Nola

Q is for Questions

--Nola's POV--

Dad hasn't spoken to daddy since the hospital. It doesn't seem to bother daddy though. He seems happy.

Grandpa and papa show up just before six. Daddy gives papa a worried look after he hugs grandpa. Papa looks down.

"Dad are you feeling okay?" Daddy quietly asks grandpa.

"Of course Ez," grandpa replies.

"Grandpa, daddy ran into an old friend at the hospital today," I tell grandpa. His eyes dart to daddy in confusion.

Daddy chuckles, "Chase."

Grandpa's eyes widen. "Chase that disappeared?"

Daddy nodded and smiled widely. Grandpa smiled, but almost lost his balance. Papa held onto him and then guided him to the kitchen table. Before daddy can question grandpa's health again, there is a knock at the door.

Dad walks over and opens the door. He sighs loudly as he steps aside to let Chase in. Daddy's eyes light up as he rushes over to him. They engulf each other in another hug.

"Hands off," dad says rudely to Chase. Chase and daddy pull apart as daddy glares at dad.

"Mr. Scott!" Chase says cheerfully as he goes over to grandpa. Grandpa stays seated as they hug.

"Holy shit! What happened to you? You broke Ez's heart," grandpa says.

Dad glares at daddy who blushes.

"I'm sorry," Chase says as he turns to daddy. He then sits next to grandpa and explains, "my parents found out I was gay when they walked in on Ezra and I in bed together."

"Thought you were a virgin?!" Dad shouts at daddy.

"Shut up Fortune. I was! We didn't have sex. We just fooled around," daddy explains. He then goes and sits across from Chase and grandpa. I sit next to him and listen to Chase continue.

"They told me to tell Ezra to go home. When he left my dad beat me and said we were moving. We ended up in California, but I was sent to a Catholic school," Chase explains. "When I graduated my parents pretty much disowned me. I moved to New York and met a guy. We got married and we're happy up until he wanted a divorce out of no where. Which leads me here. I decided to travel for a bit and enjoy life."

"I'm sorry Chase," grandpa says.

Chase shrugs, "I'm happy right now. For the most part."

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"Well I wish I had someone," he says and then looks at daddy. Daddy blushes and looks away.

"Fuck you," dad says as he grabs Chase's arm.

"Fortune!" Daddy, grandpa, and papa say at the same time.

"Shut up! He came here to fucking take Ezra away from me!" Dad says as he pulls his fist back and punches Chase in the nose.

Chase holds his bleeding nose, "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant someone. I didn't mean Ezra specifically!"

Chase backs away towards the door. Dad stands in between him and daddy. Daddy tries to get past dad, but dad won't let him pass.

"Fortune! Stop!" Daddy says.

Daddy tries to walk past dad again, but he grabs daddy and shoves him against the sink. He then backhands daddy across the face. Daddy falls to the floor holding his left cheek.

"Fortune," he says quietly as tears run down his face.

Dad turns to papa and grandpa. Grandpa struggles to get up, but does. He makes his way to daddy and pulls him to his feet.

"Ezra, I'm sorry," dad says as he looks to the floor.

Daddy shakes his head and rushes past everyone to the bathroom. Chase looks nervously to dad, but then rushes to check on daddy. Dad doesn't bother to stop him.

"Fortune," grandpa starts. "If you ever tou-t-t...if..." grandpa struggles.

"Michael?" Papa questions as he rushes to grandpa's side.

Grandpa's eyes roll back as he drops to the floor. Papa managed to catch him before he completely falls.

"Call for help Fortune!" Papa shouts as he taps grandpa's face. Grandpa doesn't move. I just stand there as tears rush down my face. "Ezra!"

Daddy and Chase come rushing out.

"He's not waking up," papa cries as he holds onto grandpa.

"Their coming," Fortune says as he kneels next to papa.

--

The ride to the hospital was silent other than papa's cries. My tears stopped once papa gripped my arm. I need to be strong for him.

"How long has he been this sick?" Daddy asks papa furiously in the hospital waiting room.

Papa just looks to the ground as he continues to cry silently. Daddy glares at him and then continues his pacing. Dad has just been staring at Chase the entire time we've been waiting. Chase glances awkwardly between him and daddy.

"Did you know Ezra lived here?" Dad finally asks Chase.

Daddy stops pacing long enough to glare at dad. He then continues his pacing as he shakes his head at dad.

"What do you mean?" Chase asks.

"I mean you had to have looked Ezra up. You googled his name and found out that he lived here," dad says.

Papa continues to cry.

"Papa where's Emmett and Ari?" I ask papa to try and calm him.

"With your sister and brothers at Paloma's," papa cries.

"Should I call them?" I ask.

Papa shrugs.

"Nola," daddy says as he stopped pacing again. "Go check on Zeke. Who knows how long this is going to take..."

I nod and hug papa and then daddy. I notice daddy continue to pace as I leave.

--

"Are you awake?" I ask as I enter Zeke's room.

"Of course," he smiles as I enter.

I can't help but smile when I see his. He can light up a room with his smile. He's been through so much, but it never seems to break his smile.

"I missed you," I tell him as I crawl onto his bed and snuggle into his side.

"I missed you more," he says as he holds onto me and kisses the top of my head.

We fall asleep in each others arms.