We Are Free

Testifing

Monday comes. Zac and Chloe are gone for this week. The come home Friday. We will go to the fair Saturday and Monday the kids start school. I get dressed in something nice so does Halo.
     We go to the court house and check in. We sit with my lawyer and wait. It starts and I am shaking. I can't believe I have to do this again. I will do it though if it means saving everyone I care about.
    I am called up to the stand. My lawyer questions me. Then his questions me. My dad satires me in the eyes. Halo is called up to the stand. My lawyer questions her and so does his. His was horrible claiming that I did it to myself.
    It takes over an hour to be able to come to an end. Emily was there. Andrew and Anna. Anna stood up and testified to. Emily and Andrew were asked questions. We all sit at the table.
"Will Jason and Halo please stand." The judge says. We stand up. "What you went through is tragic and I see many kids go through it. Not many can do what you can. You are a very brave, smart, strong, wonderful young man.
Keep doing what you are doing because these kids need you. One day they will look at you and know that because of you they made it out. You may sit down." He says. We sit down. "Will Kevin please stand." He says. He stands up.
"What you did is truly horrific. I won't allow you to hurt anyone ever again. I sentence you to life in prison. No parole and I also sentence you to mental care. I hope you get the help you need. Court is adjourned." I look at Halo so relieved. He is taken away and the kids hug me. I can't believe this it's over for good now.
He will never ever ever hurt me or anyone else again. Later that day I decide to go visit my mom. I buy some flowers and go to the cemetery. I sit by her head stone.
"We did it mom. It's over he is gone. He won't ever hurt anyone ever again. We did it mom. We did it." A silent tear slides down my cheek and onto the flowers. I lay them by her grave and look at it. I look at the sky. I see clouds and birds.
"We did it." I cross my fingers and look back at her grave. "I fought like hell for this and I did it. I did it for Andrew. I did it for Emily. I did it for anyone involved. Most of all I did it for you. I promise I will continue to be strong. I will continue to do it and I will bring the kids by to see you soon. I love you mom. I'm going to make you so proud." I get up and leave. I get in the car and wipe some tears away.
In 4-5 years I still can't look at her grave without crying. I can't talk to her without shedding a few tears. Now I have been through hell. I have survived it. Now I am going to do what I have to do.
    The judge was right. I am strong. No matter what I am not going to let anyone hurt me ever again. I won't be broken and no one can break me.
*Friday*
It has been almost a week since the trial and we are so relived. I took the kids and Halo to her grave. We sat there and talked. Halo cried and we all did. I will graduate and I will do it with the best grades possible.
     I will get married. I will have a family and I will make sure they are taken care of. It is going to be hard but it has always been. If I could do it on my own I can do it with Halo. I have so many people around me and they will help me.
    I know I can do anything. Sure I am the farthest thing from a normal 18 year old but who cares. I'm doing what I have to and it doesn't matter how old I am. All that matters is that I made it. That they made it and so far we have and we will. 
    We are going to the fair tomorrow then we have a day. We will get ready and then Monday the kids will go back to school. They are so excited. Emily has been bouncing off the walls. Ava is coming with us to the fair.
    Her mom has to go to the doctors and doesn't want her coming with. She had no one to take her so I offered to take her with us. Ava won't know about the appointment and she will think it is just a friendly affair.
    Her mom has been battling some very bad health issues lately and is hopeful that it turns out okay. We hope so to. If something happens to her then no one will take Ava. Her grandparents don't want her.
    Her dad has nothing to do with her and her aunt has cancer. She can't take care of her. I said we would take her in a heart beat if she ever needed us to. She started crying she is a single mom and it is so hard to find someone to watch Ava when she needs it that it makes her cry of joy when we do it.
    We are the only ones that will. So Saturday around noon she is dropped off. She has a backup with her and is all ready. We are ready to so we leave after packing the truck. We meet Zac, Chloe, Zane, Blake, and Anna at the fair.
    We all get wrist bands and go on rides. Zane goes on kitty rides and Blake is to young yet.
"Jace!" Emily asks me.
"What?" I ask.
"Can you go on the big swings with me and Ava?"
"Yeah sure." They are meant for three people. I go on with the girls. They can ride with an adult because they are not quite at the age they can go by themselves. They laugh and giggle the whole time. I love seeing the look on their face.
    Zac and I decide to go on the space spinner. It spins you around really fast. We get in and go on. It spins and we have a good time. We walk off and we were walking funny.
"Dude I think I might puke." He says.
"Trash can is over there." I point.
"Shut up." I laugh and he starts throwing up in the trash can. I laugh so hard I fall over. The girls look at us like we are nuts.
"Well it isn't the fair unless Jace falls and one of us throws up." Halo says.
"Your telling me." Chloe says.
"Boys are so stupid." Emily says.
"You said it girl. Those two will be buried next to each other with matching headstones."
They all nod their heads and I get up. Zac has finished throwing up.
"I am fine now." Zac says.
"Dude your face." I laugh.
"You wanna go again?"
"Yeah!" They all shake their heads.
"He isn't sleeping with me tonight." Halo says.
      "He isn't sleeping in my bed either." Emily looks at her. We start laughing.
      "I don't know what to do with mine." Chloe states.
      "All I can say is boys will be boys even after they fall over laughing and puke." Anna tells them. We get off and we're dizzy once again. Zac don't throw up again though. We go and get some food after that. We sit and talk. Zac ate like a horse.
     "Dude!" I say.
     "What?" He asks me.
     "Slow down or you will throw up again."  Chloe laughs.
      "Shut up." We all laugh at him. We love the fair it is one of our favorite things to do in the summer. We ride some more rides and I take Halo to play a game. It was a water squirter you had to squirt the water into the clowns mouth.
    You did it by using a gun. I did it and got the fasted time. I got a big teddy bear.
      "What one do you want?" I ask her.
      "I don't know." She says looking.
      "Um how about the panda bear?" I ask.
      "Yeah I like that one."
      "Okay." They hand me the bear and I hand it to Halo. I play another game and win a small stuffed animal. I give it to Emily. Andrew and I play a duck game and he grabs a duck out of the water.
     He got a toy and I got another small stuffed bear. I give it to Zane and he laughs. We decide to leave after that. We head our separate ways and go home. She puts her teddy bear on her dresser. Emily lays hers on her bed.
    It has been a long summer and I can't believe it's over. We are all excited but it's still hard to believe. We go to bed that night and Halo falls sleep fast. Me I lay awake. I can't help but think that I don't want summer to end. I want this one to last forever.
    Blake was born, Halo and I got engaged, Zac got married, and more. It has been a long yet good summer and I don't want it to end. It's is going to though and there ain't anything I can do about it. Maybe it is for the best.
     Each day brings me closer to the day we get married. Each day brings me closer to the day I graduate. Each day brings me closer to the day we have our own family. Most of all each day brings me closer to everything I have ever wanted since I was a young boy.
     Sunday we wake up and I make a small breakfast. We got up late because we are all exhausted from yesterday. The kids are so ready for school to start.
They make sure they have everything and pick out their outfits. Emily is wearing the dress she wore at the wedding with some sandals. Halo will braid her hair. Andrew is wearing some shorts and a shirt that has Skylanders on it.
He is wearing his new shoes to. They put their backpacks by the door and we have open house today. We go to Emily's and explain our situation. The teacher was very understanding.
We go to Andrew's and she was understanding but not as well as the Emily's teacher is. They get familiar with their classrooms and drop unneeded items off. We go home.
We make dinner and have them shower. They go to bed. Halo and I shower and go to bed when we are all ready for work. It is going to be another big day tomorrow.
Each time I have to start school with them I can hardly do it. I don't know why. The next morning they wake up and get dressed. We get dressed and get their backpacks on them.
We stand outside. The bus comes and they hug us goodbye. They get on the bus and wave at us as it drives away.
      "Well that happened." I say.
      "Don't cry."
      "Shut up." She laughs and we finish getting ready for work. We go to work and stay busy. A bunch of cars have come in and it is all hands on deck. I have to really keep up with inventory and order new things.
When it is time to leave we go get the kids. We go together. They both did amazing. We go home and look through their bags. It is going to be a long school year.
*October*
It is October 5th and the kids are planning on what to be for Halloween. They don't go to school on Halloween. We don't really set up for it because of where we live but they like to put window stickers on the windows.
We let them do it. I hand them the stickers and the go around sticking them to the windows and playing. When they are done they hand me the plastic bag that the stickers where in. I fold it up and place it on the table.
It has already been a long school year and it hasn't been three months.
*Halloween*
The kids get ready and we meet at Zac's house. They were all ready and dressed up. They do it for the kids. Halo didn't dress up this year and I just wore a cape and mask.
We have the stroller and go house to house. The kids have a blast but Blake falls asleep. Halo carries Emily on her back. Once they start falling asleep we head back.
We go home and get them baths. We get them in pjs and wipe their face paint off. They fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. It is going to be a very long day tomorrow.
*November*
It is the weekend and the girls are going to get their nails done. Chloe, Halo, and Emily. Andrew has been begging to get his ears pierced for a while now. I have mine pierced and so does Emily and Halo.
I said I would take him. We go to Claire's and he picks out the earrings he wants.
     "Why do you want your ears pierced?" The lady doing it asks him.
     "My brother has his pierced." He says. "And my sisters."
     "Aww that is cute."  He sits in the chair and he holds the teddy bear. They put the dots on his ears and gets ready. I hold his hand and they do it. He gets funny look on his face and they put cleaner on it to get the pain to go away.
They give him a free set of earrings and cleaner. They tell him what to do with them and how to care for them. He is so excited. He got little diamond studs. We go home and the girls were home.
      "You did it." Halo says seeing his little white diamonds.
      "Yeah it hurt a little bit." He says.
      "Yeah it does that do you like them?"
      "Yeah!"
      "That's good." He has a smile from ear to ear and I can tell he really likes it.
      "So what do you want to do for your birthday?" I ask Halo.
      "I don't know. Can we just go to dinner and get some cake?" She asks me.
      "You want to do what we did for mine?" I say.
      "Yeah kinda." She says.
      "What do you want?"
      "Hmmmm." She ponders for a moment.
      "That's already a given so what else." She laughs a little.
      "I don't know surprise me."
      "Okay will do."
*Halo's birthday*
I wake up before her and grab some presents for her. I got her some earrings and flowers. I put them next to her on her nightstand with a card. I leave the room and start breakfast.
It is Saturday so the kids don't have practice or school. I don't have anything to work on school wise either. Halo wakes up and comes to the kitchen. She kisses me and we all say happy birthday.
We eat breakfast and get dressed. We lay around and do nothing exciting until dinner time. We go to the restaurant and order. We talk.
      "Jace." Emily says.
      "What?" I say.
      "I have an opportunity at school to say a speech on who is my hero. I want to do it and I want you to come." She says.
      "Okay I can do that." She gives me a hug. I have Emily drag Halo to the bathroom and I tell the waitress that it is her birthday. She comes back with Emily and they sing to her.
We join in and she turns red as a tomato. We wait for a little bit and then go home. We have cake and she opens her presents. She saves the one from Chloe for last. It was a small envelope. She raises her eyebrow and we all kinda do as well.
She opens it and pulls out a picture. She looks at it and holds it up. We all look at it and Halo looks at it again. She looks at Chloe then at Zac. She looks at the picture and back at Chloe. Emily starts squealing and Andrew starts jumping around.
I have to admit I am really excited to now. Halo opens her mouth but has no words to say.
     "Surprise!"