Endless Love Ch. 02

"Please don't call my father. I need to know some things."

He removed the handcuffs off of my hands. "Sorry Noah. I didn't know. I'm not going to tell him anything. I already hate that son of a bitch"

"It's alright Sir, what's your name?"

"Ohh, where are my manners? Joshua, Joshua Ashwell."

I didn't want to but the tears showed again.

"Hey, what's wrong young man?" Josef said looking at me.

I showed him the divorce papers.

"Do you know anything about this?"

"Rachel, very sweet and kind woman. She's your real mom."

I showed him the picture.

He looked at the picture and then at me.

"But, you didn't know that."

I wiped my tears.

"Not until today."

"That genuine asshole."

"I came to find out anything about this house. Then, I started getting flashes of memories until I saw this picture. Then I fell unconscious."

"I knew your mother. She was a very, very sweet woman. Anybody could love her easily. A few years after you and Alice were born, I heard some noises from this house while I was going back to my home. Your father and she were having a fight. A few weeks later, I heard that your father and Rachel mutually divorced. She didn't fight for your custody."

"She left us?"

"No kid, no. The Rachel I know wouldn't do that."

"Then why?"

"Upto this very moment, I don't know that. But she'd move heaven and earth for you kids. If she did that, there has to be a good reason for that."

My head was spinning. I needed answers. I didn't tell him that I'd met her.

I couldn't think now what to do. I made a decision, I have to go and meet Rachel. I couldn't ask dad, because he hid this from us our whole life. So I didn't expect him to be fully honest with us.

A week ago

Daniel's P. O. V.

Rachel and I were going back to home. Filled with emotions, we didn't talk anything on the way.

We returned home and I sat on the couch. I was overwhelmed with whatever happened within last whole day. Rachel was more affected by it too. I saw Rachel going in our bedroom. She opened a box, she took out a photo of two babies that she held in her hand. She looked at it and started to cry. I went inside and held her hand. I sat on the bed. She hugged me from one side while holding the picture in the left hand. My eyes started watering too.

"Danny. Ohh Danny. I didn't believe that I would see my babies again."

"It has happened baby. Didn't you see? He has turned to be a very good man. And Alice is equally beautiful as you are."

"I don't know what to do Danny."

"Everything will be fine honey. Even I didn't imagine I would see them again and here we are."

"You are right Danny," she sobbed even more.

A week and 3 days later

Daniel's P. O. V.

It was almost midnight. I was getting ready for bed when I heard the knock on the door. Rachel was downstairs in the kitchen, so she answered the door.

I heard her saying,

"Noah? What a pleasant surprise."

Noah? Here?

I saw that she hugged him right away. When he didn't hug her back, she must've realized something wasn't right.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" she asked him.

I walked down and asked him, "Is everything alright?"

He didn't say anything. He sat on the couch, opened his bag and took out a photograph. It was the same that Rachel was looking at when we returned back from the airport last week.

He knew. He knew that Rachel was their mother. He knew that the woman parading in his house wasn't. He needed answers. I could see in his face. I could see the turmoil going through Rachel's eyes. Finally she started crying. My eyes started to water too.

"Why?" Noah asked her. "You knew I was your son when I told you my full name. You knew Alice was your daughter too. You could've told me that you were really my mother. Why didn't you say anything?"

Now his eyes were watery too.

"You would've hated me because I couldn't keep you. I couldn't fight for you. When I saw you again, I can't tell you how much my heart yearned to tell you everything. You don't have an idea how bad I wanted to hold you, how bad I wanted to tell you that I've missed you."

"I'm not an idiot. I'm a fairly open minded guy. I wouldn't judge you until I was aware of everything. You could've told me then. I don't know who I am anymore."

I interjected, "Son, you don't know everything. Rachel wouldn't just leave you. I've seen her missing you, try to rejoice your and Alice's memories everyday, every moment. For all those 17 years I've seen this. You were 2 years old when everything went down."

"Why didn't you try to contact?"

I looked at Rachel and said, "Rachel, it's time that he knows everything."

"But he'll hate me even more."

"He has to know, believe me."

I started telling him all of the story since the beginning.

39 years ago

Daniel's P. O. V.

My name is Daniel Smythe, son of William and Melissa Smythe. My dad worked in a mill and my mom was a housewife. Working in a mill, we didn't have too much of wealth but mom and dad were well known in the community.

I was happy being the six years old, the only child of loving parents, but I got a news that Mom was expecting. I was too much used to having my mom and dad for myself but this new member in my family was kind of going to divide their attention, I didn't like this fact.

My mom must've sensed my discomfort.

"Look dear, you are going to have a little sister. Which means, you'll be her protector, her guardian. You need to take care of her."

"But mom, I was happy alone. I didn't want anyone else than you."

"Remember son, to be able to protect someone, to have someone in your life to care for is the best feeling in life ever. Soon you will love her. You'll love your little sister, believe me."

I wasn't fully convinced but for Mom I was willing to try.

"Okay Mom. I will wait for that day when I'll have my sister."

"That's my boy," My mom kissed me on my forehead and ruffled my hair a little bit.

6 months later

I was waiting in the hospital. My mom was going to have a baby that day. After waiting for so long, I went to the vending machine to buy a chocolate bar for me. I was munching on it when a nurse came to me.

"Come on little boy, let's meet your sister."

She took me in the room where mom was sitting while holding my little sister. She was wrapped in white cloth. She looked so delicate, I didn't understand what I was feeling right at that moment.

My mom looked at me and smiled.

"Will you hold her Danny?"

"Yes."

She handed her to me. "Careful, hold her with both hands. When I held her, she showed her toothless smile. I remembered what my mom said, I was her protector. I kissed her forehead.

"Welcome to the world, baby sister!"

I was in the football team in the school. It was a small school so we didn't compete with the reputed ones. But wherever we played, we played decently. We had a fairly good reputation in our neighborhood.

A year later I had to change the school. There was some boys making fun of newcomers.

"Look who is here. Daniel Smythe, exchange student. Quarterback. With your medium build how do you manage to play, I wonder."

"Look man, I don't want any trouble."

"I really want to see how do you do it. See you in the field. Beat us and there won't be any trouble. Lose and never touch ball again."

He didn't even let me say anything.

During play, we beat them with 2 touchdowns.

"I'm impressed. Joshua." He shook my hand telling me his name. "You play nice, you plan ahead. But you are going to need more body strength. Why don't you join us in the gym?"

"I can't afford it. Whatever exercise I do is at home."

"I have gym stuff in my home. Come to Oak Hill after school. I live there."

"Why this generosity all of a sudden."

"You look like good guys. You are a good player too. If you get selected in the playoffs, it is good for our team too."

"Okay, I'll come."

It's been months since I met him for the first time. Which started as good thing for team is now turned into a friendship. Joshua has a gung-ho attitude but he is good at heart. I used to go to his home everyday. It has really helped me to become stronger.

I still took care of Rachel. Whenever I held her, she would hold my finger with her tiny little hand. To see her smile is nothing less than a reward. I noticed after mom and dad, I am the only one who could calm her down. Mom and dad really understood the role of her protector that I played is a serious one. Dad really wanted to teach me everything about sports he could. But he had problems with breathing sometime because of the work he has been doing in the mill since decades. He knew that I have a good friend in Joshua. Dad and Rachel were close too.

9 years later

I was out of town for two months. We were sent by school for our additional training in football. They thought that they had a good chance of competing against bigger schools. When I came back home, I sensed something in the air that something wasn't right.

I saw mom. Her eyes looked like she had cried recently.

"Mom? Is everything alright?"

She hugged me, "Danny, your dad..."

"What happened to dad?"

"He is sick... He doesn't have a lot of time." She started crying again.

I felt like I was falling into a deep and dark abyss. I started to cry too.

"Where is dad?"

"He is in the bedroom."

I gathered my courage. He had a lifer quality about him. I was going to see him very differently.

I went inside the bedroom. I saw an oxygen mask attached to his face.

"Hello son."

"Hello dad. Why didn't you tell me? I didn't want anything to happen to you."

He tried to get up. He coughed up hard. I leaned him using the lever on the bed.

"Don't ever blame yourself son. You couldn't have done anything to save me. We didn't want my illness to be a distraction against your future. I guess all the dust in the mill finally got to me."

"Dad, I don't know what to do. What would I do without you?"

"I believe you are fully capable of everything that your mother and sister are going to need. They need a shoulder to lean on more than anything else in the world. You have to become their stronger pillar."

"Dad. No! What will happen to Rachel? She loves you a lot."

"It's time that I pass the mantle to you. You have to be the father figure in her life. I have no more than 6 months. Make the best of it."

"Dad, I will try to."

Rachel was listening to everything that he said. She was crying too. She understood that he was not coming back.

"Come inside my beautiful flower." He called Rachel inside.

"Rachel, I have to go far away. I don't really want to. But I have to."

"I heard everything dad. I know you are not coming back."

"I know baby. I really wish it wasn't this way. From now on, your brother is going to take care of you. You have to take care of him too. You have to look out for each other. Promise me."

"Dad, it already sounds like a good bye."

"It's not a farewell my dear. I'll always be in your heart."

She hugged him. He lifted her face, moved her hair away. He wiped her tears with his thumbs.

"I don't want to see you sad baby. Are you going to send me away with tears?"

"Dad, I will do everything that is necessary, I promise."

After 5 months, dad passed away. We did everything we could to make him happy. At his funeral there were so many people. Everyone loved him. He was a respected man. Rachel's condition was worse. She didn't cry, didn't say anything at all.

Everyone said their loving memories of my father.

After they left, We all went in our room. I couldn't sleep. I was lying in my bed doing nothing. After a few moments, my door opened. It was Rachel. I signalled her to sit on my bed. She sat on the bed, her head on my shoulder.

We didn't say anything for a few minutes. I sensed wetness on my hand that was holding hers. I looked at her, she was crying.

"Let out all your emotions my angel."

"Dad didn't want to see me crying."

"He didn't want us to cage our emotions inside too. He wouldn't like it either that your emotions erupt one day."

She then started crying openly. I started to cry too.

2 years later.

I was 17. I wanted to join the military. Joshua had already enlisted himself. I thought I could do something for the country and take care of my family simultaneously. I gave my mom the consent form.

Mom read it and looked at me.

"Son, you don't have to do this."

"Mom, I want to do it for us. Please try to understand."

"But son, it's dangerous."

"You don't understand mom. You've lived in fear enough. It's time that you lived fearlessly."

"Have you ever thought what Rachel will think of it? She's lost her father, she can't lose you."

Suddenly Rachel entered the room.

"What is it mom?"

She took the paper from Mom's hand And read it.

"Danny, please don't do this."

"Rachel, I'm doing it for you. For us."

"What if something happens to you? What if you don't come back?"

"I will come back, I promise. I'm not getting rid of you that easily."

She cried a little then.

"Mom, please let him." The courage that I saw in her eyes is something that made me love her even more. I knew it was breaking her heart and scaring her but she did it.

One year later of my joining I got a letter from Rachel that Mom had found someone. I know she didn't want to but Rachel must've convinced her that she didn't have to live her life alone just because of us. Rachel was in her 8th grade. The guy seemed good enough.

Six months later I was home for holidays. When I entered the home, he wasn't there. I then saw my mom. She saw me and couldn't stop her tears. She hugged me. When I touched her back to hug her back, she flinched.

I saw a scar on her back.

"Mom, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Nothing son. I just fell down the stairs."

It didn't add up. I needed to find it out.

"Mom, I got to go to New York."

"You just came."

"Don't worry mom, I have to report to my senior officer. I'll be back tomorrow."

I took my bag and booked a hotel room. I then went to Rachel's school. I saw students coming out of classrooms. The school day must've been over.

Rachel saw me on the gate. She couldn't believe that I was actually there. I poked on her nose.

She hugged me and cried.

"Danny why did you leave us alone?"

"I'm here baby. I didn't leave you. Come, let's go for an ice cream."

We then went to an ice cream shop.

"One butterscotch and a chocolate chips ice cream please."

The vendor gave us our ice creams. He had chairs and tables for customers. I pulled a chair for her and then sat on another one.

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"About what?"

"Finish this first."

After we finished our ice cream, we went to the park nearby. We sat on the bench there.

"Rachel, I saw a scar on mom's back. She says she fell from the stairs. A scar like that? I don't believe it."

She hugged me and started crying.

"Rachel? What's wrong? Tell me what happened."

"Our step father... He comes home drunk and beats her. Everyday."

"That son of a bitch. Why didn't you tell me? I could've done something about him."

"He is well connected. He said he'd have you or Mom killed if I tell you or anyone anything."

"Your brother is a marine, remember?"

She snorted and nodded.

"What time he comes back home?"

"Around 10."

"I've told Mom that I'm in New York. I'll come home tomorrow. Keep the back door open at around 9:50. I'll see what to do."

"Okay."

"Now go home and don't tell Mom that I didn't go to New York. I would drop you home myself but I'm supposedly on the way to New York right now."

I got ready at around 9 o'clock. I reached home backyard around 9:30 then in a few minutes I heard the locks click.

I went upstairs in her room.

Around 9:55, I heard some cuss words in a male voice.

"You bitch. Why food isn't ready. I told you make it quick."

"Please listen to me."

"Shut up. Just shut up. You are a worthless whore and your worthless son of a bitch is away. He is nothing but a spineless prick."

I heard then mom crying. I silently went downstairs. I saw him using his hand to slap her. I went in and I held him by his wrist.

"Danny?" I saw surprise on her face.

"You prick. You are back? You are a worthless son of a bitch that couldn't stand to be home."

"Get out." I told him trying to stay as calm as possible.

I held him by the collar and pushed him to the wall.

"Look, you've already hit and disrespected my mom. Still, I'm telling you to stand down like an honourable man. If you have even a little ounce of self respect then you'll shut up and show yourself out."

This may have triggered something in him. He just lost every ounce of sense he had. He gathered all of his rage and tried to punch me in my face. I caught his fist in my hand firmly and twisted it.

"Aaarggh, noo!" He screamed in pain.

"Spend one more second here and I'll make sure that rats and vultures will eat your fingers for dinner."

I let loose of his fist and held him by the neck. "If I see you near mom or my sister, if you even look at her, even if you breath the same air that they do, I'll make sure that after I've beat you to death, I will let you live. I'll come after you again. Again I'll beat you, again I'll leave you alive. This will go on until you will beg me to kill you. Even after then, I will beat you silly and throw your limp bloody body in a desert. What kind of death you want there, you can pick. Either you'll die of dehydration or vultures or snakes or something else will find you. Get out now."

I threw him out of the door and locked it from inside. Then mom and Rachel both of them hugged me.

"You could've told me mom. You should've told me."

"I didn't want to let your anger make decisions for you."

"Even if it does, tell me is it really unjustified? Mom, I promised dad to look after both of you. Now I see that I've failed."

"You didn't my son."

I made a decision in my head.

"You know what? Pack your bags, both of you."

"Why?" Mom said with questions in her eyes.

"Come, stay with me. I'll have all the necessary stuff arranged to be shifted in the new house."

"New house?" Rachel looked at me with surprise.

"Yes, I knew mom wouldn't want to sell this house. I understand that it has dad's memories in it. But now, circumstances have changed. I have got a house where families of my marine buddies live nearby."

"But Danny, this house."

"I know Mom. You don't have to sell it, but stay in my new home at least for the time being."

They packed the bags, we left in the new house that I had bought. I had put a word to my buddies that I needed them to look out for Mom and Rachel. All of the necessary stuff that Mom and Rachel wanted was shifted to the new home in two days. I spent all of my Christmas vacation in the new home. Mom had made friends with all of the families in these few days.

I had to report back to the base. I had packed everything necessary in the last night. Both of them had tears in their eyes.

"Mom, you are safe here. Nobody can get even near you. I'll come back soon. Don't worry." I then looked at Rachel. "Rachel, look after her, will you?"

"Yeah, I will."

Both of them hugged me tightly. I then left for the base then.

4 months later

I was posted in Afghanistan. We had received an information that there was a hostage situation.

Our unit managed to rescue all of the civilians but one of them was still in possession of one of the terrorists. He seemed like Ukrainian or Russian by his accent.