Hey guys, I apologize for the wait on this one. My laptop broke and the wonderful Apple store had it for awhile. I was using my iPhone and my husband's computer. It wasn't fun being without my baby for even one day. So good to have it back, I'm celebrating by posting this chapter first thing. Thank you for waiting and a special thank you to my friends jkane180 and ReneeFF for helping with mistakes and just being so great to me.

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http:/nooneelsebelieves(dot)weebly(dot)com/

Chapter Thirty-Six — Jake — A Night at the Hospital

I looked into Rosalie's eyes as we sat across from each other at the small table. She was the only thing keeping me together. I had to be smart to keep her and Aiden around. I had to be smart to protect my whole family like I wanted. I needed to keep them all safe, but I was failing.

People passed by our table, but it was easy to tune them out when I didn't have enough sleep and my mind was too full to concentrate. Besides, my girl's bright blue pools, even while holding so much worry, were still enough to pull me in and make me never want to leave.

We didn't speak much, but I knew from those expressive eyes of hers that she was here for me. I wasn't alone. I wanted to ask her what to do—what to do about my father, about my mother, what to say to Seth... The list was endless. But I knew they weren't her questions to answer. They were mine.

"You should go see Jared and Ana... I'd like to go visit your mom." She broke the silence, placing her gentle hand atop mine.

"Baby?" she asked when I didn't answer.

I snapped out of it. "Good idea." Maybe she'd be able to say something to mi'amáto make it better because I sure as hell couldn't.

I felt like a pathetic loser. I couldn't even go out and look for my father like I probably would have in any other situation. What was the point when everything I did didn't work? Besides, this time wasn't like before. This time everyone saw he was crazy. And if I beat him this time, I'd probably end up in jail. That wasn't going to help anyone.

Rosalie gave me a kiss and told me where I could find Jared and Ana.

When I found the room they were in, I noticed Ana was asleep and a small pink bundle was safely resting in my little brother's arms. But he wasn't little anymore. He suddenly looked so much older and wiser, and she... she was an angel. I was actually a bit jealous she was theirs.

"Hey... Dad." I spoke softly so as not to wake Ana.

He smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seem him give me. "Hey,tio Jake, want to hold Veronica?"

I smiled too, feeling happy for the first time today. Jared handed her to me carefully, and I was amazed by how light and tiny she was. She had a cute button nose and pouty lips.

"She looks like Ana... thank god," I teased him jokingly.

"Ha. Ha."

Veronica, like her mamá, was asleep.

Jared offered me the chair he'd been sitting in, and I took it, staring down at the beauty in my arms in awe and wonder. We had a new addition to the family. It was hard to believe she wasn't here yesterday.

I glanced at Ana and then up at my brother. "Ana okay?"

He nodded. "She was amazing. She just needs sleep. Last night was tough."

After a while, I gently put Veronica down and went to hug and congratulate my brother. We both shamelessly cried some happy tears, and I told him I was proud of him.

"Promise you'll make sure I don't fuck this up?"

"I'll kick your ass if you step out of line, bro... But I know you won't." I could already see how in love he was with his family.

We stepped outside so we wouldn't disturb Ana as we talked.

He worried about Mamá and asked me what we were going to do.

"I don't know." I hated not having an answer. I was the oldest—the one in charge of having all the answers.

"But... you always know what to do. You're the smart one."

I wasn't so sure anymore.

Jared sighed and, for now, accepted my not knowing. I guess he could tell I was tired. He went on to ask about Seth. Seth would be okay. Elena was here now, and she was the only one he actually talked to.

All of a sudden, I noticed Aiden running over to me and into my arms.

"Hey, man, missed you."

Alice walked up after him with a smile and hugged Jared, congratulating him on becoming a papá.

"We just came to visit you guys. How was last night?"

Jared went on to give her the details.

With my arm still around Aiden, he asked if he could see the baby. I told him in a little while when Ana woke up. He nodded and continued smiling, excited like the rest of us to welcome the baby into the family.

Rosalie joined us, and Aiden went from my side to hers. I went over to the two of them, putting my arm around Rose and my hand on Aid's shoulder.

"Elena took Seth home to shower and eat something..." Rosalie told me. "Maybe you should go be with your mom. The doctor said they're letting her go home later today."

"Thank, mami."

My ma wouldn't talk to me when I went to her room again to sit with her, not until she broke down into tears and began mumbling something I couldn't understand.

I hugged her and let her cry as long as she wanted, joining in even though I was trying to stay strong for her and everyone.

"I'll take care of you. He'll never hurt you again, Ma."

When she finally pulled back and her tears subsided, I held her hand and gave her a smile.

"You happy you're a nanafinally?" I tried lightening the mood. It was hard for me. I hadn't seen her bruised this way since I was a lot younger. But it wasn't about me.

She nodded. "I can't wait to see her."

"We'll go as soon as you sign out."

She squeezed my hand and made me sit closer.

"I'm so proud of you... I'm sorry I don't tell you more often. I always wanted you to have everything, and if you and Rose don't want to have kids," she shrugged, "well, it's okay."

"No one ever said we don't want to."

"You did, plenty of times. You never wanted to be a dad..." She frowned. "That changed since Aiden came into your life, didn't it?"

I smiled and nodded. "I wish he was really mine."

"That doesn't matter, mijo... I've seen the way you two are together. He's lucky to have you, and you're lucky to have them."

I hugged her, careful not to hug as tightly as I wanted. It meant the world for her to say those things to me.

"She's a good girl... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Ma, for all the bullshit I ever said that hurt you... I didn't mean to."

She cupped my face. "I know... I was right when I said Rosalie changed you... but it's not in the bad way I thought before. She makes you an even better person, if that's possible."

We sat together a little more and talked about Seth. She said he wouldn't talk to her and asked me to make sure he knew it wasn't his fault. She said my brothers respected me and looked up to me, even if I didn't like it.

"They don't need to look up to me anymore. They're men."

"They'll always look up to you."

When she signed out later that afternoon, we all spent the rest of visiting hours with Ana and the baby.

Rosalie took Aiden home, and I went with mi'amá.I made the three of us something to eat and worried when I saw that my mother and brother weren't eating but then noticed I wasn't either.

Seth excused himself when he got a phone call—probably from Elena—and when mi'amáoffered to do the dishes, I ordered her to go to the living room to relax.

My cell vibrating in my pocket a short while later made me realized I'd finished washing the dishes and was just staring outside through the window. Did my father have the balls to come back here?

"Hey, mami," I answered, seeing my girl's gorgeous face light up the screen.

She asked if everything was okay and if they should come over. I really wanted them to. They arrived a half hour later, and I was proud of Aiden when he went and sat with mi'amáto keep her company. My mom liked kids. I watched the way she brushed Aiden's long hair back and imagined she was telling him to get it cut like she sometimes did with me.

Rosalie dried the dishes and wiped down the countertops as I continued to stare and daydream.

She wrapped her arms around my waist from behind when she seemed done. "Come on, let's go keep your mom company."

I turned to her and looked down at her as I smoothed down her soft hair. "I love you."

"I love you too. Don't forget." She gave me a wink and made me smile before taking my hand and leading the way.

The four of us cuddled on the couch, and when Aiden fell asleep, Rosalie went to put him into my old bed.

"What are we going to do, Ma?" I asked, taking a seat and looking at Rosalie and my mom in desperate hope one of them would have the answer. The rage inside me was fighting with the sorrow I felt, and the two together confused me. It was easy just being angry.

Rosalie bit her lip and looked at mi'amáalso.

"Don't worry so much, mijo. He's out of my life for good... It hurts seeing that what I was waiting for for so long was something I'd made up in my mind. I was wrong to be so angry with you for what you did. You were the only one who saw him for who he is... You have a gift the rest of us don't. I was wrong for making you go through that... I wish I could take it all back and give you a normal childhood like everyone deserves."

I watched as Rosalie laid her head on my ma's shoulder, and the two of them held hands.

"Sarah... I wasn't planning on sharing this with you, but maybe it's best I do."

I wondered if she was going to say what I thought she would. If I knew her as well as I thought I did, she was going to do it—even though it hurt her to talk about it for so long.

"I know you think I'm a bad mother for keeping Aiden's father from him... But he wasn't just some random one night stand or anything. I was with him for awhile before I got pregnant, and I was with him for awhile after... He hurt me... He hurt me like your husband hurt you. It was hard, but it was the best decision of my life walking away from him. I know it's hard, but you'll be happier for doing this—maybe not right now—but with time."

Mi'amábrushed Rosalie's hair back while a tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm sorry I assumed those things, Rosie, it wasn't fair."

"It doesn't matter. I just thought it might help you—knowing that about me."

"It does. Thank you... I'm going to go to bed. I'm sorry I'm tired. You two want to pull the sofa out?"

"I know where the sheets are. You go ahead."

She kissed us goodnight and disappeared down the hallway. After Rosalie and I made up the pull out, I told her I was going to try and talk to Seth. I knew he'd be up.

He was on his cell again—or still—and I stood there to make him realize it was time to hang up and talk to me.

He seemed annoyed as he did it but then invited me to sit with him. "If you're not gonna leave, you can sit."

I fought not to roll my eyes and sat down on his bed.

"You okay, man?"

"I'm great." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "My father beats the crap out of my mother, and I'm not even there to stop him. What did I do? I invited him back home with open arms and gave you shit for trying to protect us... Everyone hates me."

"No one hates you, man. You don't need to feel that way. You were too young to know what was going on back then. If I were you, I'd want to have faith in my father over my big brother too... I'm sorry he didn't turn out to be who you wanted... But you have all of us, and none of us hate you. Far from it." I patted his back.

"Thanks for saying that, but I think I kinda just need to figure shit out in my own head. I can't just feel better right away... Makes me so furious for not being here like you would be."

"But I wasn't, and neither was Jared. Blame us if you have to blame someone, not yourself. I'm happy you were strong enough to call me when you did. I can only image how scary seeing Ma like that was."

He nodded, looking down with a frown. "I just wanna be alone, Jake... Don't worry about me."

Seth dealt with things differently than Jared and me. He was calmer and more introverted. It was harder for me to get through to him.

"Okay... I love you, man. I know you have Elena to talk to, but I'm here too if you need me."

"Thanks."

I sat for another second, wishing I could do more for him. I couldn't though; I had to accept my brother's personality and let him be himself. If he didn't want to talk to me, at least he had his girl and his friends.

As much as I complained about my little brothers, I realized lately I wouldn't give them up for anything.

Rosalie was lying on her stomach watching television when I came back and began taking my clothes off to prepare for sleep. She sat up and muted the television as she gave her attention to me.

"How'd it go?"

I sighed as I sat down with her. "He's not like Jared. He doesn't just go out and fuck up, and I can't just yell at him... Seth's harder to get through to... I think he'll be okay though. He's just blaming himself for not being here to stop what happened."

She frowned and hooked her arm around mine. "Everything will be okay once we're sure your dad's out of the way for good."

I wondered if that would be hard to do.

"Come on, baby, I'll give you a back rub. Lay down."

I did, letting her hands take away my tension until sleep hit me.