Collision✔️(Wattpad version)

Infinite wisdom

Colton

Lia, Reed, Jaime, and I paid a visit to someone. We knew if anyone could help us, he could. We pulled up and got out of the car. Natalie looked up from her book and saw us.

She set her book down and walked down the steps. She smiled at us as we walked over. "My babies." She hugged us.

"Hi, Mom," we all said in unison as we all hugged her.

She let us go. "Luke's inside," Natalie told us.

We followed her inside as we walked into the house. We looked around, and everything looked the same. Some things never change, and I was glad.

As we looked around, we heard a voice behind us. "It's been a while." We all turned around, and there he was. He still looked good. Except he had a cane to help. He gets around. He walked over and gave us each a hug, then took a seat in a chair.

We all took a seat as Natalie went into the kitchen.

He looked at us and noticed the sullen look upon our faces.

"What's going on? These don't look like happy faces," Luke said to us.

"There's been a problem," Lia said to him.

"What's the problem?"

She told him everything that happened. He listened to her as she explained things as we all added to the conversation. Luke never once interrupted us as we talked.

Natalie brought in coffee for all of us as we all talked. She took a seat by Luke as we filled them in on everything that had happened.

Once we finished, he looked at Natalie, and she gave him a look. Then he turned back to us.

"I know you all feel responsible for what's happened but don't. These aren't your children. Their parents will deal with it accordingly because good people raised them," he told us.

"But it was our grandson that did this," Reed told him in a sullen tone.

"One that had the choice not to. Reed, Louis did this. He's an adult, not a child, and you can't tell him not to do something. Just like I had a choice to let you walk out that door to that man that beat you, but I didn't," he said to Reed.

"As I took you in when you had no place to go," he said to me. I looked at him.

"We all have choices. It's what we make with those choices that count. You can love your kids, but you don't have to like their behavior. They will make mistakes. It's our job as parents to guide them and help them learn not to tell them what to do," Luke reasoned.

We all sat there.

"Knowing how your father had treated you, why would you strike your boy," he asked Reed.

"I was angry," he sighed.

"And you took your anger out on a choice his son made? Craig isn't a bad kid. They gave him the option to be someone's father and do right by him. It would not be his fault if the same person turned out to be less than desirable. Sometimes people don't always turn out good. Sometimes there is a bad apple, no matter how many times you polish it," he told Reed.

Luke always made sense. He saw the good in people and potential, but he also saw things for what they were. We needed this more than anything because we felt lost.

"I know it seems hopeless, but trust me, it's not. These boys have people that love them so much that they won't weather the storm but be the storm. Have faith. After every rainstorm, a rainbow follows," he smiled.

That made me smile as I slid my hand into Lia's hand. She knew. Then it hit me.

"What?" She asked me.

"We were once that storm and got our rainbow. Now the boys will be their storm and receive their rainbows. It's not about people. It's about dealing with difficult circumstances and coming out better than before," I told her.

We all turned to look at Luke, who smiled.

"I was wondering when you would realize it," he said to me.

"I guess it took seeing it from a different standpoint to see the full picture," I reflected.

We can always say what if and think about if we made different choices, but the fact is, choices we make lead us to the path it destines us to have.

It took an innocent girl to beg for a date, to lead me to the life I have now from the one I had before. One that didn't have love and understanding. They filled it with abuse and anger. It took one person to change all of that.

I could not be more grateful than I was at that moment. We visited with Luke for a while, reminiscing about things, then we told him bye as we left. It was always good to see him.

Natalie looked at him, "Well?"

"They'll be fine. I think the kids just needed reassurance as we all do at one point," Luke told Natalie as Luke smiled.

"I will start dinner," she patted him, and he said, "Okay."

I think he was just happy that he could make a difference. I know he made a difference for me. If it wasn't for him, I don't know where I would be today, and that thought scared the hell out of me.

As we drove back, I held Lia's hand in mine while Reed and Jaime held hands. They say events can test people. It can either make or break them. I think this just proved we were more durable than most, and I would like to think that makes a world of difference.

Now it was time to let our children handle things and advice. Be there when they need us and love them even when they're unlovable. We need to have faith. We raised them right. At least I hope so.

While we drove back, Luke went to see Julian, to help him. Antonio and Rain spent time with Enzo and Everly. Cole and Wade took care of Cade, helping him get better. While Craig made the hardest decision and turned his son in, he gave a picture to the police who took it.

Within two hours, they arrested Louis Harrison for sexual assault and battery. Craig stood there and watched them wrestle him to the ground as he screamed that he hated him and wished Craig was dead. Once they took Louis away, he stood there and cried, feeling like a failure until someone touched his shoulder. He turned to see Reed and Jaime standing there.

They pulled him into a hug and comforted him, which he needed. No matter what, they loved their son. It was something Craig required at that moment.

Lives got torn apart within a matter of days, but it wasn't so much about the storm it was coming through it more robust. That's all any of us want in life.