Second Chance to Be A Family
Chapter 2
Mike had realized quickly how traumatized his girls were, especially Kaitlyn. She wouldn't eat until she knew for a fact that there was plenty of groceries and enough of the pulled salsa chicken that Mike or Hannah wouldn't do without if she ate. Even Hannah seemed a little hesitant with food. Both girls also seemed to be looking for away to save the food for later.
"Girls, eat. I have plenty and if you want something different, we'll just go to the grocery store. The food shortages have been over for a few years now." Mike told them. Both girls looked at him like he had lost his mind. Maybe the food shortages were over for him but not for his kids.
"Food is expensive. This must have cost a fortune." Kaitlyn told him.
"Nah. The rice was cheap, and Leann picked up the ingredients for the chicken, but I know that it wasn't terribly expensive." Mike said. Hannah had taken a tentative taste; almost like she wasn't even sure she could have that food. Like Mike would take the food from her.
"She picked this stuff up? But what will she and that little boy eat? You sent them away from here with no food?" Kaitlyn said in complete disbelief.
"She has food back at her place. Has a job teaching. They won't do without." Mike reassured her.
"It tastes pretty good." Hannah said as she took a drink of her milk. Mike saw it as a win because she took a second bite after Mike nodded at her, almost indicating that she was allowed more then one bite.
"Eat up. And if that doesn't fill you up, I have a whole pantry full of food in there. There's also a deep freeze in there and another deep freeze in the garage. I keep sodas in the fridge in the garage as well. Josh tends to want them if he sees them and Leann only wants him to have juice right now." Mike told both girls. Kaitlyn had taken a couple bites and Hannah was eyeing the bowl to see if she could have a second helping.
"Do they make ice cream anymore?" Hannah asked. She was still a bit sharp with him but at least she had dropped a bit of the attitude.
"Yes! How about, you girls eat that and after, we'll walk down the beach. There's an ice cream place about a quarter mile before. We can get a couple cones." Mike told them. Hannah gave a soft smile. He remembered how much she and Christine had both loved ice cream.
"Oh, Hannah and I can share a cone." Kaitlyn stated.
"Nah, we'll each get one. But eat up." Mike said as he indicated their plates.
An hour later, after both girls ate second helpings and the dishes were washed up, they made their way down the beach. Both girls were quiet, and Mike wished that he could read their minds. He wanted to know what had gone on with them. They were both skinny, but Kaitlyn was worse for the wear. Mike had offered her a t-shirt when he realized that all she had was long-sleeves but she adamantly refused it. It was late May in Florida. She would be miserable. When Mike offered her the shirt, he had noticed the look between the two girls but couldn't get a read on them.
"So, I didn't ask. Where have you two been? I know you said foster homes and slave camps but where?" Mike asked as they ate their ice cream cones. Kaitlyn seemed in pain and he had noticed that when she took a drink, she winced. He would be making dentist appointments too. Thankfully, Leann was off work and would help him.
"The foster homes were all over the Midwest. I don't know about the slave camps. They didn't tell us." Kaitlyn stated. She clearly wanted the subject dropped.
"Oh. So, you girls saw the bedrooms but didn't claim them. We can redecorate them however you'd like." Mike told them both.
"That's expensive and besides Katie and I have roomed together forever." Hannah argued. It was true, the girls had shared a room when they were younger too.
"Besides, if Leann and Josh stay over, doesn't he need a space?" Kaitlyn asked. She clearly wanted to know the depth of Mike and Leann's relationship but didn't want to ask.
"Girls, I am going to address this right now, so it doesn't bite me later. Leann and I have dated for about two years, almost two and a half. Josh is not my son, but I've been in his life since he was seven months old. I care very deeply for them. As far as Leann and Josh staying over, they rarely stay at my place. However, I do stay with her a couple nights out of the week. It is easier on Josh if he doesn't have to have two different places to sleep. You both are old enough to understand me sleeping with Leann. Before either of you make any assumptions and cause all of us heartache; yes, I do have sex with her. I didn't start seeing Leann until several years after your mom died. I had a death certificate verifying that she had died but nothing on you girls. Throughout the years, there have been imposters claiming to be the two of you and yes, I have been jipped. I can't explain how heartbreaking it was. I still care very deeply for your mom and always will. That is probably why Leann and I have not gotten anymore serious then what we are." Mike explained. Normally, he would have never talk about his sex life with his daughters, but they had both already been through so much. They deserved honesty.
"So, she won't stay over but you might stay with her sometimes? Kaitlyn asked.
"Probably. We will have to figure something out once you go to school. Girls, I really want you to like Leann and Josh. They are a huge part of my life and I care very deeply for them. They were never to replace your mom or you guys and there is room for all four of you. She and I began seeing each other before I retired and has made my retirement a lot easier and sweeter. She's young but not ridiculously young. If you give her a chance, I think you will both really like her. I am going to ask her to help you two shop for some new clothes and things for your bedroom, if that's okay." Mike told them. Both girls exchanged a look.
"You really don't need to spend that kind of money on us." Kaitlyn stated.
"You both need things. I cannot imagine that those suitcases have much in them. Besides, Katie, you are going to need short sleeves. You will be burning up in no time." Mike said and Kaitlyn shook her head.
"I don't wear short sleeves." Kaitlyn told him simply.
"Why not? Its Florida and you'll be hot." Mike asked. In just a second, he wished he hadn't because Kaitlyn had pulled her left sleeve up, revealing scars all over her wrist and forearm. They looked like burns from a cigarette. Mike was horrified. What had happened to his girls?
"My legs and other arm are also like that." Kaitlyn told him simply before rolling the sleeve down.
"And your back too?" Hannah said. Mike looked over at Kaitlyn who was looking at her hands.
"Except those aren't burns, they're whip marks. I really don't want to talk about this. Not here, not anywhere." Kaitlyn told him. Mike knew she was shutting down. Hopefully, Hannah would tell him what had happened.
"How about we just go back to the house so you girls can settle in?" Mike suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Kaitlyn said as she stood up. Mike and Hannah were still working on their ice cream, but Kaitlyn had finished hers. They began the walk down the beach. The scars really bothered him, and he had noticed that she tensed up anytime that he touched her. He didn't know what to do to help either of his girls.
They got back to the house and the girls retreated into one of the bedrooms. The one that was further from Mike's room. He wondered if the rooming together and not being too close to him at night was a protective move. It broke his heart because they didn't even trust him. He called Leann, knowing she would be a 'safe harbor' for him.
"Care if I come over? I think the girls need some distance." Mike asked.
"I never care if you come over, but I figured you would want to stay with them." Leann remarked.
"Normally, yes but I think I scare them and I'm not even sure Hannah remembers me. Katie's arms are all scarred up and from what she admitted, so are her back and legs." Mike told her.
"That explains the jeans and long-sleeved shirt. What happened?" Leann asked.
"Not sure. She shut down and the girls aren't giving in much. They refuse to sleep in separate rooms. They told me that they had been in the slave camps and then foster care. I'd heard of the slave camps but avoided reading the reports on them." Mike admitted, knowing that Leann had also been in one of the camps.
"They were horrible, and I had it pretty easy. I was old enough that I could protect myself but those girls…Mike, nothing good happened to girls Kaitlyn's age. I am honestly shocked that she wasn't sold into sex slavery. The regional leaders liked to sell young girls because and I'm quoting 'they weren't used up.' Meaning, they hadn't had sex. And yes, there were people that would buy them. The Red Flu brought out the worst in humanity." Leann explained. It was all stuff that Mike knew but he had never wanted to imagine his daughters in that situation.
"I don't mean to dredge all this up for you." Mike remarked.
"If I can use my experience to help them, I will. I just wasn't sure what my place was. The girls can't be happy about me or Josh." Leann stated.
"I was brutally honest about you and me with them. And Josh too. I know there will be glitches, but I didn't want to end our relationship and I didn't want the girls to make assumptions about it." Mike told her.
"Good. There are times that I wonder about it. Its almost like friends with benefits other then you do seem to really care about my son." Leann remarked. It was the first time she had told him that. Between Josh telling Mike that he loved him and calling him Daddy, he really had to wonder about the relationship.
"I love Josh and I…" Mike started but was interrupted by screaming coming from the bedroom where the girls were sleeping.
"What is that?" Leann asked.
"I gotta go. One of the girls is having a nightmare." Mike said before hanging up. He would have to call Leann later. As soon as he got to the bedroom door and realized it was locked. That broke his heart because neither of the girls trusted him. "Can someone unlock the door? I won't hurt you, I promise." Mike shouted. Finally, Hannah came to the door and unlocked it and as soon as Mike walked in, he realized that it was Kaitlyn that had the nightmare. She was curled into a fetal position and was rocking back and forth.
"Please don't hurt Hannah." Kaitlyn choked out between sobs. Mike reached for her, but Hannah stopped him.
"Don't touch her. She has these every night. She'll cry herself to sleep." Hannah explained.
"What happened?" Mike asked. Hannah was getting back into bed like the dream was the most normal thing possible. Kaitlyn continued to sob.
"Not my story to tell. The longer you stay here, the longer it'll be before she settles down." Hannah told him sharply. She still had some major attitude and Mike didn't understand it. She caused Kaitlyn a lot of grief but was also fiercely protective of her.
"Hint taken. Wake me up if you two need anything." Mike told her. Leaving the bedroom was the last thing he wanted to do but he did it. It made him wish he could go back in time when he could make them feel safe. He stood outside the bedroom door for a few moments and eventually Kaitlyn stopped crying and was softly snoring. Hannah had locked the door behind him so he couldn't even look in on them.
More then clothes, dentist appointments and getting Hannah straightened out, he was going to have to earn their trust. It would be the biggest battle of his lifetime. Kaitlyn had a good façade built but she needed intense counseling, something she would probably never consent to. And Hannah was just a bundle of issues. It made Mike wonder if he would even be able to handle it. He had dreamt about having his girls back but maybe it would be better to just figure something else out. He didn't want them to fear for their safety. He finally walked back into the living area and realized what he had started to tell Leann. He also needed to ask her if she would help him with shopping for the girls. He picked his cellphone up and punched in her number. Thankfully, she answered after the second ring.
"Hey, everything okay?" Leann asked.
"Yeah. Kaitlyn had a nightmare. She eventually settled down. I needed to ask, I need to take the girls shopping. Can you help me? I think they might do better with a woman, and that is not something I am." Mike asked. He didn't mean it as a joke, but he knew Leann would give some light-hearted reply. He needed that.
"Of course, I'll help. And I am glad that you are not a woman." Leann teased.
"Me too. What are you doing tomorrow?" Mike asked.
"Going shopping with your girls and you. Can Josh come along? And you should be glad, the cramps are a killer." Leann stated.
"Probably a good thing I'm not coming in tonight then. You wouldn't have felt good. I also need to get them in for dental appointments, eye exams and I think they both need to be checked over by a doctor." Mike commented.
"Sorry, Mike. Its my off time with my shot. Anyway, take it one day at a time. The one issue that I have is Josh. I have tried to correct him but he's insistent on calling you Daddy. I don't know where it came from, other then maybe his daycare buddies. Its not like Jack has ever tried with him. When I tucked him in tonight, he made the remark that you do everything for him that his buddy's dads do." Leann told him.
"Is that getting any better?" Mike asked. It was one of Leann's biggest stressors. She didn't care for Jack's lifestyle choices and didn't particularly want him around their son but needed child support, which Jack refused to pay, regardless of rather he saw their son or not. In the two years that she and Mike had dated, Jack had never visited Josh.
"No. He still refuses to pay, and I've heard that he has a warrant out for his arrest. My lease is up next month, and I have to figure something out. The landlord will go up and being on summer break doesn't help." Leann explained. She never complained.
"He doesn't realize what he's robbing himself of. Josh is a special little boy and his mom is special too. I will help you however I can. I guess this would be the time in the relationship that I ask you to move in?" Mike asked. He wasn't sure what else to do.
"Thank you and I would ordinarily agree but you don't have room, and do you really want to move in your girlfriend and her son with your eighteen and fourteen-year-old? They may hate me." Leann remarked.
"I can move Katie out to the garage apartment. Besides, the girls don't really want to sleep apart right now so I still have an open bedroom. Course, that is only if you would consent to room with me." Mike teased.
"I suppose. You do snore though, but you do liven things up in a bedroom. So, is this an offer or what?" Leann asked.
"I didn't think I was ready, but it might help us both out." Mike remarked. He actually really liked the idea. He slept best when he was with Leann. It was not just a sexual thing for him. Was he ready for this step with Leann? It was a natural step after dating for two years but it was an inconvenient time.
"Mike, I…I love you, but I don't want you to do this unless you are sure. You are taking on even more baggage. I have avoided telling you that I love you because I didn't want you pressured into something. Leave it to a three-year-old to move things along." Leann joked.
"I am sure and quite honestly should have done this a long time ago. Maybe, lets just wait until after tomorrow to tell the girls. If Hannah is a heathen, you might have second thoughts. And one more thing?" Mike stated.
"Yeah?" Leann asked.
"I love you too. I was going to tell you earlier, but Katie took precedence." Mike told her.
"The kids always need to take precedence. Alright, we will be out there at nine am. Can I expect pancakes?" Leann asked. When Mike stayed over, especially on the weekends, he always served her breakfast in bed with Josh's help. Her favorite was his pancakes.
"I was already planning on making them for the girls. See you then." Mike told her before hanging up as he locked the house up and walked into his bedroom. He undressed and fell into bed, exhausted.