When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

11| Find A Way

Kelsey

It was the beginning of July now and Anthony has been back for a little while. Right when he got back we went on a wonderful date where there was rock climbing and putt putt and other cool stuff. Just basically hanging out like friends but then kissing like we're not. He finds every excuse to come visit me at the planetarium and even attends the shows I work. Sometimes he brings his baseball buddies and sometimes he just comes by himself so we can grab lunch when I get off. He's been nothing less than an incredible boyfriend to me, and that's why I needed to come clean.

So I drive over to his place without a warning and he lets me up. He welcomes me in and fixed me a snack and a drink. We sit on his couch in his spacious apartment and I start to get nervous. I don't say much at first because I'm afraid that I'll say something wrong and create a problem that wasn't there before. I'm lucky enough that a guy like him and of his stature would agree to go out with me, was I really about to risk throwing that all away to come clean? Am I really about to risk the best relationship I've ever known on a truth that isn't always accepted? But if this relationship is going to go any farther than it already has he needs to know what's happening. He needs to know why I am the way I am and why I'm so afraid to hurt him.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so focused on anything but the sky" he insists as he catches me staring off into space and I give him a weak smile.

"I'm nervous" I admit.

"Well that's a turn of events" he teases. "But you don't need to be nervous around me. You can tell me anything, you know that right" I ask.

"Yeah, I just have trouble talking about this particular subject" I explain. He sets his hand on my knee letting me know that I can trust him and I let out a long sigh.

"I got you" he promises. I look up into his big brown eyes and they looked like the night sky. There was a sparkle in it that came from a hint of innocence and a hint of faith. I was so scared that what I'm about to say will take those away when he looked at me. But I knew I had to tell him otherwise I would surely tear us apart.

"My Dad is not a citizen of the United States. He came here almost 3o years ago on a work visa and he never went back. He fell in love with my mother who lived here so he stayed because he says he could travel the world and never find another woman who was as right for him as she was. They fell in love quickly and recklessly but it was madly and deeply and it was a true love, so it didn't matter what he thought. He couldn't leave her and he knew it. So he stayed and he kept quiet. Never got a drivers license, never went to the hospital, never flew on a plane or got to go back home. He stayed here and risked everything because to him my mom was worth it.

Although they never got married they did have kids and since we were born here we were granted citizenship. It's not all in the clear after that, we still ha sky be careful and we still had stipulations. But it never affected us much, we all still got to do what we want, to be what we want. Then when the house caught on fire so did all our records. We had no solid proof of citizenship and can get sent to a detainment center or to another holding area now that we don't. That's why I keep telling you I don't know if we can stay. I don't know what's going to happen if we get caught and get sent to Cali or some other holding place. Even though we were born here we have no proof of that anymore, all our files were kept at home to keep our dad safe and now they're gone" I explain. I try to hide the tears but it was hard. Everyone had demons and this was mine.

I can see the wheels turn in his head as he tries to comprehend all of this. I know it's a lot and he's going to have a lot of questions, but I'm so glad to get that off my chest. I already felt a million times better.

"I'm not going to let them take you or your family away from here. You're good people no matter where you're from" he insists.

"I'm sorry Anthony, but I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it" I insist. It's the law and no matter how good he does in baseball it won't be good enough to change the law.

"There has to be documents somewhere, the hospital or the schools or something" he insists.

"Since my dad was illegal we covered our tracks. My mom gave birth at home and not in a hospital so my dad can be there. If we ever got sick we went to the hospital on my moms plan so they never needed proper identification from dad with her insurance. Everything we did was to cover up our tracks and now that we did that there's no proof of citizenship" I explain.

"That's insane, you were born here, you're a citizen. They can't take you away" he insists.

"They can. It's called failure to meet conditions and if you can't provide proof of residence, which burned in the fire, or have lied to immigration officers, which we have, than were technically here illegally since our father stayed here illegally" I say.

"How can you be deported from a place you were born" he sighs. I can tell this was hard for him and I didn't want it to be. But I didn't know how else to tell him.

"This world is a cruel place. And while they don't often deport illegal immigrants who don't do something wrong, people are always looking for a reason to complain. I don't see why being born out of country is bad, there's plenty of bad people born here too. But that just how it goes, someone decided that is mutts aren't as good as a pure bred. That we don't get rights to a place we've called him our whole lives. I just... I'm scared" I whisper.

"Come here baby" he says as he wraps his arms around me. He holds me tight and I close my eyes so I don't cry. I feel him kiss the top of my head and I have to admit it helped a little. "We're going to figure this out, okay" he asks.

"How" I sniffle.

"I don't know right now. But I'm not going to lose you" he insists.

"You still want to be with me" I question.

"Of course I do. You and your dad didn't do anything wrong. You're following your heart and making sure your siblings are going to be okay. I'm proud of how strong you are and how smart you are. And I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you here" he promises.

"I don't want to hurt you" I admit.

"Nothing will hurt more than being here without you" he claims.

"And what if that's not up to us" I wonder.

"We'll find a way. I promise you Kelsey we will find a way."