Chapter Two: Everyone is family

CHAPTER TWO: Everyone is family

--- Liam's POV

I left Mia's house and soon found myself asking another neighbor for a crossbar to fix my car. The kind fellow handed it over, and I was struck by the trust people seem to have around here. I assured myself I'd return it, as I'm no thief.

As I walked to my new home, I glanced at the house next to mine and smiled, thinking, "What an interesting girl." I chuckled to myself, feeling a sense of belonging.

Growing up, I faced many challenges. After losing my parents, I was taken in by my mother's family. Though I don't remember my parents' faces, I recall my mom's voice. It's been tough living with the stigma of being a "bad luck" survivor of the accident that took my parents. People would often call me names, and I felt like I had to walk around with my head held high to prove them wrong.

I smoked and fought with a lot of people and as I grew up, everyone became afraid of me and my stature except my cousin Pete. For some reason he'd call me soft but I had never acted soft in front of anyone cause all I got was hate even from Peter's mother who hated me and never cared for me saying I had been the reason for her miscarriage and threatened to divorce my uncle if he doesn't abandon me. Which she later did cause my uncle refused to abandon me.

I struggled in school, too. No one took me seriously, and I was always getting into fights. Even in high school, I loved sports, but no one wanted me on their team due to my "anger issues." I had admirers, but no real friends. I felt like I didn't belong.

One day, I decided to leave and end it all. I took my car and drove off, but I couldn't bring myself to end my life. I realized my parents wanted me alive. After two years in rehab, I told my uncle I wanted to leave again, but this time alone. He insisted on coming with me, and that's how we ended up in Denver.

As I look back, I'm grateful for my uncle's support. He's been my rock through all the tough times. And now, I'm excited to start anew in this beautiful city, where the first person I met was a brave and pretty girl named "Mia".

I had gone back in the evening to give back the crossbar that I had borrowed from the kind neighbour who invited me in to have dinner with his family. I was at the brink of tears when he insisted I'd joined them because other than Uncle Sam and Peter, no one has ever been this nice to me. Not even my grandparents.

I felt happy and sad at the same time and I didn't refuse anymore and had dinner with his beautiful family and we became acquainted.

"So who did you move in with Liam ?" The wife of this kind sir that I found out his name was Bill and his wife's name was Margaret and they had three lovely children although I didn't get to meet the eldest but I could her her voice down the hallway as she shouted to her two brothers who were already done with their meal to get out of her room.

"I moved in with my uncle and his son" I replied

"What about your parents?" Margaret asked

"Uhh, I've been an orphan for sixteen years but my Uncle Sam's great, he takes really good care of me and his son. He's a divorcee and we moved here to start afresh, I guess" I didn't even notice that I had picked my food while bending down and trying to swerve the emotions that wanted to free themselves for so long.

A finger had slide across the Dinner table and wiped a tear I didn't even know I had shed.

"Oh you poor child, Bill and I are sorry for making you cry, we're really sorry for bringing it up and to make up for it, you can come over whenever you want. Take us as your family too alright. " Margaret said and pulled her palms to my face to stop my tears from falling and i bent my head much further down to stop them from seeing how miserable I looked with the pity I was receiving.

After our emotional moments during Dinner, I was given an extra plate of lasagna that I found out that Bill made cause he knew how to cook whereas his wife didn't. I had known this because they cheered me up telling me stories about them that I totally lost track of time but I had texted Uncle Sam to ask him if I could join this family that was being kind to me for dinner and he called me and said " Liam you know we came to have a fresh start over here, have the best of your time we'll eat without you, I love you son" he had made it seem like I was an out cast but I laughed it off and said "OK Uncle Sam "

"Here Liam, share this with your uncle and cousin and send my greetings to them, it's late we would have come ourselves.... we're neighbours and in this neighbourhood everyone is family. Welcome to the neighbourhood and have a good night dear" Bill said with a big smile on his face an i couldn't stop myself from hugging him. 'That surprised me too'

"Sleep tight Liam" Margaret shouted from the kitchen and after I left with the plate of the lagsana, I walked through the empty street i glanced at Mia's house and the living room light was on but the room in which she hit her head on it's window's frame was off and I figured that her parents probably just got off work.

I walked straight to my new home and when I entered I saw Uncle Sam on the Couch that hasn't been unrapped sleeping 'He waited for me' I thought to my self. I took a blanket from one of the unrapped boxes and covered him up and went to the kitchen to put the lagsana in the fridge.

I wasn't feeling sleepy and decided to go outside and feel the neighbourhood wind cause I had a thing with the wind. As I stepped out I heard a cat meow and went down the porch to see where the cry came from cause it sounded like it was either scared or injured and when I finally saw it, I saw that it was injured and I went near it to help it in any way I could but it got scared and wanted to run but couldn't and finally let me touch it.

I couldn't take it home as Uncle Sam was allergic to anything that had a fur, so I decided it was yet another time to meet the beautiful stranger I had met In the afternoon. I climbed the tree near the balcony I saw Mia from, with the cat on one arm and I jumped down from a branch and landed on her supposed room balcony and knocked but no answer, I waited for some time to see if the rustling sound I heard was either her or someone else but seemed they didn't quite hear the knock and I knocked again this time harder.

I heard movements inside and I knew instantly that the person was sacred and they'd have a weapon with them and I didn't move an inch so that when she opens up her balcony door, she would able to see that it was 'harmless Liam' I chuckled to the thought

Soon the balcony doors opened but no one was there and I knew being a girl, she's probably hiding behind the curtains. I put down the cat and patted it and said to Mia.

"I know you're behind the curtains, stop playing hero and step out. I need your help Mia"

Ok, I have her where I wanted i pulled of one of my shoes and threw it into her room and I hoped that distracted her cause as I did that the curtains moved and I rushed in and held her hands and she looked up and called out my name with a puzzled expression

"Liam"???

"Hi again" I replied "I need your help, my cat's injured and I can't take it home to nurse it back to health cause my uncle and brother are allergic to pets" sigh.

"What the hell Liam, how'd you get up here in the first place and do I look like a vet"??

"I'm sorry, I didn't know who to go to and we just moved in, please help me". I pleaded

"I'm not a veterinarian and how would I know how to nurse it back to health" she said whispering and making hand gestures

"You need to leave or my Mom's gonna come up here and I'll be grounded for life". "You know what, my Mom's a doctor and you could leave the cat here and I'll take it to her and she'll know what to do and I gotta cook up a lie on how I found it, Where's the cat"?

Thank God, I felt relieved and brought the cat to her, I was about to say something and then we heard a knock on her door.

"Honey, are you still up? You can come down let's see a variety show together" the woman from outside the room said and as she twisted the door knob Mia gestured for me to hide under the bed and I did.

"Mom don't open the door, you'll hit the cat"!!

Wow what a good lie

"Cat!!?? Mia what cat, hurry up and get it away from the door!"

As I hid, Mia picked the cat and head towards her door

"Come in mom and before you say anything, the cat's injured and I heard it's cry from the balcony and my instincts were to save it, can you save it Mom"?

Wow, what an act 'I shaked my head' she deserves an award

Although I couldn't see the woman's face, but I was so sure that her daughter looked very much like her.

"Alright Mia, bring it down stairs... we'll have a look at his wounds and don't go calling your animal friends here when you're better you cute little thing"

Like mother like daughter

"Meow"

"Awwww Mom he likes you"

"Who doesn't"?