KILLER. 🩸

40

"Life is a gamble, especially in dad department. I never knew my biological father, I never even knew what a dad was until I got placed with Miguel.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't an instant connection. I was extremely wary of him at first, he was the man of house and what I knew of men were not good things. Miguel kinda figured that, he took things slowly with me.

Every morning before school he would put a juice carton down in front me. And every morning, I would ignore the juice carton. That dumb thing would sit there all day. The day it would change. Orange, apple, summer fruits, watermelon. He was trying to figure out which one I liked because I couldn't talk and I wouldn't have told him even if I could.

It was such dumb, stupid gesture but every single morning a juice carton would be waiting in front of my spot at the table. Then one morning, there was no juice carton.

I sat and looked at the table in front me for hours believing Miguel had given up on me. I was so hurt and upset by that. I only had myself to blame because I had rejected every other juice carton. It made me realise how much I wanted to be accepted. I wanted to be part of his family.

So after I had stewed in my own self pity for a while, I went to the fridge, I got out two juice cartons and put one in front of him.

We didn't say anything to each other, we just sat drinking juice in silence. I found out many years later that he didn't even like apple juice but he drank because he knew that was a big thing for me. A pivotal moment. A moment that would spark a many happy, loving memories together. A moment that would guide me towards healing. The first moment, in my entire life were I felt safe. Where I felt like I belonged.

So to my father, my Papi, I love you and when we meet again, the juice is on you. Goodbye Miguel, may your soul rest."

Aries joined on the pew and I interlocked our fingers, squeezing a little to offer him unspoken support.

It was a beautiful melancholy service for Miguel, a way to honour his life and say goodbye.

Aries needed this.

It was rough going for a while there, I had no idea if he would show for the funeral or not. He decided to come an hour hour before the ceremony and I was proud of him for fighting those demons in his head and showing up.

Rewind back two weeks, the day of Miguel's death Aries was not in the right frame of mind at all...

Without saying a word, Aries got up out of his chair and left the room. All eyes fell to me and I sucked in my lower lip, not really knowing what to say.

"He won't take this very well." Noona spoke her thoughts. "They were very close and he didn't take the diagnosis very well."

"No," Lindsay joined in thoughtfully, "and it's worse for Aries because he closes people off and keeps it all inside."

"I'll go talk to him." I offered softly. 

Noona grabbed my hand as I walked past and my attention landed on her. "You're an Angel Scarlet." She smiled at me through her tears and I smiled back. "Aries has a sharp tongue when he's upset, I apologise for whatever he may say to you. He doesn't mean it."

"I know." I reassured.

Aries had taken himself back up to our bedroom, back to where the day first began. I pushed the door open slowly and assessed the scene before stepping in.

He was packing his belongings into a suitcase with this bitter expression written all over his face and his shoulders held extremely tense.

"What are you doing?"