They finally deemed me fit to leave three days later. I walked out of the hospital and was met by my mother and girlfriend. I walked over to Abby and picked her up and spun her around. Her laughter filled the air. I set her down and looked at her face. She wasn't wearing makeup but she was still gorgeous as ever. I held her tight as I looked over her head at my mother who had a small smile on her face.
"Are you ready to go Samuel?" I laughed at my full name.
"Mom? They all call me Sam or Sj." She smiled at me and nodded.
"Your father insisted on being called Jt and it just stuck." I smiled and we got into the nice Jetta.
"Why do you drive a Jetta?" She smiled.'
"Because your father did." She began to drive back to my grandparents house. She walked in and her parents welcomed her then I stood before my grandfather.
"Just like your father you are." My mother stood in front of me even though she was a sure head shorter than me.
"Enough father. Put your grievances about Jt aside. I still love that man to this day. I will not have you talk ill of his memory or my son." She spoke with conviction and pride.
"I will always think bad of Jt. Its his fault you are like you are Liberty. I told you he was no good for you. You should be married by now." Liberty shook her head.
"Everyone has their choices. I am like I am because of the choices I made. You have got to stop holding me to what I did. To what Jt and I did. Hatred is a curved blade, your only hurting your self. Look behind me at the man that grew. The man that I had to give up, because of you. Dad, its time to move on I'm ready. You can either be apart of my life or not. But from here on out my son is apart of my life to." I placed my hand gently on my mothers shoulder.
"Sir, I am like my father. But I am not him. Don't dismiss me before you give me a chance." He smiled and held out his hand.
"Well son, tell us about your self." I smiled and shook his hand this was the first step towards the beginning.
*Six months later*
I was traveling back to Toronto to meet up with my mother for spring break. She had told me all of my father and her self and now I under stood why they did things. Abby was coming along with me and her brother actually started to approve of us. I held her hand as we went through Immigration and there stood my mother looking healthy, her skin had its natural glow and she didn't look haunted. I smiled and set down my bags to hug her. Abby came up behind me and gave my mother a hug. She smiled at us and then noticed the ring on Abby's finger.
"You proposed." I smiled and went behind and held Abby.
"No, not exactly its like a proposal before the real one. I promised her that when we were ready, I would ask for her hand in marriage." My mother looked at Abby.
"You aren't knocked up are you?" She laughed.
"No Liberty. I make sure your son is in control and keeps it so we won't be having a child until after were married." She looked at me.
"Mom relax, I don't want to pressure her into anything she doesn't want and I don't want a kid for a few years yet." My mother relaxed and hugged Abby.
"Well congratulations. I hope to have you as a daughter in-law some day. Samuel your father would be proud of you." I looked at Abby then my mother.
"I know. He is with me, although I do wish I got that hug from him." She smiled.
"I think you might want to meet someone." I looked behind her and saw a man with glasses.
"Toby right?" He looked shocked but held out his hand.
"Correct. I was your fathers best friend." He slung his arm around me and we walked off leaving the ladies to bond.
"You know once your father..."
"Not to be rude but you can call him Jt." I interrupted. He smiled at me and continued on.
"He was in that testosterone filled mode. Our teacher Mr. Simpson was getting married and so we convinced one of the older kids one of his friends Craig Manning to get strippers. We spied out side that house all night but nothing ever came of it."
"Man how many other famous people walked the halls of the school. Mia Jones, Craig Manning." He looked thoughtful.
"Jimmy Brooks, he does comics." I perked up at the word comic.
"I still have that comic my father gave me, it is mt favorite." He laughed.
"That one is a classic. You in to comics?" I smiled shyly.
"Come with me, I got your fathers old collection, you can have them." We walked to the place he held all the comics of the past.
"So how has he been Abby?" Liberty asked me we were at the dot grabbing a coffee.
"He's been good, working hard. He is trying to correct his mistake. I think it scared him more than he let on." We were talking of his suicide attempt last time we were in Toronto.
"It scared me enough."
"It means a lot to him when you guys video chat and you talk of Jt." She sipped her coffee.
"I have you to thank for that. If you didn't come in yelling at me I don't think I would of ever seen what I was doing. I had been living in auto pilot mode for sixteen years. I'm glad he has you. He talks of you often." I smiled.
"Hopefully all good things." It was easy speaking to Liberty once you broke her hard exterior, she was a kind hearted person on the inside. She just didn't trust her heart to anyone other than Jt.
"Only how much he loves you. He is so proud of you." I smiled.
"Did he tell you we both got early acceptance into Toronto U?" She looked shocked and happy.
"No." I grinned.
"Yeah, come fall Sam and I are moving to Toronto." She reached across the table and hugged me.
"That's great Abby." I nodded. But she had to know.
"He is going to need you." She looked at me like what are you getting at.
"He got arrested, a month ago. I went to see my father for the last time, give him another chance. He had a new family and when we went to see him. Sam stood up to him and told him that I was the most amazing thing and he was an ass for turning me away. My father later found us, drunk. When he tried to talk to me he got a bit rough and Sam restrained him. But being drunk my father swung at Sam and Sam fought back. The next day there are cops at his doorstep, my father pressed assault charges. The court case is coming up, he needs a good lawyer." She sighed.
"Why didn't he tell me this?"
"He didn't want you to be disappointed in him, he was doing so good and then he gets arrested. He didn't want to see the disappointment in your eyes." She looked me over, searching me to say if I was lying.
"I will help him. He isn't at fault here. He mainly restrained your father and then the rest was self defense against a drunk. I will be there for my son." I smiled, thankful that Sam will have her with him.
"All he needs is to get the charges dropped." She reached out and held my hand.
"I will do anything for him." She had moved out of living in Jt's shadow. She is back to being full of life and passionate, especially when it comes to Sam.
I started my quest searching for my parents, looking for closure. But as I look at my fathers comics I know I have found more than closure. I have found love, acceptance and family. I may never hear my fathers voice say my name, or ever feel his hug. But his love for me is deep inside, he is never gone. I try everyday to love Abby like it would be my last, being on the brink of death changed me into a man, my mother and father would be proud of. My mother and I are talking through video chat, she tells me stories of my father. I found that my adventure has just begun.