My Salvation

chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN/ unedited.

"Hernandez's, meet Rosie," Lucas says, I laugh a little when he says our last name to address all of us, and he smiles in response to my laugh. Maria runs to Rosie, and I mean she literally runs. Like she dashes across the house just to engulf the dog in a big hug.

Rosie looks to be a black Labrador, she's cute, in a goofy kind of way. Carlos takes his place beside Rosie, giving her plenty of scratches, which causes her to drop down, and roll onto her back, perfectly displaying her stomach, hinting she wants her stomach patted. Lucas laughs light-heartedly; I look over to see him smiling wider than I think I've ever seen him smile. Well, at least wider than he's smiled today, that's for sure.

My eyes wonder back to my siblings, and just like that, my smile fades. It makes me sad seeing Maria and Carlos looking so happy, when all of this could be ripped away just like that.

"You okay?" Lucas says, taking a few steps closer to me, leaning down.

I nod, inhale, and smile, "Yeah, I'm fine," I take a step away from him, towards my siblings. "But we really should be getting back, come on Maria, Carlos."

Lucas nods, but stops abruptly when Maria starts to whine, "No! I wanna stay with Rosie for longer, pleaseee!" I shake my head.

"No, Maria, let's go." She huffs, and drops to the floor, crossing her arms and legs.

"No." She says, Carlos and I both roll our eyes.

"María, no hagas una escena o que Dios me ayude-" I begin, my voice raising.

Lucas pipes up, "I still need to feed Rosie, so, if you want Maria can stay here with me until I've finished, and then I can bring her back once I'm done?" I smile at the gesture, and so does Maria.

"You sure that's okay?" I ask, Lucas nods.

"Absolutely," he says.

I smile. Happy for Maria to have someone like him in her life. "Carlos, are you coming?" My younger brother shrugs, and follows behind me, patting Mar on the head as he walks past her.

We both take our leave from Lucas' house, and quickly make our way back to our house. I open and close the door quietly, making sure not to make too much noise, a force of habit I tend to have. As if it was just muscle memory, me and Carlos both stop in our tracks as we hear a raised voice in the dining room.

"Don't you tell me how to raise my kid, Mark!" Lucas' dad says, I exchange a glance with Car as the sound of chairs scuffling on ground bounce of the walls.

"I'm not telling you how to do anything, Henry. I'm only saying that you could give him a break every once and a while!" I hear Mark retaliate. Behind me, I can hear the sharpness of Carlos's breath. People fighting around him is never easy. He was out last foster parent's favourite for taking out their anger on.

"You're both acting like children, Mark, sit down. Henry, go home, I think we're done here." Jess says in a firm, but steady voice. Henry scoffs.

"And you! Telling me how I should treat MY son, while all your doing is fostering some trashy kids just because you could pop out your own!" He says, and at this point even I begin seeing red, and I'm sure Carlos does too, as his breath begins to pick up, and I can almost feel his knuckles form into a fist. I put my hand over his, in hopes of calming him down before he goes into the dining room and punches Lucas' dad square in the face. Boy am I glad Maria isn't here to see this.

"Get. Out." Jess says. Loud footsteps begin to approach, and I push Carlos into the corner where it's dimly lit, so that Henry cannot see us. He walks straight past us, opening the door, exiting the house, and slamming it behind him. I can feel my eyes flutter as Carlos and I walk out of the dark corner. By now, Jess and Mark hear us, and a sad, guilty expression falls upon each of their faces as we come into their line of sight. Carlos, with his hand still in a fist, darts up the stairs to his bedroom, not uttering a single word.

"Camila, I'm so sorry you had to hear that, I-" Jess, begins, but I cut her off.

"Just forget it." I bluntly say, turning, and walking up their stairs towards my own bedroom.

A/N:

I cannot believe it's been so long since i posted, but i just had this random wave of writing tonight so i figured i'd finish this chapter. i know it's not that good, and it's short, but it's something, i hope you like it 🤗