A Lesson Taught In The Worst Kind Of Way (Peterick)

Ch. 27

Tia had the guest bedroom. Right next door to my room, which Pete shared with me.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, Tia had a nightmare and snuck into my room.

The problem with this is, my bed only fits Pete and I. Even a little girl like Tia would make us fall off the bed.

When I fell off the bed when Tia kicked me in the side, the noise woke Pete.

He looked down at Tia and gently woke her. "Hey, sweetie... why are you in here?" Pete asked.

"I had a nightmare." Tia responded.

"Honey, you can't be in here." Pete said sympathetically.

"You let me sleep in your room when I have a nightmare." She said.

"I know, but, sweetie right now isn't the best time."

"But I wanna sleep in here with you." She started sniffling.

Pete had a look of guilt. "You kicked Uncle Patrick off the bed..."

Tia giggled.

"You think that's funny, kid?" I said, trying to keep from laughing.

She nodded and looked at me.

"You try laughing When your butt hurts..." I mumbled, laying back on the bed.

"Hehe! You said butt!"

"I did... what are you gonna do about it?" I smiled and tickled her.

She squealed.

Pete and I tried to get her to stop laughing so loudly, but she wouldn't. She woke my mom up.

"Hey, sweetie. What are you doing up?" My mom walked in and sat at the end of the bed.

"I don't know..." Tia shrugged and giggled.

"She had a nightmare." Pete replied, brushing Tia's bangs from her face.

"Come here, baby... lets let Uncle Pete and Patrick get some sleep. I'll read you a bed time story." My mom scooped Tia up into her arms and carried her back to her room, shutting my door on her way out.

"You're good with kids..." Pete said, once it was quiet for a little while.

"You're not so bad your self." I commented.

"I am, actually. I left her like her father did." He said.

"But there's a difference." I said, rolling over to face him. "You're not bat shit crazy and at least you were in her life. You're a positive figure in it. That's what she needs. A positive father figure who, even if it's not 24/7, be there for her." I ran my fingers through his hair.

He smiled.

I leaned in and kissed him.

"I guess you're right..." he mumbled, pulling back for a minute.

I smiled. "I know I'm right." I kissed him again, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around my waist.

We kissed for a while, until he pulled back and rested his forehead on mine. "I love you..." He said.

"I love you too."

-A.Couple.Hours.Later(6:00)-

"I want Froot Loops!" Tia said excitedly, bouncing on the chair she was in.

"Stop bouncing before you get hurt, kid..." Pete said, putting a bowl in front of her. He poured cereal into the bowl and then milk.

I sat down next to Pete across from Tiana.

When we were done eating breakfast, Tia and I walked upstairs, but I stopped when I heard my mom and Pete start talking.

"Here... lemme get that for you." Pete said. I'm assuming he was talking my mom's breakfast dishes.

"Oh, thank you, Peter." My mom said.

"No problem, Miss Patricia." Pete replied. There was a pause in which I was about to walk until I heard Pete start talking again. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. But still a little iffy." My mother said.

"Would you like something to drink?"

I heard my mother chuckle. "Honey, you're acting like you live here. You don't have to wait on me. I'm capable of doing things myself."

"I know, I just don't want you getting hurt."

"Peter, you are a very respectful young man. Patrick did get quite a lucky break. You don't have to fake it to get me to like you."

"Miss Patricia, with all do respect. I'm not faking it just to get you to like me. I don't care whether people like me or not. I'm not expecting you to like me, especially since I am your son's teacher. But in all honesty, I care, I wouldn't fake caring. If you didn't like me, that wouldn't be the first time a parent didn't like me. I can't even count the number of parents who didn't like me..." Pete was rambling at this point. "Heck... even my own niece doesn't like me! I left her... but I love her so much... because her, my sister, my mom... Patrick, You... you guys are the only family I have left..."

"Pete, dear... come here...." I probably should've mentioned I could see Pete, but my mom was hidden by a wall. My mom walked over to Pete and engulfed him in a hug.

He hugged her back.

"Thank you..." she mumbled.

"For what?" Pete was crying.

"Taking care of Patrick. Being the best uncle you could be, even if it meant leaving your niece for a job to support her when she visits... for being you." My mother pulled out of the hug and smiled at him. She brushed his bangs from his face.

"I'm not even a good person."

"Honey, no one's good. But the best kind of people are the people who try. I can see it when you're talking to Patrick. The way you help him when he's down. That person used to be me. You are watching your niece. And you're showing her no matter where you are, you are still here for her. You are trying so hard to be the person you already are. You work so hard."

Pete smiled.

"Tiana looks up to you. Patrick, and this may sound weird, but he looks up to you. Not just physically because they're both shorter than you, but because they think you're truly amazing." My mom wiped a falling tear from Pete's cheek.

"Thanks, Miss Patricia," Pete said quietly.

"You're welcome." My mom patted his cheek before taking the dishes from the counter. "Now go get ready for work..." she said.

Before he saw me, I quickly walked to my room and pretended to be rummaging through my backpack.

I looked up and saw his eyes were slightly puffy. "Hey, you okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "Fine..."

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged and chuckled before sitting next to me and lightly pushing me against the mattress. "I love you..." He kissed me.