Chapter 5
Letting Go of The Past
The next morning Dom came downstairs to see everyone, except Lily and Jesse, sitting in the living room looking very worried. "What's goin' on?"
"Jesse and Lily didn't come home last night. Their cars are still in the driveway, but they're not here."
"Okay, Letty, Mia, stay here and watch Alex. Call my cell if they come back. Guys, let's go look for 'em."
The guys went outside to their cars. Brian opened the garage door, then quickly shut it again and turned to the others. "I found 'em."
"What'd ya mean ya found 'em?"
"They're in the garage. Asleep and… naked."
"Uh oh."
"Yeah. You think we should wake 'em?"
"Nah. Let 'em sleep."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few hours later Jesse woke up and looked around to try to figure out where he is. He saw Brian's car and realized that he was in the garage. He suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. "Oh shit!" He looked around but Lily wasn't there. He got dressed and wenr inside. Leon and Vince were in the living room playing video games. "Have you guys seen Lily?"
"She left a few hours ago."
Brian came in. "She left this for you." He handed Jesse a letter from Lily. "And Jesse, if you hurt my baby sister I'm gonna have to hurt you."
"Thanks for the warning."
He went up to his room and sat down on the bed, then opened the letter.
Dear Jesse,
Some night huh? I'm not sorry, and hope you're not. I have many regrets in my life, but leaving all of you is the worst. It was stupid. I can't tell you why I did it, not yet, but I wish I hadn't done it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you about Alex. I should have. I want you to be part of his life, but I'm not gonna force you into anything. I really want to be part of both of our lives. My address is at the bottom. If you want, come over and we can talk, but if you don't want to that's fine. I love you Jesse. I always have, and no matter what, I always will.
Love,
Lily
Jesse didn't know what to think. Could he just forgive her for what she had done? What should he do? All he knew was that even through all this, he still loved her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily was cleaning up Alex's toys in the living room while he took a nap. There was a knock at the door. "Coming." She opened the door and was shocked to see Jesse standing in front of her. "Well, you're the last person I expected to be at my door."
Jesse didn't know what to say. "You said to come."
"And I meant it. I just didn't expect you to come so soon. Come in." She moved to the side and he came in. "Do you want something to drink? I don't have any coronas, but I have Pepsi."
"Do you have any aspirin to go with that? I still have a headache from last night."
"Me too." She got 2 Pepsis out of the fridge and a bottle of aspirin out of the cupboard. "I am never gonna drink like that again."
"Ditto."
She handed him the aspirin and took some herself. Neither knew what to say.
"So, where's Alex?"
"Taking a nap."
Jesse picked up a picture of Alex from the counter.
"He looks so much like you Lily."
"He looks more like you."
"Why did you leave?"
Lily didn't know what to say. "Jesse…"
"Don't do the run-around Lily. Why?"
"Come here." She led him to her bedroom and got something out of her dresser. "Here." She handed him a picture.
"What's this?"
"That was my family. Me, Brian, my mom, and my dad. It was my 10th birthday. The last good one I had until I met you guys."
"What'd ya mean 'was' your family?"
"There's a lot about me you still don't know. Sit down."
They sat down on the bed. "A little while after my 10th birthday my dad started drinking. I don't even know why. It wasn't too bad at first, but he started drinking more and more. He got angry really easily, especially with me and mom. One night Brian and I were outside playing around and we heard a crash. It sounded like glass breaking. Then we heard yelling coming from the kitchen. We went inside to see what was going on."
Jesse could tell she was trying very hard not to cry.
"My mom was on the floor, crying, with her hands over her face. My dad was standing over her, yelling and screaming. Then… he hit her. I didn't want to watch, but I couldn't look away. Neither could Brian. My dad saw us and told us to go back outside, but I couldn't move. I couldn't believe this was happening. Brian grabbed me and pulled me outside. We could still hear him yelling. We could still hear her screaming." She could no longer hold back her tears. "I closed my eyes so tight. Brian pulled me close to him and covered my ears, but I could still hear it."
Jesse wanted to hold her close and never let go, but he didn't, because something told him there was more to this story.
"A few weeks later I got up in the middle of the night 'cause I heard something outside. I went to the driveway and saw my mom putting some things in her car. I asked her where she was going. She said she was just going for a drive and she'd be back soon. I watched her drive away and I waited for her to come back. I sat on the porch and waited. The sun came up and I still waited. Brian came outside. He was crying. I heard dad inside yelling and throwing things. That's when I knew… that she wasn't coming back. My dad blamed me, then he… punished me."
Jesse couldn't believe it. All the scars on her back, arms, and around her ribs that she would never explain, it was him.
"That was just the first time. After that he found any excuse he could. It was almost like he… enjoyed it."
Jesse was getting very angry. 'How could he do this to her? How could anyone hurt my girl? I would love to pound this guy!'
"He never hit Brian because he could hit back. Brian always tried to protect me, but sometimes he couldn't. When I turned 16 and I got my drivers license I packed my things and drove away. I only got a few miles away when I turned around and went back. I couldn't leave without Brian. When I got back my dad was in the living room. He had noticed that I left. He had a bat in his right hand. He hit me 3 times, in the ribs, shoulder, and back. He was gonna hit me again, this time in the head, but I grabbed the bat and I… I hit him back. I had never been able to hit him before. He fell to the floor, unconscious. I just stared at him for a minute, then I quickly wrote Brian a note saying that I was sorry, but I had to go, and I drove away."
Now Jesse was in tears. He had no idea she had been through so much.
"2 years ago I got a call from an old friend who was living in Florida. She said that she saw my mom there." She paused. "I had to know why she lied to me. Why she didn't take me and Brian with her."
"So you went to find her."
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you just tell me that? I would've understood. I would've helped you."
"I didn't tell you because it was stupid. It was a stupid thing to do, a stupid reason to leave and I knew that, but I did it anyway. I never even found her, and I realized that I don't want to. I hate her! I hate what she did! And I hate that I became like her! I left. I left Brian; I left you, just like her!"
"No! You are not like her!" He lifted her face and made her look into his eyes. "You came back Lily. You could've left again after Dom brought you home, but you didn't. You stayed. And it wasn't stupid to go looking for your mom. I get it now."
"Does that mean you forgive me?"
He gave her a deep, passionate kiss. "What do you think?"
She laughed and kisses him again. They laid down on the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms just as they used to. Lily heard Alex crying in the middle of the night. She went to his room and brought him back to her room. When she came back in Jesse was awake.
"Is he okay?"
"He's fine."
She sat down next to Jesse and put Alex in her lap. Alex reached his arms out to Jesse showing that he wanted Jesse to hold him.
"Dada!"
Jesse was very surprised. "How does he know?"
"I've told him about you and shown him pictures. I guess he recognizes you."
Jesse took Alex into his arms and held him tight. "Lily?"
"Yeah?"
"Move in with us."
"What?"
"There's plenty of room. Both houses are huge. Mia and Brian can move in with Dom and Letty and still have room for the twins and then some. Then you and Alex can move in with me, Leon, and Vince, and we'll still have extra room too. It'll be perfect."
"Are you sure they won't mind?"
"Are you kidding? They'd do anything for you."
"Well…"
"Please!"
"Alright."
"Yes!"
She laughed.
"I love you Lily."
"I love you too."