Pain and Love Comes in Many Forms

Forty Five

I sat, time ticking by so painfully slow.

Never thought this was were my life would go.

I held all the evidence in my arms, the recordings and videos, I held my own report, just waiting.

"Hey, you'll be fine. You've faced worse." Jack assured, putting an arm around me.

"But this is so much more personal."

"I know what you mean."

The door creaked open, and the two of us glanced at the door, seeing Mark and Lily exit. They were looking at the women in the suit, who smiled kindly at them, her eyes avoiding the bandages that laced their arms.

"So?"

"The kids testified against her, the reports came back positive for abuse. Turns out, your brother was not the main abuser. It was the mother."

I nodded, "I wish I knew sooner."

I looked at the two. Mark was eleven now. He was born the year I left home. And Lily, she was five, born no to long before my brother was arrested.

"who's going to take care of us?" Mark asked, holding Lily's hands.

The women smiled, "your uncle decided to take over. I'm sure he'll treat you better than your parents."

Lily looked at Jack and I, "You are our new parents?"

"Yup! And we'll love you til the end of time." I said warmly, getting out of the chair and setting my things down. I kneeled in front of them, and let them see my arms, scared still from my past, "besides, I know better than anyone else what it's like to be abused. I don't want that happening to you two anymore."

The two saw how sincere I was, and walked to me, hugging my tight. I hugged them back, and jack talked to the women.

"I'm assuming we'll need to sign the documents?"

"We can do that real quick. So don't worry."

She was right, not even an hour later we were headed home.

"We should get a bigger place." I suggested, the two kids taking a nap in the back.

"You think so?"

"Well, I do have three guest rooms, so they can have those, but, my home isn't a place they should grow up. We need a place that all of us can grow up in. That we can raise them."

"Well, I'll look for a place. I have a few friends in that business, what type of home are you hoping we can have?"

"Well," I hummed, "a pool would be nice, but It would have to be indoor,"

"You already made this difficult."

"I'm joking. We don't need a pool. It is a nice thought though."

He snorted out a bit of laughter as he drove, "seriously, what are you looking for?"

"Well, a nice, two story house with rooms on both floors. Each room having a connected bath, mostly because you know I'm a stickler for privacy."

"Honestly can't blame you."

"And it needs to have a study, or a room I can turn into one to fill with books-"

"Manga."

"That too," I joked, "a nice room I can turn into a movie room, and a big backyard the kids can play in, with a large, open kitchen."

"You dream of big things."

"Well, I guess I want them to have a good life. And I like that setting."