Destiny- Byron Miller

~19~

Graduation is in one week.

We started packing up the house today. And by "we", I mean me. I did try to have Maisie start to pack up her room but she was just starting to get in the way and distracting me. So I dropped her and Bailey off with Amanda.

I got a lot of our kitchen, living room, and bedroom packed up. I decided that I'll do the girls rooms towards the end because I don't know how long they can go without their toys and belongings.

I also have been working on my speech for the graduation ceremony. I'm not going to lie, I did almost forget that I had to even give a speech.

I've never been afraid of public speaking until now. I think it has something to do with the fact that it's about my personal life and struggles.

I can't believe I'm actually graduating. For the longest time I couldn't wait to graduate so that I could get out of my mother's household. But now that I already am out of her household and I'm about to graduate, it was my dream ending of high school.

According to Maisie's teachers, she has been doing a little bit better at socializing. She wont raise her hand in class, but she has started to talking to some of her other classmates.

Bailey is now 6 months old and doing fantastic at all her milestones. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect baby.

But for now, I'm just packing up the house.

At 5 o'clock I went and picked the girls back up from Amanda's house so that I could feed them dinner. We don't have much food left in our house because we are leaving soon, so I just made some mac and cheese from the box.

After dinner we watched a movie in the living room.

It was one of the sweetest moments I've ever experienced while taking care of the girls.

I was sitting in the middle of the couch with Maisie tucked into my side. She fell asleep with her head on my chest and her arm wrapped around me. Bailey was in my other arm sleeping on my lap.

At 8:30 the movie ended and I shut the TV off and picked up the girls from the couch. I got them both tucked in bed, turned on the nightlights, and kissed them on the head.

When I got into my room I picked up my notebook to try and finish up my graduation speech.

As soon as I put away my notebook, gotten into my pajamas, and got into bed, I head my bedroom door open.

"Maisie?" I said as I heard the small footsteps get closer to me.

"I woke up a little while ago, but I can't stop thinking about what happened when I was little. And you promised me you would tell me if I wanted to know. So can you tell me now?" she said as she arrived at the edge of my bed.

I honestly hoped that she forgot about that promise. I know that she deserves to know if she wants to, but my guardian instinct is telling me to protect her from this information. This story could ruin any hope that she has for ever creating a future bond with our mother.

"Yeah, I can tell you now, but you have to promise to go to bed right after. Its getting late."

"Deal!" she shouted excitedly.

I sat up and made a spot for her on the bed. After she was settled in, I began the story.

"When I was born, mom was married to my dad. And we were fine. I was loved by both of them, although my dad was always gone because of work. But I was really close with mom. When I was given my symbol on my 10th birthday, the name on my wrist revealed that I was meant to be with a boy and not a girl. My dad didn't like that. It went against his beliefs. A few days after my 10th birthday he left me and mom and I haven't seen him since. But my mom found your dad not long after. They were happy and they had you and they got married. And he accepted me. And it was like that for a few years. I finally had the father that I deserved. And then, as you know, he passed away. After he passed away, mom was not doing good. She used alcohol to make her forget about her pain. But it also made her forget about us. I have raised you since the moment your dad died. Mom would starve us. We never had food. I used to have to bring home food from school in order to feed you. We never had electricity. Sometimes we wouldn't have running water. I had to get a job. That made it difficult to care for you, make money, and focus on my schoolwork. Mom would hurt me with words. She never hit me but she would say very hurtful, traumatic things to me all day and night. And then mom met Donald, Bailey's dad. I never really saw them together or see how they were together. But then she broke the news that she was engaged and pregnant. I was very angry. I was already struggling to take care of us, but now I was going to have to take care of another one all on my own. After Bailey was born, Donald left mom and I did end up caring for her. The day after my 18th birthday we went to court so I could be the legal guardian of you two. That's also when you got really sick. But we won anyways and that's why I take care of you instead of mom."

"Is that really what happened?" she asked after I was done talking.

"Yeah," I said as I got up to shut off my bedroom light.

"Why didn't you just give us to grandma?" Maisie got comfortable in my bed. I knew she wouldn't want to sleep in her own bed tonight after hearing the story.

"Because I loved you too much to give you to someone else," I responded as I got back into my bed with her tucked into my side.

"I love you, Byron."

"I love you too, angel."