Like a Bullet – Family Normalcy (Chapter 1)

Ah, she’s beautiful, isn’t she? Even with the tiresome expression of preparing the kids for school, she still looked magnificent. Everything she does, down to her fingers’ touch, is downright perfect. My wife, Bella, is the most precious gift I could ever ask for. She is my first love, my only love. I can’t imagine ever loving after her, it’s humanly impossible.

“Leah, Morgan, come downstairs; you’re going to be late for school!” I yelled from the bottom of the staircase.

After calling them downstairs, I walked right back to the angel in my kitchen. I walked behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Gently, I kissed her neck and rested my head on her shoulder.

Bella and I have been married for twelve years, but I love her more and more everyday. Bella and I aren’t like average couples who get bored with each other after two or three years of marriage. After I meet Bella, every other woman around me was simply a walking body. Beauties that you see on magazines these days, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, never once caught my attention; they were nothing compared to my Bella either way.

“I love you, Jack,” she said with her soft, saintly voice.

“I love you, too, Bell,” and boy, did I mean it.

Leah, my five year old daughter, made her way down the stairs. She looked so happy and excited. For a parent – pardon – foster parent of a seventeen year old boy, you kind of miss the face of a happy child on the morning of her first day of school. After they turn nine, they just get bored of the system; suddenly the first day of school can be compared to hell.

Morgan, my seventeen year old foster son, followed her; his face was sadder than ever. I couldn't differentiate whether it was because of the first day of school or because he just found out his real dad left his mother and him before he was born and his mother was a coke-head who’s locked up in jail.

We adopted Morgan after countless failed attempts at having a child. Trust me, It was no easy decision, but we love him as though he was our own; we do consider him our own.

“Good morning, Leah. Good morning, Morgan,” she said with a fake smile. Bella always put the kids first, even if her mom had died, she’d pretend to be happy just for their sake, she knew that even Morgan could never stand the sight of her frowning.

Leah walked up to her mom and kissed her on the cheek, “Good morning, Mommy.”

“G’morning, mom,” I heard him scoff a bit when he said mom. I guess I don’t blame him; the news is kind of sudden.

The difference between having a teenage boy and a little girl was unambiguous. Little girls go and pick out frilly, pink dresses from their closets on their first day of school. When, on the other hand, teenage boys pick out black, baggy jeans and a black shirt (That I honestly don’t even remember ever purchasing for him).

Leah sat down on the dinner table and cheerfully ate a bowl of cereal; it was that fruity, colorful kind. Morgan, though sad and depressed, couldn’t wait to get out; his face was full of anxiety, I don’t know why though.

“Morgan, are you okay? You seem excited, and I’m positive it’s not excitement towards your first day of school,” I asked very curious.

“No, I’m fine. It’s just,” he paused, “Sometimes, when you find out your parents left you; you can’t even trust the people who say they’re your family. Let alone they hid from you the fact that your mum’s a drug addicted thrown in jail.”

“We’re not strangers, Morgan!” she said throwing down the spoon in her and rested against the kitchen counter, as though it was some sort of crutch. I saw a tear hit the counter as it slid down her face.

Even Leah was in awe, I don’t think she has ever seen her mother cry.

“Whatever. I’m leaving,” he declared as he grabbed his bag and raced out the door.

I sometimes wondered why the normal teenage response was “Whatever”. I mean, when they say that, it only makes them appear vulnerable, not cool, suave, or mysterious.

“Leah, the bus is here,” I acknowledged.

“Okay, daddy,” she said. You kind of miss that innocence.

She kissed me on the cheek and kissed Bella. Even though this was the second time we had sent off our kids to the first day of elementary school, Bella grabbed Leah and hugged her so tight I felt Leah was about to gasp for air.

“Bye, mommy; bye, daddy,” she said before she skipped out the door.

I ran towards Bella and wrapped her tightly in my arms. Soothingly, I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead; she loved it when I’d kiss her forehead.

“You know that I love him, right? He isn’t like my son, he is my son! Goddamn it, he’s my son!”

“Shh,” I attempted to calm her down, “It’ll be okay. He’s seventeen; he’s just looking for any excuse to be mad at us.”

“But, I love him, Jacob, and I want him to know that.”

“And I know he’s 100% sure of that, Bell. Just let him figure things out on his own.”