We Are Free

Healing And Birthdays Part 2

I finish getting ready. The party isn't for another hour but I am nervous. I don't exactly know why considering it is my own family. I put some Jordan's on my feet and rough up my hair.
I spray some cologne on and look presentable. This is the first time in over a week I actually cared about what I look like. I can tell I am feeling better, much better.
I don't have as much energy as I want but the medicine is working. That's all I care about. I check social media and pace back and forth. I find a tv show to watch after Zac, Chloe, and the kids leave.
I am going to the party for sure. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I am going to be late though it is all part of what Halo and I have been planning.
Finally it is my turn to leave. I go to the movie theater. I walk up to the guy working behind the counter. He gives me a stamp to prove why I am here. There was presents, cake, and food on a table in the lobby.
Andrew was no where in site and none of the kids were. I walk into the movie theater. They were playing a video game. I slowly sneak up behind Andrew. He was playing a racing game.
"Go to the right, now the left, hit the gas kid your losing." I say to him.
"Shut up Jace." He says without looking at me. He pauses and looks at me. "JACE!" He screams no longer caring if he loses. He hugs me and I everyone looks at me. "You came!" He says. "I missed you." He starts crying.
"I wouldn't miss it." He smiles and plays with the stubble on my chin. Emily runs to me. She jumps in my arms. I hold both of them. The kiss me and hug me. Halo comes to me and I hug her. She starts crying.
"What?"
"You, you look so much better. The medicine has been doing something."
"Well I'm not up to par just yet but I am doing better."
"I knew you could do it." I hold Andrew.
"I have something for you." I say to Andrew.
"What?"
"I'm coming home!" They start jumping and screaming Halo hugs me again. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life but I did it. When I count my blessings I count my family twice.
They mean everything to me and to have them now that I need them means everything to me. I sit down with Andrew and play a game of racing. I win, then I let him win. He gets excited.
"You couldn't beat me." Zac says.
"Lets go grandpa." I toss him a remote and we play. I win by a hair.
"Daddy, I'm hungry." Zane says.
"Me to." Emily says.
"Hungry!" Blake says.
"Yeah."
"Okay lets go eat." We all go to the table and dish up food. Zane and Chloe cut up Blake's and Zane's food.
"Are you ready for work?" Halo asks me.
"I don't know."
"Okay."
"I'm not up to par yet. I still go through spells and I don't want to have one at work."
"Yeah and that's okay."
"We need to go to the fair and school supply shopping."
"Shut up." I laugh at her and we continue eating our food. Laughter and chatter fills the air as we enjoy ourselves. I am having a really good time and can't wait to get home to my family.
Sleep in my bed next to Halo, see the animals, and more. We finish eating our drinks food and he asks to open presents. He sits in a chair and opens them.
He got shoes, clothes, a blanket, pillow, legos, matchbox cars, magnets that connect to make something. He got a fake shaving set.
He has been so fascinated with me when I shave. He has been asking how. It has cream and a fake razor with it. He also got some coloring books and crayons. We go to the theater and play some more video games.
Halo against Zac. Zac against Emily. Chloe against Halo. We switch it up every time. For the first time in over a week I laugh. I smile and have fun. I know I will have a spell today though.
When I don't know. Maybe it will be late, maybe it will be soon. I never know. I just hope it don't happen here. We have cake when everyone wants a break from playing games. I put 6 candles on the cake and light them.
We sing to him and he blows them out. We all sit down and have cake. Blake starts getting crabby.
"Do you need a nap?" Zac asks her.
"No!"
"I think so."
"NO!"
"Don't you be screaming." She starts crying and throws herself on the ground. Zac picks her up and goes to the bathroom. We just continue eating. The kids don't want to leave my side.
I can't blame them. Even though I would never leave on purpose and just to do it they don't understand that. Their whole lives people have been leaving them. They don't want me to become one of those people.
They are stuck with me and that is that. We finish with cake and we are also watching a movie then going home. While the popcorn and drinks are being made we clean up our mess.
The tables are theirs so we just fold them up. Employees come out to take them. Zac has calmed Blake down and she is fine. We put his presents in the car and everything else. I can tell he is really happy and nothing makes me smile more.
I am ready to go home. We go back inside. We all sit down and watch the movie. It was a really long movie. Zane, Ryker, Andrew, and Blake fall asleep. Emily was close but didn't. Chloe was next and Zac not to far behind.
We finish with the movie and throw our trash away. I take Ryker in his car seat. I also take Blake. Chloe takes Zane.
"I forgot to tell you we got the papers." Chloe says.
"Really!" I say.
"What?" Halo asks.
"She signed away her rights so we can starts the adoption papers and I have started them. It is just a lot of papers." Chloe says.
"That's good, I am happy for you."
"Me to that's epic." We all get the kids in the car and say our goodbyes. It was close to dinner time.
"Do we have any food at home?" I ask Halo.
"No, we need to go shopping." Halo says.
"Well lets go. We are out and about."
"Okay." We go to the store and Halo makes a list. We go inside and go shopping for food. We spend an hour and a half shopping for food.
We finally go to check out and they put things on the belt. They put bags in the cart. We leave the store and go home. We get home and carry all the bags in. There was a lot of bags.
We go to the kitchen and they help us put them away. When we finish the kids are impatient and hungry again. I give them a snack to eat. They sit at the table and color while they eat.
Halo and I bring all of the presents in and put them in his room. We put the extra stuff away.
"They start school in 3 weeks." Halo says.
"Oh boy that means," I count in my head the months until I graduate. "In September we will have been together 3 years and I have 7 months until I graduate."
      "Holy crap."
      "I know, you will be 23 in 3 months and I will be 20 in 6 months. We are getting old."
     "Yes we are."
     "Oh my gosh were has time gone?"
     "I don't know, but look at it this way all the good is coming up."
     "This is true."
     "You know I am really glad that your home. I know it has only been a week but it feels like it has been forever."
      "I feel that same way."
      "It is really good to have you home."
      "Yes it is." I look into her eyes. My arms around her waist. We sway gently back and forth. We kiss and now I know that all of this is worth it. Halo is right all the good is coming and I am more than ready for it.