Meeting Sawyer (Sawyer's POV)

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Sawyer-

I grew up in a ratherdysfunctional world even though it wasn't meant to start out that way, my momgrew up in a well of family that was in the grocery business. My grandfather started a small shop justbefore the great depression and even though it was a struggle to keep thingsafloat he did, by the time he died he had three successful locations inSavannah Georgia. By the time mygrandfather took over, he had plans to expand things even larger, and so hedid. At the height of 'Samson's Markets'there were twenty-two locations. When my grandfather was ready to retire heknew that my mom was in no way capable of running the business, she'd startedgoing to college to become a nurse but dropped out only a semester in. She fell in love with my father, they weremadly in love with one another during the beginning. They saw starting a family together, my dadwas already a member of the 'Sons of Anarchy' and I never fully grasped what thatmeant. I just knew that it was hisjob. My mom fell into drugs pretty hard,maybe it was from lack of job prospects or that after the initial lust of therelationship with my dad faded she realized she'd given up a lot. I will never be sure because I can't reallybe sure of her answers, anyway my parents got married when they found out shewas pregnant. I know from things theyhave said my dad wanted to 'do right by my mom and his kid' they were marriedonly until I was three and I don't remember any of that time. I know that there was constant fightingbetween them about my dad's choice of work and my mom's lack of work, but Ionly know that because I've been told after the fact. I didn't know how bad it got. My mom kept this big filing cabinet in thehouse, it was normally always locked and I'd been curious about it, one day Ifound the key and went through some of the files. There were mundane thingslike birth certificates, social security numbers, there were copies of mygrandfather's will. As a smart girl Ifigured out really quickly that my grandfather sold of all of his assets beforehe died and put everything in a trust fund with my name on it, I was shockedbeyond belief but it made sense. Mymother was really mean to me in the months leading up to his death and thenafterwards. It was clearly marked thatno one but I and my father could access the account, I couldn't until my 21stbirthday unless it were for school. Ofcourse I was sixteen at the time and the amount of money I was going to inheritwas insane, but that's not what shocked me the most, the police reports. From what it looked like there were severaldomestic disputes filed by the Charming Sheriff, Unser was his name, but thereports seemed to be not taken seriously at all. Neighbors would call the police when theyheard yelling and things breaking, my mom would always claim that my dad wasabusive towards her and insisted on filing a report, but I know from experiencethat my mother is the violent one. I'vewatched a string of boyfriends and husbands come through and it was always thesame pattern with her. This marriagehowever seemed to be different, maybe it was because my mom knew that she wasgetting older and soon would be able to strip so she needed a stable man thathad some money, or maybe she just really did feel something for Keith... I hadthe feeling the first was the correct answer. All I knew was that for whatever reason my mom decided that after allI'd been through with my illness that she didn't want to deal with it, with me,anymore and so she left me on my dad's stoop basically.

From all the stress I'd beenunder packing and practically fleeing Navada, I'd gotten sick, my fever spikedand before I knew it the second night I was with my dad he found me passed outon the floor in the kitchen when he got home. I was brought to the hospital immediately, given all kinds of tests,including a spinal tap and was hooked up to all kinds of fluids to replenish mybody. The fever stayed pretty steady forthree days and so they kept me in the hospital, but finally after all of thehoopla, tonight I was going home. My dadspent more time with me in the last three days of my hospital stay then my momdid the whole time I was sick. Iwouldn't tell him that though, I liked having something to distract me. Someone to hold my hand when I gotscared. My dad was the perfect personfor that. "So you ready to get out ofhere?" He asked wiping his hands on hisjeans, they were ripped and faded like most of the guys at the club, they'dclearly been worn in from hard work and not the manufacturing floor. He also wore a white t-shirt, the shirtunlike the jeans was crisp and brand new. I knew that he wore his Kutte, which is the vest designed by the club,most days because when my mom dropped me off he'd been wearing it and when heleft for the clubhouse he was wearing it but it was glaringly absent the lastcouple of days.

"Icouldn't be more ready, I feel like I've spent half my life in places likethis." He looked pained, I didn't meanto upset him but before I could comment on it the look was gone and he changedthe subject.

"I don'tknow how long you're going to want to stay with me, you can stay as long as youlike, I wanted your room to be comfortable so I had the guys paint and bring ina nicer mattress for you. There's morelighting I know that you like to write at night, I thought it would beimportant. I didn't go through the bagswith the clothes in them but I did hang the pictures that you had on the walls...I hope you don't mind that I did that, I just wanted you to feel comfortable...the truth is I've wanted you to live with me for a long time you're mother justwouldn't allow it." I was surprised thathe'd gone to show much trouble for me.

"I'msure I'm going to love it dad." Isqueezed his hand in reassurance.

"Yourmom will probably want you back in a few months..." He said trailing off, I could see that itupset him and I shrugged.

"She canwant me back all she wants but you've cared for me more in the last three daysthen she ever did and let's not forget that she dropped me off on your doorsteplike jugs of milk." He sighed.

"Ishould have fought harder." He shook hishead in disgust, I slip my hand across the white hospital blanket and took hishand in mine. I gave it a reassuringsqueeze. He looked up at me, the anguishand blame he was putting on himself was so easy to see, but it wasn'twarranted.

"Dad,I'd be lying to you if I said I never got angry at you for not taking me in, itwas hard especially after your visits. Ijust thought it would have been so simple for you to tell me to pack a bag andwe'd leave together. But as an adult, Isee why you couldn't do that, I know that mom would have put you right back incourt. I know that neither her nor youwere fit parents, what with the club and arrests," I said sheepishly he wavedhis hand and I continued. "...I know whatwould have happened, the government would say I wasn't safe with you because ofyour illegal activity and they wouldn't want me around mom what with heroccasional drug use and string of men she was bringing in... they would have sentinto the system, I know what happens to pretty girls in the system. I know." He sighed. "What I'm trying tosay is that I'm happy you're here now, let's make up for lost time." He smiled and nodded.

"Tomorrow,I will be holding your hand through everything."

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