We trash talk each other while playing it and before we knew it the movie was over and both kids were sleeping.
I put Emily in her bed and Halo puts Andrew's in his. We go to bed to. I take a shower while Halo gets ready. We lay down and soon fall fast asleep. I'm sad that Andrew is going to start school but happy at the same time. I feel like a parent who doesn't want their kids to grow up but they want them to grow up all at the same time.
He won't be so lonely at Anna's and with the new work schedule she won't have to watch them all the time. Thinking that here in a couple weeks they will start school makes me feel a lot of things. I know I will most likely cry when they get on the bus but it has to be done. I wonder if my mom felt this way my first day of school.
I wonder if she cried. I wonder how she felt my first sports game. Did she feel the same way I felt when Emily had her first dance recital? Was she proud and happy but sad all at the same time? Did she react all the same way I am? I will know one day but for now that remains a good mystery yet to be solved.
The last week of August comes and the fair is in town. We decided to go to it. Anna is coming so is Ava, Zac, Zane, and all of my clan. We are meeting up at my place and heading out.
     We pack the back pack and the stroller. We put water and snacks in the back pack and Ava is dropped off. We put sunscreen on all of them and Zac and Zane show up. Anna shoes up to. We put everything in the truck and get going.
     Andrew wanted to go with Zac so Zac takes him. We get to the fair and meet up. Andrew sits in the stroller and Zane sits in the back. We give everyone a water bottle and puts names on them. We go to the kitty rides first.
     Andrew and Zane rides the small ones. Halo takes the girls to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl. I take the girls on the big swings. They sit together and I go behind them. They laugh and giggle the whole time. When we are done with some rides we get some snacks and sit down. We talk and laugh.
      "So you kids excited to start school?" Anna asks them.
      "Yeah."
      "Yeah."
      "Yeah." They all answer.
      "Emily do you want to do dance again?" I ask her.
      "No." She says.
      "Why?" I ask.
      "I just don't, I wanna do something different." She says.
     "Like what?"
     "Gymnastics maybe."
     "Okay, I can look that up for you."
     "Okay."
     "Andrew do you want to do any sports?" I ask him.
      "I don't know maybe baseball." He says.
      "Okay I can do that."
      "Ava do you wanna do gymnastics?" Emily asks her.
     "I don't know it would be hard for me because we have to wear leatards." She says, it makes me feel bad.
      "Oh." Emily says.
      "I will ask my mom though."
      "Speaking of which her mom starts training on Monday." I say.
      "Really." Halo says.
     "Yeah."
    "That's awesome right." Zac says.
"Yeah it is." I say. We sit for a while then the kids go on a few more rides. They get tired so we decide to go home. I drop Ava off at home and we go home as well. The kids take baths and eat dinner. I put them to bed and start looking up gymnastics for Emily.
     I find a good place and it wasn't to expensive. It was year round to. I call them it was a Saturday. We set up an appointment to meet the instructor. I call Ava's mom and tell her about it. She says she will call after she is done with me.
      I look up T-Ball for Andrew and find a team for him as well I set up a meeting with the coach. Halo is going to come with me. We decide to go to bed. Ava's mom texts me saying she got a meeting and it just so happens it was at the same time mine was. Mine was Monday at 3:00 so was Ava's.
      We go to bed and the next day we clean and do laundry. Monday we drop the kids off at Anna's. Ava's mom shows up and I give her to Zac. She will follow Zac around and he will help her. When work is over we go to Anna's. We get the kids and head to the gymnastics place.
"Hello you must be Jace." The instructor greets me.
"Yes I am and this is my girlfriend Halo my sister Emily and my brother Andrew." I say introducing them.
"Sister?" She raises an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah." I tell her what's up and why I'm raising them and that Halo is just as part of their life as I am.
"Okay sounds good." She says. Ava and her mom show up. The girls hug and the instructor says that they can play on the trampoline. They all go play on it. Ava's mom explains Ava's situation.
"Okay um, she can wear shorts at practice we don't discriminate kids. So here the fact that she is a little different doesn't matter. She will be treated like any other girl on the team. Um as far as the uniforms go we will change it up."
"Really, how?"
"We will keep the original but we will add shorts and a skirt to it so she can feel just like all the other girls."
"Okay you have no clue what that means to us."
"As far as practice goes she can wear a shirt or shorts they don't even have to wear a leatard. They can just wear a shirt and shorts even a sports bra and shorts would work."
"Okay now Emily does have like a leotard with a skirt on it from dance could she wear that?" I ask her.
"Of course as long as the child is comfy and is able to move. So no sweaters, jeans, jean shorts, jean jackets. Things like that leggings, t-shirts, skorts, sports bras anything like that. I will give you a list of the schedule we start next week Monday. You will also get a list of what the child needs."
"Okay. Now I do have like my friend Zac might pick her up or Halo's mom would that be okay?"
"Yes as long as the child can identify the person picking them up it's okay."
"Okay yeah she may call Zac her brother so."
"That's okay now if you wanted to take Ava home with you then I need a note from her mom and from you. Hers would say that you are picking her up and yours would say you have comfirmed it. This would work vise versa as well." She says with a smile.
"Okay." We head out after we fill out a crap load of paper work and pay for the first month. The girls are excited. We go to Andrew's T-ball meeting and do what we need to do. We go out for dinner. The kids pick the place we go to.
"I'm excited." Emily says.
"I can tell." I say to her.
"When can we go shopping?" She asks me.
"After I get out of work tomorrow. I will take you guys shopping." I tell her.
"What about Halo?" Andrew asks getting wide eyes.
"Halo has to go see the doctor." I say to him.
"Why?"
"She just needs a check up that's all nothing serious."
"Will she be okay?"
"Yeah she will be fine."
"Okay."
"So what are you guys going to wear the first day of school?" I ask them both.
"What ever I grab." Andrew says.
"I'm with you dude." I say.
"I'm going to wear my converse and a shirt with a tutu on it and jean shorts." Emily says all planed out.
"Okay sounds good."
"Well, We have the schedule worked out right?" Halo says.
"Yeah. Kids go to school we each take a kid after school take them to practice and meet at home."
"Okay." We finish at the restaurant and go home. We put the kids down for bed and we clean up a little bit. We talk about some things before going to bed. The next day I get the kids from Anna's and we go to the sports store.
     I get Andrew what he needs. We go to a different store and I get Emily what she needs. We go home and Halo was there to. We set up the kids sports bags and they play. Halo and I talk about her doctors appointment.
"So how did it go?" I ask her.
"Good I got one shot and blood drawn. They had me take a pregnancy test."
"Why?"
"Because I'm sexually active and I'm not on my period."
"Oh okay."
"Yeah and they weighted me. I got a normal check up other then that. I'm not pregnant which I knew that. I'm perfectly healthy other then she said she wants to see me gain a couple pounds."
"That's good right?" I ask her.
"Yeah that's good. Now you get to go in."
"I have to make an appointment."
"Well I need to or Zac needs to." She says biting on her nail.
"Yeah the day I turn 18 will be a good day."
"I know babe, I know." She kisses my cheek and checks on the kids I make dinner and we eat. Halo does the dishes. In less than a week they start school. It's hard to believe.
*September 1st*
My alarm goes off Halo and I get up. Our plan is divide and conquer. She will take Emily I will take Andrew. I get him up and dressed. While he is brushing his teeth I make him some breakfast.
     He comes out and eats some food. Soon we get their back packs on them and stand outside. We wait for the bus. The bus comes and they hug us goodbye. They get on and Halo was crying.
"At least I haven't done my make up yet." She says. We laugh a little bit.
"Yeah." I shed a couple tears myself and we go in. We finish getting ready and go to work. Thoughts run through my head. Will they make friends? Will they be good? Will they have recess together? I told the teachers our situation and they were both understanding.
      I know they will do good but I'm still scared. When work is over I will take Emily to her first gymnastics meet. Halo will take Andrew to his first T-ball practice. We get to work and do our job.
     Zac and I help Ava's mom. When lunch comes around Halo comes in my office. I pick her up and set her on my desk she giggles. I play with her ponytail. She puts her forehead on mine and we kiss.
"Let's go eat I'm hungry." She says.
"Me to." I say. We go to the lunch room and I sit down Zac comes up behind me. He puts his hand on my shoulder and sits next to me.
"Why are you so excited?" I ask him.
"Hell if I know." He says.
"That doesn't surprise me." I roll my eyes.
"So kids started school?" He asks me.
"Yeah they are both excited."
"That's good."
"I'm not."
"You will be fine."
"I know."
"Hell I can't wait til Zane starts school."
"Neither could I until it happened."
"Well I will cross that bridge when I come to it."
"True." We finish lunch and get back to work. When work is over I pick up Emily. I talk to her teacher. She did really good today and we leave. We go to the bathroom and I help her change into her gymnastics uniform.
      We get into the car and we get to the studio. She gives me her shoes, jacket, and leaves her shorts on. She sees Ava and they hug and talk for a little bit.
      Then they start practice. The coach shows them how to do the warm ups. When they are done with warm ups they walk along the small balance beam. They then play on the bars and mat. They do a bunch of things. When practice is done she comes up to me. I give her her shoes. She drinks from her water bottle.
"Did you have fun?" I ask her.
"Yeah but I'm tired." She says.
"Me to it's been a long day."
"Yeah." She says agreeing with me.
"Well let's get going I have to make dinner and you need a bath."
"Okay." We leave I help her into the car and she buckles up. I get in and we go home. When I get home Halo was there and Andrew was running around with dirt stains on his pants.
"What did you do?" I ask him.
"I fell and it was dusty." He says.
"Babe are you making dinner?" I ask Halo.
"Yeah go ahead and get them in the bath."
"Okay I think Andrew needs one first." I pick him up and he picks out his pjs. I get him in the bath and sit on the floor next to the tub. He tells me about his day while he washes. I wash his hair and he gets out. I wrap him in the towel. I take him to his room.
"I'm cold." He says shivering.
"I know let's dry you off and you can get dressed."
"Okay. Can you take me to practice tomorrow?" He asks.
"Yeah I can, did Halo do something?"
"No I just want you to take me."
"Okay I can take you." I help him put socks on and we leave his room. He goes running through the kitchen and slips. He falls and hits his mouth. He starts screaming. I pick him up and he was bleeding I take him to the bathroom and get a wash cloth. I wet it down and put it on his mouth where it's bleeding. He stops crying and I pull the wash cloth away.
"Uh oh. HALO." I yell. She comes in the bathroom.
"What?" She says.
"I think he nocked a tooth out."
"Uh oh."
"Can I see your phone?" She hands me her phone and I turn the flashlight on. I look again.
"Yup he nocked a tooth out." I say.
"Really?" He says with wide eyes.
"Yeah but that's okay you will get a new one." I say to him.
"When?"
"I don't know but Emily has gotten her two front teeth now so you will get a new one."
"Okay." I put the wash cloth away and Halo goes to the kitchen. She looks for his tooth.
"I can't find it." She says.
"Will the tooth fairy come?" He asks worriedly seeing on the multiple occasions that she has come for Emily.
"I don't know we just have to wait don't we." I tell him.
"Yeah." We eat dinner and then I go to the bathroom with him to help brush his teeth. Halo has gotten Emily a bath and she is getting ready for bed to.
"Will it hurt?" He asks me.
"We will be careful okay."
"Okay." I put some tooth paste on his tooth brush and he brushes his teeth. I put him down to bed and Halo and I talk as we clean the kitchen.
"I think I'm going to get them into the eye doctor and dentist." I say.
"Okay. Oh I made you an appointment." Halo says.
"When?"
"Saturday. My mom will watch the kids and we will go to your appointment."
"Okay. You will have you call the dentist and all that for the kids."
"Okay sounds good. Let's worry about you first though."
"Okay." We finish the kitchen and get ready for bed. We go to bed and she soon falls asleep but I have a lot on my mind. I think of so many things. Finally I'm able to fall asleep and convince myself that everything will be fine.