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“Eww.” Miguel whined, and we both laughed and pulled apart.
We all cleaned up, but some did a better job than others. Miguel begged to keep his shoes on, which were covered in dry blue paint. Everyone was sitting down when we walked into the dining room.
Maria was sitting next to my little brother Bruce, who is her son. Mom and Dad were sitting across from them with their hands together. They all turned around when we walked in. My brother was happy to see his nephews.
Robert ran over to hug Maria and Bruce, and then he hugged my parents too. Miguel stayed with me instead. He has trouble trusting even his own family. Everyone gets it and agrees with it, but I know it’s hard for him. I hate that he feels that way.
“Hey, Miguel, I got you something.” My dad takes something out of his pocket.
We all took a seat.
He got Miguel a gun, a freaking gun. I couldn’t believe what my dad said, and neither could anyone else, not even Sebastian.
“Please tell me you’re joking, Dad,” I said.
“Jack, you idiot,” my mum says in a whisper-yell.
“He’s 9? That’s when I got my first gun. I was already training to take grandpa’s place. He should be training to take Sebastian’s place.” My dad said this calmly, as if he wasn’t crazy.
“Dad, Miguel isn’t supposed to hear this,” I said.
“Thanks, Papa.” Miguel jumps out of his chair and into my dad’s arms.
Sebastian’s hand tightened around mine, and I could feel his body getting hotter. He was angry, like he was boiling. I didn’t like that Miguel was happy about having a gun instead of going back to school.
Sebastian tells Miguel, “You’re too young to get a gun.”
He gives Sebastian a scary look, as if he were questioning what he said. He always says he’s sorry with a sweet smile, so this is new for him.
“Yes, I am!” Miguel yells.
Sebastian yells even louder, “Miguel, I am your father, what I say goes.”
Everyone is quiet and looks at what is about to happen. They always fight, Sebastian and him. They never seem to get along.
“You know what? I don’t think this is a good idea anymore.” My dad laughs dryly, and it stops when no one else joins in. He just looks around at everyone.
My mom whispered, “You think?” My dad gulped at her tone.
Miguel yells, “You’re not my dad.”
I look at Miguel with a confused face instead of my dad. What did he mean? Robert sneaks up next to me and wraps his little hands around my neck. I lift him up onto my lap.
“Don’t yell at me, Miguel Devereux,” Sebastian says, sounding much calmer than before.
“Henry is my dad!” he yells loudly before pulling away from my dad’s arms and stomping off. I heard his bedroom door slam shut with a loud bang.
It got quiet in a strange way.
“My defence is that I wasn’t going to load the gun.” My dad was the first to speak up, trying to clear his name in Sebastian’s mind.
Sebastian’s veins were still sticking out, and he was still looking at the same spot where Miguel had been standing a few seconds earlier. I took his hand,, and he slowly turned around and kissed my forehead andfight.[T rail ]
I made a cough. “Sorry, he’ll be fine. Let’s just keep going.”
Bruce asked, “Dad, can I keep his gun?”
I thought Maria’s neck was going to break off when she looked at her son so quickly.
“No way,” Maria says.
My dad put the gun down that he was about to give to my brother. My mom and Maria both shot daggers at my dad.
“I wasn’t going to give it to him.” My dad smiles and tries to make us believe him.
I tried to stay focused on the great dinner I made, but my mind kept going back to what Miguel had said. He still believes that Henry is his father. Sebastian has been trying to forget about the past because he knows it hurt him to hear that from his own son.
I told everyone, “It’s a girl.”
“Finally!” My mom screams with joy and hugs Sebastian and me.
After we found out the baby’s gender, we all finished eating and cleaning up. Everyone went home, and Sebastian went back to his office to finish some paperwork. I brought Miguel a plate of food because he missed dinner. Robert was already in bed watching TV. Miguel was at his desk, looking at his pet fish. I bent down to his level and put the plate of food in front of him.
“Baby, talk to me,” I said in a soft voice so he wouldn’t think I was mad. To be honest, I can’t be mad at him. Henry did raise him for five years, but it was in a bad way. Kids can be confusing sometimes.
“I miss him,” Miguel says softly.
“Miss who, baby?” I say.
“My dad.”
“Sweetheart, he’s at work. I’m pretty sure if—”
“Henry.” He cuts me off in the middle of my sentence.
Miguel turns his body to face mine, and I gently hold his hands. I put my finger under his chin, and our eyes met. He used to have green eyes like mine, but when he got older, they turned dark brown, which was strange because no one else in our family had brown eyes. Miguel’s eyes made him stand out, but they also changed him as a person.
I told him, “Sebastian is your dad, baby.” “Sebastian loves you so much, son. You’re his pride and joy.”
Miguel didn’t say anything; he just turned back around and went back to his desk. I stared at him hard, trying to read his mind, but it didn’t work. I got up and kissed him on the forehead. I went to Robert, who was already asleep, and kissed his tiny forehead before I left. I locked their door because Robert walks in his sleep at night.
I walked towards Sebastian’s office. Sebastian was looking at some papers with his glasses on. Over the years, his eyesight has gotten worse, but I’m not complaining. He looks great with glasses on, like a big daddy. He was so busy reading the news that he didn’t even see me in his office. He put the papers on his desk and wrapped his arms around me while I sat on his lap.