Authors note: thank you for the kind words of encouragement it fuels me to finish these chapters quickly I am 3 chapters ahead of you all so I am going to be trying to post more quickly, I have issues with internet sometimes and this stops me from posting. Happy you liked the last chapter I always wonder what they were like as kids and that was my version. So hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter 18
I was restless I needed to be doing something other than pacing in this waiting room. I looked at Houston and he was in his own thoughts.
I touched his cheek and he grabbed my hand. We talked about what we would do with Star.
First we needed to find out what had happened to her family and if she had none we would have to
petition the court and ask to be her guardian.
I had asked for a pad of paper and pen from the nurse on call and we started to outline what we would need to do and who we would call. I had a lot of contacts. I knew Maureen had connections with the courts and Carol with social workers.
We would get it all in place and then present it to her. We didn't want to spook her because she might
bolt. She was still weary but our persistence was wearing her down and it would hopefully be only a matter of time till she realized she was stuck with us.
I smiled and took a sip of coffee she had made us.
Houston was finishing the piece of cake she had also packed and I wiped the frosting that was on his mustache with my finger and he licked it.
"Really Houston couldn't wait, I had a napkin right here."
"CJ if it was you with frosting on your lip I'd find a different way of getting it off."
He waggled his eyebrows and I rolled my eyes at him. He was trying to get me to forget. I looked at the
door and he took my hand.
"He's getting the best care, we can't do anything but send prayers and good thoughts. He knows we are here and that lil stinker will be back giving the nurses a hard time when we aren't there in no time."
I tried smile.
"Thanks I needed to hear that, I have faith and will continue to send our boy good thoughts. It's just that
we haven't heard from Emma..."
Tears rolled down my face.
"Come here."
He took me into his arms and held me, giving me the strength I needed to face what was coming. I was
happy we were here together, not like other times when one of us would be fighting for their life, while the other was in a waiting room wondering if they would be able to survive if the other didn't make it.
"I'm sorry Houston"
"Nothing to be sorry about our little guy is doing his job and fighting to come back to us and he will be
wanting us in top shape when he comes out of that surgery. He is not going to be happy if he finds out
he made you worry about him. So let's go over our plan on how we are going to help Star again and
when he's on the road to recovery we'll worry about how we are going to bring him home too. We are not giving up on these two. We need them, they are a part of our family now."
He kissed my cheek and brought me to the couch to sit.
"How is this our life now Houston? It's unbelievable how crazy this has all been but it feels right or am I
just tired and crazy."
He took a sip of my coffee and laughed, "Yeah it's been crazy and I know you must be tired, you haven't
gotten much sleep so why don't you try and take a nap, I'll be your pillow what do you say."
It sounded tempting and he was the best pillow. I put down my pen and pad and put my head on his
shoulder.
I intertwined our hands and I squeezed it. "Everything is going to turn out, right Houston? Fate wouldn't
be so cruel to take him from us."
"No he'll be alright I told you I feel it in my gut, now I need to take care of you closed your eyes I'll sing
You to sleep how about the song your daddy used to tuck you in? "
I nodded and he started to sing softly close to my ear. This felt right, I didn't want to be anywhere else.
"You promise to wake me if you hear anything right Houston."
He put his arm around me and whispered, "Yes ma'am close your eyes I got this."
I didn't know how long I had slept but when I woke up, Houston must have nodded of also and the person we had been talking about earlier appeared at the waiting room door. I kissed him awake and he opened his eyes and I motioned to the door.
"Hey Boss man Lady, any news?"
"Star, what are you doing here?"
She showed us bags from the café by Houston's house and Uncle Roy walked in with coffee.
"So how is Jake doing any news? Is the surgery over? Well say something we came down to see if you
two kept out of trouble Uncle Roy here told me stories of when you two were kids and I have to say Boss
man you were a handful."
I smiled and thought she said Uncle Roy, just last night it was Roy.
Houston caught my eye and I knew he was thinking the same thing, "Uncle Roy are you divulging family
secrets? Star he likes to elaborate and make the tales 10 times worse than they really are."
"Really Mattlock do you want to change your tune or do you want me to tell Star about the time you
convinced CJ and Will to join the circus with you since you were mad at your daddy and it happened to
be monsoon season and you three got caught in the washes and had to be rescued by Lamar and Bo
from the tree you three where hanging on to."
I shook my head, "I remember we were stuck for hours and I got the worst cold that I had to be in bed
for 2 weeks and then had to make up for all the work that had piled up so I missed most of my summer
thanks to Houston."
Star laughed, "Darn boss man you even got your best friend into trouble. Boss Lady I'm surprised you
were still friends with him after this? He was a walking trouble maker."
I stood up and stretched as did Houston.
Uncle Roy was helping Star take our breakfast out of the bags and making her laugh.
I leaned into Houston, "Hey sleeping beauty I had to wake you up with a kiss this time."
He smiled and whispered in my ear, "CJ you can kiss me anytime you want and if all I have to do is pretend to be asleep I'm going to be napping all the time."
I laughed and Uncle Roy and Star came over.
Uncle Roy was looking sternly at Houston and Star asked if I wanted to stretch and get some air I was torn. I wanted to go out and clear my head but I didn't want to leave knowing we still hadn't gotten any updates on Jake.
"Go ahead CJ I'll stay behind with Uncle Roy, why don't you go with her Star and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."
"Funny boss man. Come on CJ, maybe we can see the other babies that are Jake's neighbors once we
come back inside."
We walked through the side door of the hospital where tables and chairs were set up. I checked my
watch and it was 8:00 and thought we might not make the interview.
"Hey Boss Lady, you didn't respond to me regarding Jake, how's he doing?"
I could see the tough girl mask slipping and the little girl creeping back in.
I put my arm around her and said we had just gotten here when they were taking him in for surgery and
there had been no news yet.
She whispered, "He's going to be okay right? He has to survive, I don't want you to go through that pain
Boss lady."
She looked so vulnerable and all I wanted to do was gather her in my arms and protect her. She didn't want me to go through pain when it should be the adults in her life protecting her. Her childhood had been taken from her and if I ever found her step father…
"Hey Boss Lady where'd you go?"
I smiled, "Star of course he is going to be fine, we let him know we are here and we love him and he will come back to us, just like we care about you Star. I know how hard it is to trust people. I had the same challenges when I was growing up. Don't shut us out Star, we will be here for you too. Don't turn away from us. You are one of our family and I know we haven't known each other that long but sometimes you just feel people were put in your path for a reason and that's what all of us are feeling Star about you."
Star whispered, "What do you mean you had the same kind of Challenges? You probably had your family and Houston's. Carol said you lived next door to each other."
I motioned to the table and she sat down. I told her about my childhood and my challenges of losing my father then my mother at a young age and then going to live with people who didn't care about me but only if I did my chores and stay out of their way. Until my Aunt died my Uncle never looked at me but that changed. How Houston and his Dad helped me, how they were my lifeline through those years. That if I didn't have them and their support I didn't know how I would have turned out.
She stared at me and didn't say a word. She stood up and turned around. I thought she was going to run.
"CJ, I've lived by myself for so long that I don't trust people. I've been in bad situations and the people I thought I could trust betrayed me. Yesterday was the first time I've actually let my guard down. You all have treated me with respect and like I'm someone. Boss man brought me to his home even knowing I'm living on the beach and didn't hesitate to introduce me to all of you and ask for my help finding Jake's mom and you, you came after me when I heard that voice in my head that you were all feeling sorry for me and that's the only reason you were being nice to me. I don't like pity. What you said to me made me think. You all treated me like an equal. I can't believe you went through that and came out normal."
She stopped and was fiddling with the strings of her hoodie. I didn't want to interrupt her. She was
baring her soul and I was gaining her trust.
I wouldn't tell her that I might look normal but I always had that voice in my head that made me feel I had to try harder to fit in and that I wasn't enough for the one person I had loved for all my life, that I'd accepted to be his friend then lose him.
She looked at me tears running down her cheeks and continued.
"After you left Carol took me upstairs and talked to me like a girlfriend and helped me untangle my hair
and was patient with me after I asked her a hundred questions about you and boss man. She is so funny
and told me about Harvard and how you always made her feel like a true sister. We took a nap and when we got up Will asked me to help out getting the grill ready for dinner. Carol showed me how to make her cake that I am now sworn to secrecy. When Uncle Roy came he treated me like family asking what I like to do and about music, he has so much knowledge about classic music all the way to what I listen to now. Maureen called me her music sister since we have the same taste in music. She's gone to so many concerts that I would have died to go to and she gets to go for free since she works for the managers of the venues they take place in. CJ I asked my momma up in heaven to say a good word for Jake, I never did that before. I also asked that she keep all of you safe and I'm rambling again. I'm sorry."
I got up and she leaned into me and I hugged her, "Trust us Star we all want to help. I thank you for Jake he needs all the help he can get right now and knowing you asked your mom for help I know now he will be alright."
She hugged me back and didn't let go, I rubbed her head and back and she let me knowing she was craving that connection to have someone to lean on.
I looked up to see Uncle Roy.
I squeezed her harder and closed my eyes not wanting to move I felt my dizzy and willed myself not to faint.
"CJ Emma is back Mattlock's waiting for you come on."
Star took my hand and led me back to the waiting room. I still hadn't said a thing. Houston was at the
door with Emma and I stopped. Houston reached out his hand to me and I took it and he pulled me close and we waited to hear how our boy did.