*ADOPTED*

*ADOPTED*~Two~

When I hit the pillow in the spare room at my brother's house I must have passed out, because when I woke up it was well past noon the next day. I got up and quickly dressed, only to see my car has already been unpacked and all of my shit was already in the room. I smiled to myself knowing that this was my brother's way of telling me that AJ and I were staying for a while. As I walked down the stairs I heard a lot of high pitch squealing and laughing down in the living room, where I saw Tommy rustling around on the floor with his daughter Brina Bug as we all called her and my son AJ. Yep, that's right, my big brother was an oversized goth punk kid at heart, but when it came to family he was very close and very protective, and he really hated my husband because he knew what he was and that I was just to blind to see it in him.

Trinity was in the kitchen making lunch for everyone as she said comically it was about time I woke up. I asked her if she needed my help with anything, but she handed me a cup of coffee as she told me that I looked terrible, and needed to just relax for a few days, especially after going thru all the shit with Kristoffer for the last few months. I plopped in the chair and told her that I really couldn't afford to just lay around and relax because if I knew my husband, as soon as he sobered up, he would be calling me aimlessly asking me where in the hell I was and why did I leave. Then if I didn't answer him, he would actually track my ass down and demand that I talk it over with him for it was a fact, he did love the hell out of his son...even if he didn't really care enough about me anymore to love me.

If that didn't work, he would bring his damned parents into it! Because he knew how much I loathed them. His father was a chainsmoking alcoholic too, and his mom was just very manipulative and very possessive of my son. I knew if I ever did get that restraining order and a divorce from him, that his mom would be like a leech on me, trying to get me to let him have joint custody of our son, but after the shit, he pulled to endanger our child and everyone else in the house there was no way in hell that I was going to ever let my son stay with him for any duration...I knew he was never going to change his ways, and I was tired of waiting and dreaming that he would.

Tommy came in with Brina and AJ on his back as he said he and his tiny tots were ready for lunch. I lifted my lil man off my silly ass brother and asked him if he would like some juice or chocolate milk with his lunch. AJ scratched his head as if it was a very hard decision then finally said with a lil pride that he wanted chokwit milk. Tommy crawled to the fridge and held the half gallon of milk up to Trinity as he jokingly told her to fill em all up, for chokwit milk was all around. We all had a very nice lunch along with a serious conversation about me dumping Kristoffer's ass for good, and getting my life back in order so that AJ and I both would be safe and happy without having his worthless ass making my life miserable by breaking me down piece by piece until there was nothing left of me to put back together again.

I told them both I knew I had to do it, but I just didn't want to feel the hurt that I knew was coming, because, despite all the bullshit and lies, I still loved his no account ass...and he was the father of my son and I didn't want to make my son live his life without both of his parents. Tommy shook his head and gave me a Gibbs slap to the back of my head playfully and said that in this very specific case, I was being more harmful to my son by staying with him, then it was doing good. Then he added in very seriously that I was still a very young and sexy bitch and could get another guy to fall for me with a drop of a hat, and all I had to do was play the single and available part. I turned to give my brother my evil stare as I told him that I wasn't going to be going on any manhunts any time soon.

As soon as Brina and AJ finished their lunch, they began their roughhousing again, but Trinity told them both not to get to wound up because soon it was bathtime followed by naptime. That was one thing my son couldn't wait for because more than anything he loved his naptime because he knew he could lay down in the living room on his pallet and watch cartoons until he fell asleep. Brina, on the other hand, was the total opposite, she fought off her naptime with gusto, but when big daddy put his foot down, she knew the rebellion was over with and she just lost her battle. Brina went to her room and grabbed her teddy bear and blanket then joined AJ on the floor to watch cartoons. Not even half an hour later, both of our tots were sound asleep.

Tommy hopped out of the chair and said he was going out to work on his motorcycle and to have a beer while the kids were asleep. My brother wasn't perfect, but he was NOT an alcoholic, he just liked having one MGD longneck every two or three days. He used to smoke and drink a lot, but as soon as Trinity became pregnant with their lil girl, he quit cold turkey on both of them. He was a wonderful husband to Trinity, an awesome daddy to Brina, and one helluva great brother to me.