Josh was the son of a divorced couple. There was nothing he wished more to see his parents together again.
He was lying on his bed, looking to the old picture through his phone, where he was on a picnic with his parents. He was sad, because his parents were divorced recently. His father brought his new girlfriend to the house even before the divorce was finalized.
As Josh had a deep connection with his family, he tried to maintain his distance, as the divorce was rough for Josh. He wanted his parents around him, together again, but they weren’t, and he was missing those moments.
Then Betty, his mother came to his room and said, “Josh! What are you doing?”
“Nothing, mom. Just looking at this old picture of you, me, and dad. It was an awesome picnic. I remember being so angry at you guys for finishing all the strawberries,” he responded to his mother.
“Oh, yes. I remember this. It was so long ago. A different time,” she said to her son, and added, “But I hope you understand things are different between your dad and me now. He isn’t the same man he was there. He seems to only care about himself these days,”
“I just wish things could return to how they used to be,” Josh sighed.
“Yeah, well, that’s life, Josh. Things change,” the mother said to her son. “Come now, get ready for school,” she kissed her son’s forehead.
Betty wished her son would understand that his father, Derek, was not the man he thinks. He was an easy guy, who couldn’t face with hard decisions. He was upset that Betty was pregnant, because he was going to lost his freedom.
On that week, Josh was supposed to meet with the new girlfriend of his father, Sylvia. As Josh was happy that he was going to see his mother, he was not very happy to see his father’s new girlfriend.
“Hi, champ!” Derek welcomed his son.
“Hi, dad,” Josh said, as he entered to the house.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Derek hugged his son, as Sylvia approached them. Then his father kissed the woman, and hugged her behind.
Derek said, “Josh, I would like you to finally meet your new mommy, Sylvia,” but the term, “new mommy” distraught him.
“Sylvia, this is my son, Josh,” Derek continued.
“Nice to finally meet you, Josh. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Sylvia said, as she shake Josh’s hand.
“Nice to meet you too,” Josh said, but accepted that Sylvia was a beautiful woman. But she was not his mother.
They had a great dinner that night. He was happy that he see his father, but he couldn’t escape to look at Sylvia, as he tried to.
As the night continued, he started to like her. They had great conversations over the dinner, and learned that both of them like puzzles.
As he got back home, he taked with his mother about the subject of “new mommy.”
“New mommy?!” His mother, Betty yelled, as she said, “Has Derek completely lost his mind?!”
“I think he was just making a joke. I will admit it was in poor taste, but don’t read too much into it, mom,” Josh said.
As Josh tried to calm his mother, she couldn’t hold herself against the onions, and destroyed themç
“No, Josh!! He can’t say things like that! The nerve!” Betty kept shouting.
“Listen, I don’t want you going over there anymore!” She said, as she was angry.
“Mom, that’s not fair! You can’t forbid me from seeing my own father!” Josh was sad.
“I can and I will! I don’t want you contacting or communicating with him either!” Betty was completely frustrated with the situation. Then Josh went up to his room.
Few weeks passed, as Josh didn’t communicated with his father. But they were texting to Josh, his father and Sylvia.
Then Sylvia called Josh out of nowhere, as he was surprised. He opened and Sylvia said, “Hi, Josh. I didn’t know who else to call,”
“Your dad left me, Josh! I told him I was pregnant, and he just up and left. I don’t know what to do,” she was crying.
“I’m so sorry, Sylvia,” Josh said, as she couldn’t do much, since he was nothing more than a teen boy.
“Please help me, Josh. I’m an immigrant, and I don’t have family here. I’m all alone,” she said.
“I’ll try to talk to my mother and see if she can help,” Josh said.
As Betty heard Sylvia’s name, she lost it again, and didn’t even listened and walked away. Josh was supposed to do something about the issue. He was thinking that he couldn’t wait.
As in one morning, when Betty wake up, she couldn’t find her son at home, and wondered, “Where is this boy?”
As she called him numerous times, she couldn’t reach him. Then the door opened, and Josh came inside, with a baby in his arms. Betty was shocked, as she said, “Josh?! Who’s baby is that? Where did you find the child?”
“I’m sorry, mom, but I couldn’t leave him. This is Sylvia’s child and..my brother,” Josh said.
Betty got frustrated again, as her son didn’t listened to her, and act against her wishes. But the baby had calmed her a little, and she decided to listen Josh’s reason.
Josh said, “As you know, Dad left Sylvia after discovering she was pregnant. She’s an immigrant with no family here, so she was all alone after he left. The pregnancy and childbirth took a toll on her health. And just a few days after she was discharged after giving birth, she was hospitalized and ended up in intensive care,”
Betty asked, “And where do you fall into all of this, Josh?”
“I was the only contact Sylvia had at the hospital. So the doctor called me while I was in school and said she needed someone to take care of the baby while Sylvia was in recovery,”
Betty was frustrated, “You’re 16, Josh! What was your plan here?”
“I’m sorry, mom. But he’s family. I had to do something,”
Betty saw that her son was speaking from his heart, she decided to care for the baby until Sylvia recovered.
As Josh tried to contact with his father, but Derek hung the phone, as soon as he heard about the baby. He cared for his little brother, as his mother stated that he is responsible for the baby.
After a few days, he waited a message from the hospital that Sylvia is recovered and ready to pick her baby, but he didn’t received so he decided to call the hospital.
The doctor sadly explained as, “Sorry to inform you, sir. But Sylvia passed on earlier today from organ failure,”
As Josh was devastated, and shocked, he had no idea what to do about the situation. He couldn’t think to left his brother to be raised in foster house, so he decided to talk with his mother.
As he talked to her, she said, “No!! No way, Josh!! I’m not going to be the guardian of this child!”
“Please, mom!! I’ll adopt him myself as soon as I’m of age. Please!!” Josh said.
“No, Josh!! I’m sorry, that’s just a responsibility none of us are ready for. Especially you. I don’t want to talk about this anymore,”
On the next day, Josh was preparing the bag of his brother, as he was crying. Betty was sad too about the issue, and was thinking about the situation, she stopped Josh, as he was about the leave for the hospital.
“Wait, Josh. Maybe we can give your idea a shot. I mean, he is family, after all,”
As Josh heard his mother, he rushed to her and hugged her. After a few months later, Betty was the legal guardian of the little boy. She named him after her grandfather, Andrew. She started to like him as time passed, and became a son for her.
As Josh became 18, he adopted his brother. He had a girfriend at that time, which they engaged in few months. His girlfriend was happy that she was able to take care of little Andrew too, along with Josh and Betty.
As one day, the family were walking in a park, Derek called out of nowhere, and apologized from Betty, as he wanted to be in the family after learning that Sylvia was passed.
Betty said, “It’s too late, Derek,” then she looked at her son and his girlfriend. “Little Andrew already has a family that loves him dearly. I’d hate for you to mess that up. Goodbye, Derek,”
What do you think? Let us know.
