Captive | The Walking Dead |

100

Guillermo closed the cabinet door as he grabbed the chili spice with a sigh. "It's been four years since we left, and suddenly dad wants to apologize? Now he wants us to go back? I don't buy it."

"I know you don't but G, I miss mama. I hate having to write to her in a fake name, I hate not seeing her every day," Isabella said softly to Guillermo from where she leaned against the fridge in their tiny apartment.

She knew Guillermo hated their parents and understood why, but Isabella wasn't like him; she always tried to see the good in someone. He did too until he realized with their father, that wasn't an option.

"Isa, they're the ones who caused us to move away, remember? Dad was the one who always neglected us and I love mama but what did she do? Nothing, she just let him do all that to us. We had no choice in leaving, you know that."

By now, he was angrily stirring the sizzling meat, and she saw his jaw clench. Guillermo wasn't as forgiving as she. Yet she understood where he came from.

He was older than her, not by much, only two years but that was still enough time for him to undergo things she didn't. Not to mention, she vividly remembered he'd get the rough end of the stick whenever her one-year-old self acted up. She always felt guilty, knowing she had no idea what she was doing then but she couldn't help but feel horrible knowing she was the one who caused the crimes against her brother to happen.

Once she got older and got the beatings, they were never on the same level as Guillermo got; she still got them, but their dad was always harsher on Guillermo, simply because he had to 'be a man about it.'

All while their mother would hide in the kitchen, distracting herself with their next meal or more chores that had been done; anything but stepping in to help.

Guillermo noticed how Isabella fell silent, as she knew her brother was right, but the guilt ate at her as she wondered what if she did contact them again.

"Isa, that night, the night dad found out about Sam, he lost it, he was going to kill us, and what did mama do?" He sighed, understanding where his sister came from but knew she was also wrong. "Nothing. She did nothing. I was the one who got us out there, barely, but we made it out."

"I know, I know," she nodded, feeling the tears forming. "I just thought...I wanted things to be normal with them."

"I know," he sighed as he turned from the stove and brought her in for a hug. "Things with them...we could never be normal. But now, I have you and you have me, and we'll never be normal but so long as we have each other, what could happen right?"

"Right," she smiled through her tears. "I love you G."

"Me too Isa," he softly said before pulling himself away.

Isabella wanted more than anything to reach out but she knew Guillermo was right, so she never did. She chose to never forgive them nor attempted to contact them no matter what.

After all, Guillermo had sacrificed so much for them, went through so much, so she had to trust he was making the right choice. She hoped he was at least.

<>

Isabella woke to the alarm of the clock on her nightstand and groaned as she flipped on her side, turning the alarm off after glancing at the time and letting her eyes close once more.

She felt herself falling back asleep but her heart froze and screamed at her to wake up.

She shot up, forcing her eyes open as she looked at the clock, and damn; it read 6:45.