If it's Meant to Be

Chapter 5

•Noah's POV•

I sit up and grab my phone, I can feel it vibrating. I'm still inside my room, only leaving to cook for everyone and clean and anything else I have to do, like getting the kids ready for school and packing their lunches, while making sure they do their homework.
"Hello?"
"Open the door." I walk to the door and open it. "Surprise."
I hug Cade and he drops his bags on the floor. "I'm so glad you're here," I whisper. "I'm the only one doing anything around here."
He walks in and looks at the house. "Are you sure? This place looks nice."
"Thanks."
"Did you clean this who place yourself? This house is huge!"
"Well, what else am I supposed to do? Let it rot?"
"Where's Mom?"
"I'm her room, she hasn't been out since she found out."
"I'm so sorry. Where do I stay?"
"Well since the twins have their own rooms now you can stay with me I guess if you want."
"Sure. You still have two beds?"
"Yep." He takes his stuff to my room and unpacks.
"Noh, you look skinnier."
"Working out, eating less." He gives me a weird look but I just shake it off.
Dad walks past and stops, looking back twice at Cade. "What's he doing here?" His face is scruffy and he's been drinking, a lot.
"I'm back." Dad just rolls his eyes opening the fridge and grabbing another case of beer, bringing it back to their bedroom. Cade turns to me and hugs me. "I'm so proud of you."
"Why?"
"For not giving up and running away."
"Well, what am I supposed to do, just leave Kenz and Ky?"
"Since it's eight in the morning do you want to make breakfast while I clean or something, I'm not really a good cook."
"Sure." I start the toast and bacon on the stove while Cade cleans the bathrooms. "Kenzie! Kyler! Breakfast is ready!"
They come running out and sit at the table. I pour them juice and clean up the dishes. Cade comes out and the kids jump up and down. "Cade! Cade!"
"Hey guys."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm back for a while."
"Awesome!"

•Cade's POV•

I grab a plate that Noah has set out to take to Mom. I knock on the door and receive no answer. I walk in and it stinks. "Mom."
She barely lifts the pillow off her head to look at me. "Cade?"
"I brought you some food."
"And you don't bring me some!" Cameron yells at me across the bed.
"Thanks baby." She moves hair from out in front of my eyes, "Why did you come?"
"To help you Mom."
"Baby."
"You've gotta get up. See the sun!"
"I don't wanna get up!" She whines sticking her face back in the pillow.
"Please?"
"Maybe later." She sighs and I sit her plate on the bedside table, walking out.
"Noh, we need to get her to do something. Anything."
"I've literally tried everything. She won't go. Dad won't either."
"He yelled at me, cause I didn't bring him any food."
"I'm so sorry Cade." She hugs me and cleans the kids up.
"I'll get the dishes." She takes a shower and I wash the plates up and empty the trash, taking the bag down to the dumpster at the end of the drive.
I notice someone across the street trying to take down a for-sale sign in his yard and I go over to help him. "Hey, can I help yo- you!"
"Hey man!"
"Hey Brent. How's it going?"
"Not so well, my wife cheated on me and now I'm in this one bedroom one bathroom house without the kids."
"I'm sorry man."
"How're your parents doing?"
"Good," I lie. We know him well, but I don't feel like he should be knowing all our our personal business.
"Well you tell them I say hi."
"Will do. You need some help with that sign?"
"Nah, I got it, thanks though."
"No problem." I run back up the driveway and hear the kids screaming and fighting.
"Guys!" I yell and I hear Cameron yell.
"You kids were a mistake, me and your mother never wanted either of you! We didn't want any kids! Not you! Not Noah! And Cade was an accident. So you kids can just pack your things and run away because no one would care if you left!"
"Hey!" I yell running over to them and Noah comes running out with her hair in a towel. "Don't talk to them like that!"
"Oh really, Accident, you going to talk to your father like that."
"You're not my father!" I grit my teeth and spit at him. "Don't you ever talk to them like that again!"
"Get out! Get out of my house! All of you! We don't want you!"
"Shut up Dad! You're just a lousy father and you're always drunk now and you don't care about anyone but yourself! You have no idea what you're saying anymore and you didn't come to my cheer event like you promised you would, and you miss all my events! Every single one of them!" Noah screams and I grab Kenzie who's crying.
"Shhh, baby, he doesn't mean it."
"I do! I hate you all!"
"Don't you have something to drink?" Noah screams and he pushes her back.
"Hey! Get your hands off her!" I push him back and he gets in my face.
"Cade, it's not worth it." Noah whispers.
"Yeah, Cadey Poo, even your sister doesn't have faith you're gonna beat me."
"Shut up!" I push him back and he punches my in the jaw. He throws another swing at my left eye and all of a sudden he screams.
"Get off you rat!" I look down and see Kenzie biting his leg, drawing blood. He throws her off and walks out the door. "And don't expect me to come back!" Is the last thing he says before driving away.
"Cade, let me get you some ice." Noah goes to look for some ice, but since we don't have any she just hands me frozen peas.
"Kids, why don't you go play?" Noah stutters, not knowing what else to say. Thy run of leaving just me and her. She wraps her arm around me and puts her head on my shoulder. "What are we gonna do Cade? I feel like these are our kids."
"Could you imagine?"
"Unfortunately, yes." She laughs and stands up, I'm gonna try and go talk to Mom now that he's gone.
She leaves and a few minutes later she's back with Mom. She looks terrible, but she's up. "Hey guys, can I go back to bed?"
"No. I'm gonna get you all prettied up. We're officially having a spa day. Cade you're not invited."
"Gee thanks Sis."
"You're welcome Bro." I walk off and clean her bedroom while she's out of it. I count the beer cans, seventy-two. I grab a trash bag and throw them all out and vacuum the floor and clean their bathroom. After a while it starts smelling normal and the sheets are cleaned and Noah calls me to the living room.
"Wow, Mom, you look, great. You look normal."
"Well this was fun, but I should probably be getting back to bed."
"No, we have to go meet the new neighbor!" Noah flashes me a weird look but I mouth, 'just go with it'.
"No!" Mom whines but I push her out the door onto the porch. We walk down the driveway and she recognizes the man. "Brent?"
"Courtney! Hey!" He hugs my mom and asks her how things are going. She tells him fine, but she almost breaks down in tears. We walk outside for a little bit more, then we go back inside and allow her to lay back down.
"Baby steps, Cade, baby steps." Noah says before sitting down on the couch.