We Are Free

18 And Oprah

*Febuary 1st*
I wake up it is Thursday. We are just going to do the normal schedule then we are going to meet up at a restaurant. Ava is coming with us. It has been a while since she and Emily have hung out.
     Emily has practice tonight. We are all going. I haven't been cleared to drive and it's the easiest thing to do. The coach lets Andrew do it with them so he has something to do. It's so cute. When they walk on the tall balance beam he walks on the small one.
     When they do flips on the bar he swings on the smallest one. When they do their jumps on the trampoline he jumps on the small square one. When they do their bridges he does them with his stomach facing the ground not the ceiling.
     He does the warm ups with them to. He has so much fun and everyone just loves watching him. When practice is over we go to the restaurant. Halo takes girls to the bathroom and helps them change out of their gymnastics uniform and into regular clothes.
     She runs the bags back to the car. We all order and wait. Halo whispers something to Andrew. He nods his head and keep coloring on his place mat. We get our food. Emily and Ava talk.
      "So what are you guys planning?" I ask them.
       "Well we found a house. We went and saw it today. We are rent to owning it. It has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms." He shows me pictures. It was beautiful.
      "Zane claimed his room." Chloe says.
       "He did the first one he walked into." Zac says.
       "That's cute." I say. We eat our dinner and talk. Andrew gets completely messy. I take him to the bathroom to wash up. I come back and sit down.
     Then I hear singing. I turn around and there was people singing to me and everyone clapping and taking pictures.
     "What's your name?" One of the girls singing asks me.
      "Jace." I say.
      "How old are you?" She asks me.
      "18."
      "Hey everyone can I have your attention. Jace turned 18 today lets all clap."  Everyone starts clapping and I put my head down.
      "I can't help but feel that you two had something to do with this."  I point at Zac and Halo.
      "No it was all me. I told Andrew to get messy so you would take him to the bathroom." Halo says.
      "That was a good one." I say.
      "Thanks." I let the kids have a bite of my ice cream even Zane. Halo gets some to. We leave the restaurant and go home. We all have cake and ice cream. I just have cake. Ava's mom picks her up and I open my presents.
      "Thanks guys I was spoiled this year. I am every year." I say.
      "No such thing." Halo says. She was sitting on my lap and my arms were around her. She kisses me. The kids go to bed and everyone leaves. Halo and I clean up. I put some frosting on her nose.
     She kisses my cheek so it gets on me. We laugh. We go to bed.
*Saturday*
I have two weeks before I go back for my foot. I'm still on crutches though. The kids have spring break next month. They have it the second week in March. Emily has a competition today.
     We get ready. Halo does her hair and she puts her uniform on. Zac got her a shelf for Christmas it has hooks under it for all her medals and trophies. Her room has posters of gymnasts on it to. She really loves it.
     We go to the place we need to go to. We get seated and wait. It finally starts.
*1 hour later*
She only won one medal and it was on the floor routine. She is really good at them. She uses a lot of sass for it to. We go home and she hangs it up. I get a phone call from a number I don't really recognize I go outside.
     "Hello." I say.
      "Hi this is Oprah can I speak to Jace?"
      "This is he."
      "Okay I saw your story online and I was wondering if you would be interested in coming on the show. All expenses will be covered as well."
      "Um yeah but I can't do it until the second week in March. I don't want my siblings missing school."
       "Sounds great I can do that. Um I was also wondering if Zac and his girl wanted to come?"
      "I can call him."
      "Okay sounds good. We will have to wait and see."
      "Yeah sounds good."
      "Yup bye."
      "Bye." I go inside.
      "Halo." I say.
      "What?" She says handing Andrew a juice bottle.
      "I just got off the phone with Oprah."
      "No way!" She flips her head.
      "Yes she wants us to go be on her show."
      "When?"
       "She said spring break would be fine and she wants Zac and Chloe to come to."
       "Okay, but money honey." She rubs her fingers together.
       "All expenses will be covered. The trip, the meals, the hotel stay, everything."
      "Sounds great let's do it." She high fives me. I call Zac and he says he is in. Chloe is in to. We will get separate hotel rooms of course. The kids might room hop though.
     Halo and I spend a long time planning it. I guess my story does mean a lot to most people. I want to keep sharing it and helping people. If I can help someone in my or close to my position I will do it.
     I want to inspire others and let them know that it will all be okay. They are not alone and they mean more than they will ever know. I'm lucky I'm one that made it out and I could have had it much worse.
     I didn't I got out and I survived that's what matters. I want others to know they can do the same. I'm determine to make a difference one day at a time.
*March*
The week we leave is quickly coming. The kids are very excited and can't wait. I have another doctors appointment for my foot and this one will definitely determine if I stay on crutches or not.
I hope I get off them. My doctor appointment is today. We have one more week and it is time to leave. Oprah and I have been talking and discussing things. We have it all worked out.
We get to the doctor and I check in. They call me back and the doctor comes in soon. He checks my foot and takes more X-Rays. We wait. I'm nervous and don't know what to expect. Finally he comes back in.
      "Okay so your X-Rays came back good. You are healing nicely and I definitely think it is time to get off the crutches. I want you to wear the boot at all times though. I want to see you again in another 4 weeks." He says.
     "Okay." We leave the doctors and go home. I'm stiff walking around and slow but I'm doing it. This week we slowly pack for the show. With the kids still in school, practice, and work.
It has been hard to get time to sit and pack. We want to leave right away on Friday. Emily doesn't have practice all week and we don't have work. We finally finish on Thursday.
Halo and I take off so we can clean house and finish last minute details. We decide to take her car. We drop the turtles off at Anna's. We go to Zac's house. Some things were in boxes and there was some baby stuff laying out.
Zane runs up to me and I pick him up. I throw him over my shoulder and he laughs. I put him back on my hip and he giggles. I smile.
      "So?" I say.
      "We are all packed." Chloe says.
      "Okay." I say as Zane grabs at my necklace.
      "Oh boy."
      "What?"
      "Nothing it's just been a long week. I can't really do much because I'm pregnant. He has had to do most of the packing and lifting. It has just been stressful and I'm putting a lot on his shoulders."
      "Oh Chloe don't worry he understands. He still loves you."
      "I know I just don't like feeling like this. If this baby were a boy we would just put it in Zane's room for the time being but it's a girl. We have to move before she comes. We have to set up the nursery and get nearly everything."
She starts crying and I hug her. Zane hugs her.
       "Give mommy hugs." I tell him. He reaches for her.
      "Hi baby." She says to him.
      "It's okay Chloe you will figure it out and if you need help we are only a call away."
      "Thanks guys." She says.
      "Fuck where in the hell is that damn- oh there it is." We hear Zac. We start laughing at him and he comes out. He trips over a box and falls. I help him up. He was okay just some rug burn. We help him finish. Chloe gets Zane in the car.
He started crying when he was put in Zac's car. We change and put him in ours. He was happy then. We go to the school and Halo and Zac go get Andrew. Chloe and I get Emily. She runs to me.
      "Hi Jace!" She says.
      "Hi honey." I say.
      "Chloe!" She says.
      "Hi."
      "How's the baby?" She asks her. She looks at Chloe's belly.
      "She is doing good."
      "Okay." We leave. Emily wanted to ride with Chloe and Zac. Andrew stayed with us. It will most likely change come the first stop. Zac gets road rage after a little bit so no doubt the girls will be very entertained and Emily may learn a few new words today. I can't help but laugh at that.
       "What are you laughing at?" Halo asks me.
       "I just thought of something." I say.
      "And...?"
      "Well Emily may learn a few new words today if Zac is driving."
      "That is true." She starts laughing to.
      "We don't give him enough credit."
      "No we don't."
      "DADDDYYY!" Zane screams as he stretches his body.
      "Geesh kid." I say.
      "No shit." Who says. Andrew laughs and so does Zane. "Well no wonder they always have a headache that kid has some lungs."
      "Yeah but he has to deal with it so whatever."
      "True." We keep going about an hour later the girls had to pee so we stop. Andrew goes with them and Emily stays with them. We keep going then stop for dinner.
Everyone goes to the bathroom and we get on the road again. Emily rides with me and soon we get a text saying that both of the boys were sleeping. Emily soon falls asleep and we keep driving.
We finally get to are hotel around 7. We go inside. Our rooms were conjoined. We set everything up and unpack and all that. We go to bed. Tomorrow we go on Oprah and I can't believe it.
*Next morning*
      We wake up and I get the kids up Zac comes into my room. I haven't got dressed yet so I'm just wearing shorts. He was wearing sweats. Chloe comes in our room to. Zane was dressed so was the others. Chloe was dressed and Halo was putting on some make up. Zac and I get dressed and we go for breakfast.
      "Are you guys excited?" Halo asks the kids.
      "Yeah." Emily says putting eggs into her mouth.
      "Yeah." Andrew says. If they love anything it's an all you can eat breakfast buffet. They all know how to eat.
      "No!" Zane says. We all laugh at him. He smiles.
      "It is going to be a long day." I say.
      "Yes it is."
      "I agree I feel like crap."
      "Why?"
      "Just because I'm 8 months pregnant. I feel bleh and I want her to come."
      "Yeah only one month left."
      "Only."
     "What are you naming her?"
     "We are naming her Blake Rose Jones." Zac says.
      "That's cute."
      "He likes Blake and I like Rose so we combined them."
      "That's a good idea."
      "Blake needs to get here." Emily says.
      "I know."
      "Can I hold her?" Andrew asks Chloe.
      "Of course you both can." She says.
      "Yay!" Emily says.
      "Yay!" Andrew follows. We finish eating and leave. We go to the studio and meet with her. They kids were bouncing off the walls. Zane was tried and laying on me. We all get ready to go onstage. The show starts and we wait.
        "Our first guests are not famous by the world, but for what they do for the world. When this young man was 14 his mom was killed in a car crash. His dad was a drunk and beated on him. He made him feel unless.
This young man had a mission though and he still does. His mission was to survive and he has done just that and more. Welcome to the show Jace, Halo, Zac, Chloe, Zane, Emily, and Andrew." Oprah says. We all walk out and the audience claps. We sit down. We introduce ourselves and the show starts.
      "So how's it going?" She asks us.
      "It's going good." I say.
      "Zac."
      "It's good stressful but good." He says.
      "I see Chloe is expecting do you know the gender Chloe?"
     "Yeah we are having a girl." She says smiling.
      "Name?"
      "Blake." She says.
      "How cute. So Jace is it easy?"
      "No not really. It's definitely isn't a walk in the park."
      "You just turned 18 right?" She asks me.
      "Yes."
      "How do you like it?"
      "Um I like it just because I can make the doctor appointments and sign the forms and all that. It's just a little bit more freedom and I don't have to depend on everyone for that part."
      "Okay, now you have said you are very independent is this still true?"
      "Yes."
      "Why?"
      "I look at it as they are my responsibility. If I need help I'm not afraid to admit it. I don't put them on other people though. Even though Halo lives with me I don't feel she should have to do the most work.
I feel it's my responsibility just because they are mine and I could do it before so just because I have her doesn't make an excuse. I have always been that way." I say.
       "Has it been easier having Halo around?"
       "Yeah it has. I can get the kids in bed while she cleans or vise versa. Both of them are in after school activities at different times. She takes one kid I take the other. It has made it easier but it still is hard. They have such different personalities and want to go such separate ways."
      "So how old are they?"
      "Emily is 7 and Andrew is 4."
      "Okay how old is Zane?"
      "He is a year."
      "Okay. Now Zane is your son?" She looks at Zac.
      "Yes."
      "Okay just checking." We start laughing. We continue with the interview. We finally finish and go back stage. When the show is over she comes back. She talks to us.
      "Well I wish the best for you guys. Enjoy the rest of your stay."
      "Thank you." We leave and go to lunch. After lunch we go to the indoor water park. I don't go though because of my boot. I go to the store instead. I go to the baby section.
I get some clothes, bottles, socks, blankets, and some more. I also get some baby shower things. I get some cards and all that fun stuff. I go back to the hotel and hide the things.
They come back and get dressed. We go for dinner. Halo and I have been talking. We are going to throw Chloe a baby shower. When they get into the new house. The next morning we leave to go home.
We will spend the rest of the week helping Zac and Chloe. Chloe can't carry things and Zac can't do it by himself. Now that I can walk thats what we will do.
He helped me so I'm going to help him. I tell him about the baby shower. He agrees. Halo will get Chloe out of the house and Zac and I will get ready. She has decided that her mom and Zac will be in the room when she gives birth.
Halo and I will wait. It's going to be a really long week but it's worth it if I can help Zac and Chloe prepare for something that will change their lives for the better.