Chapter •33•
《Kevin》When my mom left I opened my eyes lying there thinking (why didn't Carmen write me any letters) then I remember hearing the drawer of the hospital bedside table opening up so I reach over and open the drawer and when I open the drawer I find more letters and they are from Carmen so I open the 1st letter and start reading it as I'm reading it I'm crying when I get done reading the 1st letter I read the 2nd letter when I get done with the 2nd letter I read the 3rd letter when I get done with the 3rd letter I read the 4th and final letter when I get done reading the 4th and final letter I was putting it back in the envelope when something fell out of the envelope and it was a picture of myself, Carmen and Heaven when Heaven was about a year and a half I put down the picture and put the last letter in the envelope and put the letters back in the drawer then pick the picture back up and continue looking at it thinking (I miss my wife and daughter) I wonder if Carmen still has the same number as she did before mine and Heaven's car accident I guess it's worth a shot to find out I pick up the hospital room phone and dial Carmen's cell phone number
《Carmen》As I'm walking around the zoo with my sister my niece my daughter Peyton's daughters, Peyton's brothers Leyton and Cole and Leyton's daughter Sapphire when my phone starts to ring so I look at the caller ID and I don't recognize the number so I walk away to answer it
Phone call (Carmen and Kevin)
《Carmen》Hello who's this? OK seriously who the hell is this? OK fine if your not going to tell me who you are I'm going to hang up and call the cops
《Kevin》Carmen?
《Carmen》Kevin? Oh my god is it really you?
《Kevin》Yes honey it's really me I've missed you so much
《Carmen》Oh my god Kevin where are you?
《Kevin》I'm in the hospital where I have been for the past 4 years
《Carmen》Wait how can that be I went to the hospital when they called me and I talked to the doctors there and they told me that you died, and why did Heaven end up with the Jacob's family?
《Kevin》They are friends with my mom, and honestly I don't know why Heaven ended up with that family, did they do anything to her did they hurt our daughter?
《Carmen》Physically no I didn't see any marks on her but mentally I don't know, how bad is that family?
《Kevin》Let's just say that they are not the nicest in the world, I remember when I was 16 years old I was babysitting their daughter and I noticed cuts and bruises and burn marks all up and down her arms and legs and she would complain about her head hurting all the time so I checked her head and she had a big goose egg on the back of her head thank god I learn how to drive when I was 16, I took her to the hospital and thank god I did because that goose egg that she had on the back of her head wasn't just a bump that goose egg was actually a brain bleed they had to give her emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and the doctor told me she had 4 fractured ribs, she spent a few days in the hospital in a medically-induced coma before she woke up the doctor told me that they have to call CPS and I told them I'll call CPS anonymously so I called CPS and got her took out of that house
《Carmen》Oh my god what is the little girl's name?
《Kevin》Her name is Sapphire, Sapphire Jacobs, I spent days upon days upon days in that hospital with that little girl it took her two weeks to wake up out of that coma and when she finally did she was surrounded by me and CPS workers when she looked at the CPS workers she was terrified but I had to reassure her that they are there to help her get into a better home away from the people that are hurting her, I wonder how Sapphire is doing now
《Carmen》She's fine I'm actually looking at her right now but listen I got to go I'm at the zoo with my sister and Jasmine my sister's boyfriend Peyton, Payton's daughters Josephine and Julie Peyton's Brothers Cole and Leyton, and I know what your next question is going to be did I adopt Sapphire and no I did not adopt Sapphire Peyton's twin brother Leyton adopted her but anyway I seriously got to go what part of the hospital are you in?
《Kevin》I'm in a secluded part of the hospital the room number is 3,35A
《Carmen》OK we're almost done at the zoo then Heaven and I will be down to visit you
《Kevin》OK honey I love you
《Carmen》I love you too bye
End of call
《Carmen》When I get off the phone I'm a little frazzled I stand there thinking (I can't believe Kevin is alive after all these years) I'm brought out of my thoughts by Cole coming over to me and touching my shoulder and I jump and when I jump Cole says
《Cole》Oh I'm sorry did I scare you?
《Carmen》No I just have a lot on my mind can you excuse me I need to talk to Rowan?
《Cole》Um yeah sure I watch her walk away thinking (god she's gorgeous I wonder if she's married) I was brought out of my thoughts by Josephine, Julie and Sapphire calling me so I walk over to them I look at them and say yes girls
《Josephine, Julie and Sapphire》Look at the giraffes
《Cole》I see girls as I'm standing there I start thinking about what Peyton said in the car on the way here so I look at Leyton can I talk to you for a minute please?
《Leyton》Sure, I look at Sapphire, Sapphire honey can you stay with your uncle Peyton and your cousins? She nods and I walk away with Cole, so Cole what can I do for you?
《Cole》I want to know how you went about adopting Sapphire?
《Leyton》Wait Peyton told me that you have a wife and a baby at home
《Cole》Turns out that my wife was cheating on me and the baby was never my baby
《Leyton》Oh my I'm so sorry and as how I went about adopting Sapphire I was volunteering at an orphanage something drew me to Sapphire so I asked the owner of the orphanage what's sapphire's backstory was and when I heard her backstory I knew I had to adopt her right when I first saw her I knew she was going to be my daughter
《Cole》Peyton told me that I don't have to be married or have a woman in my life to have a child
《Leyton》He's right you don't, when you see a child and or children that need a good and stable home you just know that your going to be an amazing father, I'm assuming you want me to help you adopt a child and use my connections that I still have with the orphanage where I adopted Sapphire from to help you adopt a child am I right?
《Cole》Yes your right
《Leyton》Alright we'll go down there tomorrow
《Cole》Great thank you Leyton, Leyton and I hug and walk back to the group but when we get back to the group I see Peyton with Sapphire, Josephine, Julie, Jasmine and Heaven but who I don't see is Rowan and Carmen so I say to Peyton hey Peyton where are Rowan and Carmen?
《Peyton》Oh um they went to talk Carmen looked a little frazzled so Rowan took her to talk to her
《Cole》Oh OK well I'm going to the bathroom they nod and I walk away I told my brothers that I'm going to the bathroom but in reality I'm going to check on Carmen as I'm walking I hear 2 women talking and I recognize the voices as Carmen and Rowan so I hide behind a pillar and listen to their conversation
《Rowan》OK Carmen what happened why did you looked so frazzled when you got off the phone, who was on the phone?
《Carmen》Rowan your never going to believe this but I prayed for this for four years
《Rowan》Carmen what is it?
《Carmen》Rowan I got a call from Kevin, Kevin is alive
《Rowan》Oh my god are you sure
《Carmen》Yes I'm sure it was him
With Cole
《Cole》I stand there shocked then I say to myself she's married, well I thought I said it to myself until I heard Carmen say
《Carmen 》Is anyone there? They didn't say anything but I did hear movement so Rowan and I followed the sound and when we got to the sound we found Cole, Cole what are you doing here?
《Cole》Oh I um I was worried about you
《Carmen》That's sweet thank you but I'm OK
《Cole》OK that's good (don't let her know that you suspect that she's married) well I'm going to go back to the others, they nod and I walk away to find the others when I get to the others I walk to Peyton, hey Peyton I'm going to head home
《Peyton》I look at Cole and he looks sad, Cole are you OK?
《Cole》Yeah I'm just tired so I'm going home
《Peyton》OK, oh and here take my car
《Cole》Peyton I can't take your car how are you and the girls going to get home?
《Peyton》It's OK I can just catch a ride with Rowan besides I have to take her car back to her house after the zoo so here take my car I hand him my car keys, call me when you get home so I know that you got home? He nods and takes my car keys and he hugs me, Josephine, Julie, Leyton and Sapphire then he walks away
《Cole》I walk to the exit of the zoo and walk out to Peyton's car and get in and head home as I'm driving home I'm praying that Carol is not still there when I pull up to my house I don't see Carol's car in the driveway so I park my brother Peyton's car in the driveway then I get out of the car and walk up to my front door and find a note taped on it so I take the note off the door and read it, it basically says that Carol will always love me and that I'll always be the only father Carla knows I crumpled up the note then I walk in my house and go to my room and lie down on my bed I pull out my phone and call Peyton to let him know I got home safe
Phone call (Cole and Peyton)
《Peyton》Hello Cole you made it home safe?
《Cole》Yeah I did
《Peyton》Uh oh you don't sound happy what happen when you got home was Carol still there when you got home?
《Cole》She's gone but I did find a note from her taped on my door it basically says that Carol will always love me and that I'll always be the only father Carla will know
《Peyton》Wow, but I sense that, that is not the only think bothering you care to tell me what else is bothering you?
《Cole》Let's just say I heard something that I don't think I was supposed to hear
《Peyton》Wait a minute is this about Carmen do you like Carmen?
《Cole》I-I I got to go
End of call
《Cole》When I get off the phone with Peyton I start thinking (do I really like Carmen I mean she's beautiful and she's got a beautiful daughter that I could call my own) I shake my head and snap myself out of my thoughts I can't think like that she's obviously married I turn on my TV that I have in my room and watch it
Back at the zoo
《Carmen》Come on let's get back to the group, I was about to walk away until Rowan stopped me and she said
《Rowan》Carmen wait what are you going to tell Heaven about her father being alive?
《Carmen》I don't know I really don't know it's still a shock to me I thought he died 4 years ago but I know I have to tell her I'm just scared of her reaction
《Rowan》Hey come over to my house after we leave here and I'll be with you when you tell Heaven OK?
《Carmen》OK thank you I hug her, now come on let's get back to the group, she nods and we walk back to the group to finish out the day at the zoo