Chapter 7: Goodbye for now
I woke up it was 11:00 A.M. I took a shower and got dressed in a dark blue tank that said love on it and some light wash jeans that were ripped under the knees. I went downstairs and everyone was talking in the kitchen, they stopped when I walked in. "Hi daddy." I said ignoring whatever it is they didn't want me to know. I made me some toaster strudels, my dad said "Mandi we need to talk." I turned around "About what?" I asked. I thought my brothers had told him about what Nick did. "Sit down." My dad said. I sat down. "Mandi." My dad said. "Yes?" I said. "I love you and your brothers a lot and this was a hard decision, I really don't have a choice but.." My dad said. With tears coming to his eyes, the only times I have seen my dad cry is when my mom died. "What's wrong?" I asked my dad coming over to him. "I. I am going to a nursing home." My dad said. "Who are you visiting?" I asked. "No Mandi, sweetheart I am going to move into a nursing home." My dad said. "What?" I said. "I am getting older and I need to be an a place where people can take care of me." My dad said. "I can take of you." I said to my dad. "No your too young and it would be like you raising me instead of me raising you." He said. "You can come and visit me all the time, I love you Mandi." My dad said. "I love you to." I said and gave my dad a hug.
"So what happens to me, where do I go now?" I ask my dad. "Matt and Jeff are your next legal guardians." My dad said. "So I'm going to live with one of them?" I asked. "Yeah" My dad said. "Do you guys want me?" I asked trying not to cry but Matt noticed. "Like I said before, of course we do." Matt said. "Jeff? What about you?" I asked. "If you think I would even hesitate before saying yes then you don't know me that well" Jeff said. "So your okay with taking care of me?" I asked. "Yes." Jeff said. "Who I am I going to live with Matt or Jeff? Do I have to move I really don't want to leave this house." I said. "We haven't figured that out yet, dad just told us. We are going to talk about it and then we will let you know." Jeff said. "Okay." I said. I took my toaster strudels and went upstairs. I texted Jade about it and about Nick. We talked for a while and I listened to music and watched some TV. It was about 3 P.M. Now. "Mandi?" Tiffany said. "Yeah?" "Are you okay?" Tiffany asks. "Yeah why wouldn't I be?" I say. "You don't have to lie to me, remember I am a girl also I know how girls act when something is bothering them." Tiffany said.
"Nothing is bothering me." I lied. "Really? So your okay with your dad going to a nursing home?" Tiffany asks. "If you know the answer why are you asking? It's not my decision there is nothing I can do about it." I said. "I ask because I don't know why you are upset there are so many reason which one are you?" Tiffany asks. "He's leaving me. Am I really that bad and hard to take care of?" I say. "We both know that is not true. He is going because he has to, he is considered elderly." Tiffany says. "I know but it is going to be hard not seeing him everyday." I said. "You can visit him as many times as you want to." Tiffany says. "Okay." I say and we both hug. "So I wasn't suppose to tell you this but since you don't want to move out of this house they are moving in." Tiffany says. "Which one?" I ask. "Both of them." Tiffany says. "Both of them?" I ask. "Ya they both want to take care of you so they are going to move in the guest rooms, so they can both be here." Tiffany says. "Really?" I ask. "Ya." She says. "How long are you going to be here for?" I ask.
"I am leaving Monday night, your dad has been thinking about this for a while he is going to meet with the owners one last time and is moving in tomorrow." Tiffany says. "Okay." I say. "What time are you leaving?" "My flight leaves Monday at midnight." Tiffany says. "Okay." I say. Tiffany and I go downstairs. "Hey Mandi we figured out who you are going to live with." Jeff says. "I already know, both of you of moving in here." I say "Wait, how did you know?" Jeff asked. "I think I know." Matt said while looking at Tiffany. "Sorry it slipped out." Tiffany said. "It's okay babe." Matt said while putting his arm around her and he kissed her, she giggled.
Monday, which is today, came we had no school it was a conference day for teachers, I am now at the nursing home saying goodbye to my dad, we out to eat and now he is officially moving into the nursing home. "You can visit me anytime you want I will still be here for you, I love you." My dad said to me. "I love you to." I said trying not to cry but failing. My dad gave me a hug. "Hey why don't we go for a walk?" Tiffany said. "Okay." I said. Me and Tiffany took a little walk around the outside of the nursing home, while Matt and Jeff said bye to Dad. At least he'd be at a good place, this nursing home looked really great.
Matt's point of view
Jeff and I said bye to dad. It wasn't as hard for us as it was for Mandi since we are already moved out and are use to being gone for a long. "I want you boys to take care of Mandi." My dad said. "We will." Jeff said. "You boys are going to be the adults that tell her what to do, take care of her and think about your decisions first so you can help her make the right ones." Dad said. "Jeff if you are going to take care of her you also need to be strict with her like Matt is when he does not approve of her outfit, and Matt you need to be strict but also be a friend to her, don't go too hard on her, it's going to be hard finding the right balance. You boys also need to be on the same page so one of you doesn't tell her yes when the other tells her no. Also do not let your disagreements get in the way of guiding her, even when you guys are in a fight you need to agree on something when it comes to her. I know you boys can do this, it will be tough for you but this is also tough for her." Dad said. "Yes, we can do that." Jeff said. "Okay I love you boys, bye." Dad and gave us a man hug. We left Dad's room. "Jeff we need to come up with somethings that we agree on so she doesn't go to the other one when one of us says no. One thing we need to agree on is her outfits, I know you don't always like the way she dresses but now you have to tell her when she dresses like that." I said. "Okay." Jeff said. Jeff and I talked a little bit about Mandi and then I text Tiffany for her and Mandi to meet at us at the car and then we drove home, later that night I dropped Tiffany off at the airport then I came back home and fell asleep.