Infinity Chapter 96 - Sister Time

[itztigress3]

Chapter 96 – Sister Time
POV:  Emily
Word count: 3303


September 15, 2014

I had decided when I saw the second break to let Zac have the kids and spend the day with Eliza, after all she’d never been here and I had. My morning started at 6 with feeding Isabella and then I got ready. Zac was barely awake when I left the room to get her at 7. She was up and dressed and our first stop was my favorite place for breakfast where I went over the day’s activities. Scuba diving seemed to spark her curiosity the most really. The morning was spent visiting places local to where we were and we stopped by the hotel at noon to drop off the bags we’d gotten and for me to check up on Zac. Casey was feeding Isabella when I came in and Alexander was asleep in Zac’s lap, which was odd since he wasn’t usually napping until 1 or 2.

“You put him down for a nap early.”

I sat the bags down near the door. “Wasn’t me, he’s not feeling good. He’s been whiney all morning and not really wild. He’s also running a low grade fever.” Zac said.

“How high?”

“Just under a hundred last check which was before he went to sleep. Casey ran down to the drug store and got some children’s Moltrin for him.”

“Do you need me to stay?”

“No. You and Eliza have fun, you planned the whole day and we’ve got this. If he gets too bad or god forbids it reached the need for a doctor I’ll call you.”

“We’ll be in the water for a while but I’ll make sure to text before we get in and see how he is.”

“Ok.”

I kissed him and Isabella before leaving; I left Alexander alone because I didn’t want to wake him up. I let her know before we left for the next stop, the local zoo with all the sea animals, we’d brought Alexander here too but she hadn’t been able to do much for running after him.

“I can’t believe you and I both love animals so much, yet never had any.”

“I had a puppy when I was 10.”

“Really? What kind?”

“No idea what breed, kind of wondered up at the house…”

“What happen?”

I took another picture of the jelly fish we were looking at. “David killed him.”

She paused mid-step. “Why would he do that?”

I checked the picture before looking at her. “The puppy made me happy, gave me someone to play with beside my brothers and slept with me at night. I guess I wasn’t allowed to have that. I never questioned, I went to school and when I came home he was laying in the driveway. Bastard made me dig the hole and blamed me.”

I moved to the next tank, not really wanting to remember that story anymore and she didn’t say anything about it, we made our way through to see the various animals and really have time to get pictures and read the tags. It seemed the dolphins were her favorite and I made sure she got the picture with one. We arrived at our scuba appointment on time and I called Zac to check on Alexander, who was no better but the fever was no higher, so we went ahead and put our stuff up and joined the instructors. We wouldn’t be going very far out but it was a good experience and we were standing on the dock of the place when the man asked if we wanted a picture, I had my waterproof camera with me and handed it to him.

She seemed shocked that I wanted one, shocked that I wanted one of us. He took a few before handing it back and we got to change.

“What’s next?”

“You said that you’d seen a beach but you hadn’t really had time to sit and appreciate them, so since the restaurant is on the beach I planned some time before dinner to just sit and view the beach. That’s next. Then it’s dinner.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The cab took us to the restaurant and we walked behind and found a good spot close, but not too close and we sat down on a blanket I had brought with me.

“It’s pretty.”

“I love beaches, there’s something about them that is calming.”

“Have you been to this particular beach?”

“Yes. In 2010 Zac and I ate dinner here. It was my first trip and it was our honeymoon. We visited the Shire then and we are going back before
we go home, Auckland New Zealand is the last stop for the tour on purpose.”

“Does Alexander even know what a Hobbit is?”

“Doubtful, but he’ll have pictures!”

She smiled and for a little while we sat here just enjoying the scenery. She got a couple dozen pictures of the ocean and the beach itself and it reminded me of sitting on a beach in January, reflecting on having a sister. I knew the beach would keep me calm because it always had. I texted Zac to check on Alexander who was still doing fine, his fever was down a bit but still higher than normal.

“It’s been a nice day and is it wrong of me to wish that it hadn’t taken 31 years to do it?” She asked.

“No. It’s not wrong at all. Makes me wish I knew you a lot sooner.”

“I know this isn’t quite the same thing but I can kind of understand what you felt when you left at 16, with things changing so quickly.”

“That really wasn’t a major change though, moving to Oklahoma was major. It was a whole new city, whole new state and let’s face it I never expected to land the job at 3CG records. I applied because I thought what the hell did I have to lose? Moving 1500 miles away from everything I called home was harder than running away.”

“Why did you move really? Was it because of Hanson or something else?”

“I wish I could say it was Hanson. I left Georgia because everyone was there and it just hurt too much to stay. I felt like our brothers were choosing David’s side and they basically were, I hadn’t seen any of them since the custody hearing. I knew they were watching though. I moved because I needed a clean break from everything and I needed to be far away from David. I do love Oklahoma though, I loved it when I visited and Craig even followed me.”

“They don’t talk about David either, Aaron won’t say anything and I get the feeling Christopher is still iffy about me.”

“None of us talk about him anymore. It’s an unspoken rule between us, they don’t bring him up because of what he did to me in 2010, I don’t because the older three are still his sons and they can’t change that. They hate what he did to me and to us.”

“You don’t have to talk about him now.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Actually, I think I want too. I mean sure the pregnancy was a reason not to talk about then, now I don’t have a reason not to talk. If I get upset there isn’t anyone that will be hurt.”

“It’s up to you.”

There was reasons why I didn’t talk about it much, reasons that went beyond just what he’d done. It still hurt that a man I called father would be that bad. I started telling her about what he did, how he spanked us and why. It wasn’t easy to relive those memories and wish I could change them. She seemed appalled by his actions concerning Adam when I was younger, because while she knew some of the story she didn’t know it all until now. She was patient with me, allowing me to finish before she said anything.

“It makes me glad he’s not our father.”

“I wasn’t really relieved by that revelation, the first time he showed me the blood test I didn’t believe it.”

“You lived with him Emily, it’s hard to separate that he wasn’t your father. Everything you’ve said has been so bad from being hit and spanked that way. Although Zac doesn’t hit you does he?”

“No. Why would you even ask?”

“I noticed yesterday you sat down kind of easy and I came across some photos from last year where you had bruises on your legs.”

I laughed. “I told you our sex life isn’t vanilla. The bruises came from sex, I knew I should have changed but I didn’t. As for yesterday I cashed in on my birthday spanking. We still kept it light just because ya know, eight weeks.”

“But he’s not abusive in any way?”

“No.”

“Is there anything in your childhood that is positive? I mean everything you’ve said has been bad.”

I took several minutes and considered her question, was there anything that was ever good?

“Christmas. David loved Christmas; it was his favorite holiday and really the only one he celebrated to any real extent. After Thanksgiving we’d all go find the perfect tree and spend the rest of the day setting it up. He would decorate the inside and outside of the house with lights, lawn items, garland and he went all out on Christmas. No other holiday seem to garner that much attention. It was the one day of the year where none of us feared him; he really was a different man on that one day. We’d wake up to a huge breakfast and then we’d gather around the tree to open presents. He was really good about that, there was always one item that we’d wanted and usually it was the most expensive item.”

“What about the rest of the family?”

“They never came over before noon, after noon people should come and our aunts generally cooked Christmas dinner.”

“Did that change once you left?”

“No. George told me he still required them to be there after I left.”

“You didn’t go back not even then?”

I shook my head. “When Craig’s mother got custody his rights to me were stripped away and I wasn’t allowed to be around him alone. I had the option to see him, I just didn’t want too. By the time Christmas came that year I just couldn’t phantom being there alone with them, he’d sat there on my birthday and told me I was marrying this man and not a single brother objected. I didn’t want to be there. George said it was Christmas as usual and he hadn’t even bothered to get me anything so he knew I wasn’t coming.”

“Did that not hurt you?”

“Of course, they were my family and I felt like my brothers would protect me but it was like his slap to the face was from them all. I was so angry and upset with them I didn’t even want to see them; I didn’t want to be anywhere near them. Christmas day that year I spent most of it curled up in Craig’s bed crying.”

“Did you not have a room of your own?”

“I did, but his room was more comforting to me. Nothing reminded me of home. He finally dragged me downstairs about three for dinner. They tried everything to make it easy. By the next Christmas it was.”

“Anything else besides that?”

I had to really think about that and I was disappointed to find that the only real happy memories with David came on Christmas day.

“No. I am sure as a baby and a toddler he was involved but I don’t remember any of it. He wasn’t at my graduations and I never got cards or letters. In fact, I don’t know if he knew where I was really.”

“Financially he seemed good.”

“He was great financially. Taught us how to budget and be responsible in that sense.”

“That’s good.”

“About the only thing he taught us well. Aaron doesn’t want children of his own because of what David did, he’s terrified of becoming David.
All of us struggled with that concept of we were beaten as kids, spanked without regards to our own safety really, would we be the same way? I worried for my whole pregnancy with Alexander if I could even be a mother. I had no mother to talk to. Granted, Zac’s mom and my sister-in-laws have been amazing. I think breastfeeding them really helped too, because it gave me a purpose and it was something I really did well. I may not have not always changed diapers quick enough or bathed well enough, but no one could say Alexander was ever hungry. Isabella either for that matter.”

“You’re a great mom.”

“I was terrified though that I wouldn’t be, all I had for parental guidance was David. Not the best in the world to follow, we try not to spank at all. Zac dad said they did while little but never hard and only enough to kind of know.”

“Mary Ann and Gene were that way, but Alexander is like the best child ever.”

“Not when he’s had sugar.”

She laughed. “True.”

“Did David ever give you a reason why?”

“He told us both why Eliza. I was the youngest and I was going to pay for everything. I was going to pay for mom lying about us, about her plans, her infidelity to him, everything. I didn’t understand why he did that until then. He blamed her when all she wanted to do was protect us from him. She knew he was a pedophile; she had to know because she was fourteen when they met. I found out about the albums before our wedding.”

“Was David at your wedding? I saw the pictures you showed me where you danced with Zac’s father and some of the others, but I didn’t see
David, didn’t know if you removed them.”

“No. I uninvited him because I realized he’d been using pictures of me as a child as porn. I couldn’t. He was also very adamant I marry Adam. Our brothers and Zac’s made sure they didn’t interrupt or ruin our wedding. Reservations were made under maiden names, Casey did our honeymoon and no one saw those until we left. He tried to but when he called Zac because he couldn’t reach me Zac lied to him and told him we were getting married at 6 at the museum which was closed.”

“I was glad that Gene was there but I’d always wanted my real father, wanted the real person. I guess I am glad that David messed up and that Ace kept up with you.”

“I kind of wish Ace could be there actually, Zac and I considered a renewal for our 10^th and if we do then Ace can get to walk me down the aisle, but he doesn’t seem to mind and he loves Zac.”

“Was there anything else about David?”

“That’s him in a nutshell. I mean he was a manipulative, controlling father who was also abusive to us all. Financially he was fine, made sure we went to school and kept us from being whores and drug addicts, I can thank him for that.  He hates me, I am sure of that. He’s hated me from the day he laid eyes on me.”

“Sounds like we’re all better off without him, has he seen any of the kids in person?”

“No. He was in jail before Sheppard was born and he’s the oldest. He’s seen pictures of Sheppard up until right after Alexander was born and he saw the people magazine photos of Alexander, but he shouldn’t have seen any other ones unless his brothers and sisters mailed them and the guards didn’t pay attention.”

She smiled. “I don’t think he needs to see them.”

“We feel the same way; we should head up to the restaurant because it’s about time for our reservations.”

We got up and I folded the blanket and we walked back to the restaurant for our reservations. We’d just sat down when my phone pinged and I checked and then sighed.

“What is it?”

“It’s Glen again.”

“He won’t hurt you Emily, not with me here.”

I looked at her. “He told me I shouldn’t get attached to you, that when he takes me it’ll just hurt more people.”

“Hey, what did I just say? He won’t hurt you with me here and you think I plan on leaving?”

“You can’t always be there.”

We ordered drinks and she smiled at me. “Actually, I may be closer to you than you think. I looked at an apartment in Tulsa before we left; I want to be closer and to not be so far away.”

“What about your job?”

“I can transfer if I want.”

“But do you want too?”

“I don’t know really, I want to stay but at the same time I feel like I’d do more good if I could concentrate in a smaller area.”

“Don’t give up your job for me, I won’t allow crap like that.”

She smiled and we got our orders and had dinner. It was pleasant to tell her about Tulsa and the area. We returned to the hotel and she went to her room and I went to mine, it was a nice day. Casey was still in the room, changing Isabella. Zac was laying with Alexander who was watching some movie. He got up the moment he saw me and I picked him up. He felt warm to me.

“Still have a fever?”

“Yeah, I just gave him more medication. Been kind of keeping her away from him, how was your day?”

“It was good actually. We talked at the beach, finally answered her questions about David.”

“You didn’t have too.” Zac said.

“No. But I needed too and it was ok. Did either of you do anything exciting?”

“Nope.” Casey said.

“He’s had her and I’ve had him, pretty much slept all day. We tried video games and Alexander did ok but he just wasn’t feeling it.”

I nodded and sat down with him, true to word he was clingy when he was sick. I gave him a cool bath to help and then Moltrin before bed again. I got to feed her while they packed up again. We all went to bed at a decent time.

Our plan to keep everyone well failed miserably, Alexander gave whatever he had to Zac and by Thursday he couldn’t even talk so he and Alexander saw a doctor who put them both on antibiotics and Zac was commanded not to sing, which given what we were here for was odd, there was talk of canceling but Zac wouldn’t let them, instead they just re-arranged the entire set lists to not include songs he did lead on. He’d simply play.

I was rather glad that Natalie, Nikki and the kids had left before the sickness hit because it wasn’t just Zac that got it. I got a trace of it, which meant Isabella got her first little cold and then because Casey was there he got it too. Not many escaped, thankfully everyone was feeling somewhat better by the end so we were still able to visit the Shire but we didn’t stay as long as we had before. The 30 hour flight back home was another complete nightmare, Alexander pretty much cried or whined the whole time, I was glad we weren’t with a lot of people on the flight.
After getting home and a few days of real rest and another doctor Zac was cleared for a Toronto event and everyone else was too.