I finish wiping this uncanny man’s face with my sweatshirt. I’ve almost run out of not-bloody parts of it, but I make sure I get his neck and hair. Who did this to him? Whoever- or whatever- it was, they were vicious. Violently vicious where slaughter is the main option. Like some kind of animal. I cover up his ugly stomach wound with my now very red sweatshirt. I take probably the deepest breath I have ever taken.
“Baby I need you and the kids to come down here,” I yell up to the top of the hill with my eyes on Adam.
“Excuse me?” Angela screams in a much higher pitch and tone. “ I thought I heard you say you want us all to come down this steep hill to you and a strange man?”
“Yes babe. That’s what I said. You have to trust me.”
Adam coughs and says so calmly but loud enough, “You can trust me too, Angela. So can your kids. I would never harm you or your family.”
Probably 15 long seconds of silence go by.
“Babe?” Angela says.
“Yes babe.”
“How does he know my name? And why am I overwhelmed with calm and peace when on the surface this is a really bad idea for everyone involved?”
“I don’t know baby. I feel the same thing. Just be careful coming down here. That means everyone.”
“Ok.”
Possibly another 30 long seconds go by and I see Craft and Hops- my two boys- excitedly jumping down the hill. Of course, they would want to go first.
Craft is my son that I mentioned earlier. He’s almost 8 now. He’s a very good looking kid if you asked biased me. He’s mixed with mostly Black and Dutch, and then a bunch of other ethnicities after that. His skin is always a golden brown and he prides himself on not needing any sunscreen because he’s Black and from Africa (his ancestors were from Africa- he is not). He’s a thin kid with dark brown hair and eyes. He looks a lot like me when I was his age, but he is and will be way more handsome.
Hops (short for Hopper which is his middle name) is Angela’s son from her previous marriage. He’s 9 now and a pretty big boy for his age. He has super red hair and beautiful blue eyes. Not a combo you often see- red hair, blue eyes. The sun doesn’t like him for obvious reasons, but he is strikingly handsome. He’s a good kid. We’ve had our issues as any step father and step kid would have- and I will definitely share those stories- but there is a bond that’s growing between us.
Another brief pause and then I see Haley come over the hill. She’s my almost 13 year old daughter and first born. So tall. So beautiful. She has these hazel eyes that are so gorgeous. She’s very smart and a little shy, but I think she’ll grow up just fine.
Then Sage my step-daughter comes down. She is a very special girl. She’s 7 years old right now but I swear she’s 27. She has this old soul inside her that is hard to explain. And I swear she has psychic powers. No joke. I’ll tell you some stories about her too. Her name is Sage for a reason. She is also a very cute little girl. She has dark brown eyes like mine and long dark hair. She is very witty and very mature. We are growing pretty close- her and I.
Then I see Angela come down last. She is so smart and so funny. I’m sure she came up with that order for the kids to come down in a matter of 30 seconds, and gave them a pep talk at the same time. Not only is she smart but she is a beautiful human being, inside and out. Big blue eyes that captivate you with a smile that never let’s go. Her hair is so long and full, and she decided to stop dyeing it a few years ago so there are some tints of grey coming in but-to me- it makes her more beautiful. She’s 38 right now, but she still gets carded because she looks so young. But her beauty on the inside is her best feature. She is just the nicest, kindest person you will ever meet. Mother Theresa would have had some stiff competition if Angela was a missionary. I can go on and on about her and I’m sure I will several times throughout this story, but she is my everything.
So that’s the family in a nutshell. 4 kids and two adults all blended together. I’m obviously quite biased about how great and beautiful they are, but it’s also fact. I can show you pictures. 😉
Angela and I aren’t married yet. We’ve been together for 4 years now, engaged for two. We aren’t in any rush to get married again, but it’s going to happen. For our children’s sake and to show them this is real, it will happen. But we are still trying to make a family here- through all the obstacles.
So there they are- all coming down the hill one by one. Of course Hops and Craft are racing carelessly and I see Hops trip on a rock. The next thing you know he starts tumbling- right towards a very big tree in his path. He’s trying to stop himself but the incline is too steep. At his speed that collision has potential to do some serious bodily harm!
I have to think fast.