Forever In Your Shadows

Chapter 16

Pippa's POV 

I had two full days off and I was using it to clean. How did I get to this point? It was impossible to clean all these rooms within two days. Scarlett's wasn't so bad, but it was messy from Simba. I remade her bed and made my way to Alejandro's room. His I just needed to make sure that Burger had a clean cage. Which he did. It was scary to have a kid with OCD, but it made cleaning just a bit easier... I would need to get him a therapist appointment again... He was freaking out over the little things again so he needs that controlled... 

"Pip, have you seen that sweater I have? You know, the one you like because it makes me look like I'm really professional." Lin asked while peeking into our kid's room. 

"I think it's in the closet." I said while putting Alejandro's clothes on his bed. 

"I checked." He frowned. 

"Did you really." I raised an eyebrow and I watched him walk back into the bedroom to the closet. His version of checking meant just scanning over the closet and not seeing it without moving things. I walked into Amelie's room and saw that I was in for a treat... Clothes were scattered everywhere and just terrible, terrible things... 

"Pip, I found it." He smiled. 

"Told you." I laughed while picking up clothes. 

"Wow... Looks like the closet went to war with the floor in here." He laughed while looking at the bedroom. 

"Yup. Want to help?" I asked. He nodded and we picked up clothes and various pieces of garbage. I folded and put away her clothes while Lin hung up her uniforms in her closet. I tried shutting a drawer that was hanging, but it was impossible. So I took out the drawer and saw a box in the back. "What in the world?" I pulled it out and looked at it. 

"What's that?" Lin asked. 

"I don't know.. Should I open it?" I asked while looking at him. 

"And invade our daughter's privacy? The one that already hates us?" He asked. 

"She won't know..." I said while turning it. 

"Well, what if it's something bad?" He asked. "And you confront her about it. The only thing she'll be angry about is the fact that you snooped in her room." He said while poking my nose. "And never trust us again." 

"Well I'd rather her be safe than me be that parent that doesn't know what's going on in my child's life..." I said while opening it. It was a box full of pictures... "Well then..." I smiled. 

"What is it?" He asked. 

"Pictures of her and my dad.. I wondered where these went." I laughed while looking through the box of photos. Some were at her third birthday party, others were holidays. I smiled at the memories and started tearing up. 

"Aw Pip..." Lin said while hugging me. 

"Why would she keep these?" I whispered. 

"Maybe she misses him still..." Lin frowned. 

"I miss him too... But we can't do anything to bring him back. He was so stressed that he just collapsed... And Amelie was..." I stopped and thought about the memory... 

Everyone was stressed... Lin and I were on the verge of a divorce, Scarlett was going through puberty, Sebastian was with us for a month while his mom was out of town for work, and the twins were just becoming more and more of a handful... 

"I swear to God it's all about you isn't it?!" I screamed at Lin. "You're hardly home because you're working on that damn play of yours! You have kids that you can't neglect Lin!" I yelled. 

"Oh I'm sorry but who's bringing in the cash here again?! It's certainly not you!" Lin yelled at me. 

"I've been trying! You just can't sit back and do whatever you want whenever you want anymore! You're not a single bachelor! You're married with four kids! Just get over yourself!" I said while walking out of the bedroom. I looked over and saw my dad trying to distract Amelie and Alejandro. 

"And what did they do next?" Alejandro asked. 

"Well, they had to run to their brother's house so that way they could be safe from the big bad wolf." My dad smiled. I sighed at the sight and wondered where the days had gone where everything was perfect again... Lin walked out of the room and scoffed at me standing in the kitchen. 

"Finding another drink?" He said sarcastically. 

"At least I drink at home you jerk. You know, so I can watch the kids." I glared. 

"Oh what's that supposed to mean?!" He yelled. 

"Nothing! Just nothing!" I growled. 

"Enough from both of you! Your kids are sitting here in fear because of you two!" My dad yelled. I sighed and walked into the bedroom. Lin as always left the house again. I heard some talking coming from the living room and Alejandro came running into the bedroom. 

"What's wrong?" I sniffed. 

"Grandpa won't get up.. He fell down and Amelie thinks it's because he tripped on her toy." He frowned. I jumped up from the bed and ran out to him.

"Dad!" I said while sitting next to him. "Dad. It's going to be okay." I said while putting a pillow under his head. "Al, give me my phone." I called the ambulance and we waited five whole minutes before they showed up... Amelie was crying in the corner waiting for me to scold her. 

"Mommy, I didn't mean it." She cried. "He tripped on my toy..." She sobbed. 

"It's okay. It's okay, we all make mistakes." I whispered. I was lucky that Scarlett and Sebastian were at Jasmine's house. I texted her and let her know not to bring the kids back just yet. I texted Lin to have him meet us at the hospital and of course didn't get a reply. 

~~

"Grandpa isn't going to make it... Is he?" Alejandro asked. 

"He will. He's strong." I whispered. 

"What happened this time?" Lin asked when he got to the hospital. "Who's back there?" I shook my head and started crying. Amelie was hugging my arm and still sobbing into it. 

"Grandpa fell down and didn't get back up." Alejandro said to him. Lin looked shocked... He sat next to Amelie and she immediately went into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and she cried into his chest. He scooted over to me and I rested my head on his shoulder... I was glad he was here in our time of need this time... 

"Mrs. Miranda?" A doctor called. I stood up and walked over to the doctor. "I would get ready to start saying goodbyes... It won't be long..." He whispered. 

"How long?" I sniffed. 

"I don't know... Does he have any other family?" He asked. 

"My mom, but it would be a day before she could get out here..." I sighed. 

"I would get her here quickly." He said before walking back.