Chapter 11

*Time pass, 1 week*

Stella's POV

"Do you have to go?" I ask sadly.

El sighs, "I'll be fine. Only a year and I don't have to go back," he says.

I sigh and wrap my arms around his neck once more. He hugs me back tightly, lifting me off the ground.

"Please be safe," I say quietly, crying.

"I will be. I love you," he says and presses a kiss on my forehead.

"I love you too," I sniffle and kiss his cheek for a few seconds, still in his arms.

"Oh, I almost forgot.." he says and hands me three envelopes

I wanna open one, but he stops me, "Not before I'm gone, okay?" he asks.

I nod and he places me on the ground, "Stella, one more thing," he says and wipes my tears away as I raise my eyebrows at him, "I care about you. Everyone does. So whenever you feel a need to hurt yourself, think about that," he says and touches the envelopes.

I nod with tears and he kisses my hair, "See you in a year sis," he says.

I nod, "See ya," I say quietly.

He sighs and slides his hand over my hair before leaving into the bus. I sigh and look at the envelopes in my hands.

I turn around and walk to Rich, "You okay?" he asks.

I sigh and nod. He kisses my forehead and I keep looking at the envelopes.

"What are those?" he asks, his arm around my shoulders.

"I have no idea," I say.

He sighs, "Open them at home. Come on," he says and hands me my helmet.

I give him the envelopes and he puts them into his bag and jumps on his bike. I get on it as well and wrap my arms around him. I got to miss school because of this, what's cool. But that's alright, since I'm ahead in all of my classes anyways.

He starts driving and I keep thinking about El's leg and the army and everything.

*Time pass, 30 minutes*

"You'll be fine on your own, right?" dad asks as I sit down on the couch.

"I'll be okay, dad," I chuckle, without even thinking about it.

I put the envelopes on the couch next to me and start to take one, but then realize what I just said to him.

My eyes widen and I look up at him. He's grinning so big.

I start to smile a little, "You like it, don't you?" I smile.

He chuckles, "You have no idea," he says and kisses my hair, "See you tonight," he says.

I smile and nod. He goes out of the trailer with a big smile. I pull my legs on the couch and cross them, taking the first envelope.

"I have a dad," I whisper to myself, starting to smile even more. I've been hoping to have one since I was 4.

I open the envelope that has number 1 written on it.

Here's a letter. I open it and start reading.

Dear daughter,

My eyes widen. When did they have time to wrote this?

Dear daughter, I don't know your name yet. Well, actually I don't even know if you're a girl. I hope you are. We already have a boy... I'm 3 weeks pregnant at the moment. No one knows. I'm not sure how to tell Thomas. Or.. Maybe not Thomas. Maybe it is Rich.

I gasp air quietly and keep reading.

We had a love affair. I love hin as a friend. But I also love him. So much more than Thomas.. But I'm not aure who's you are. I really hope you're Rich's. It would be easier to confess my love then. 12.22.2001

Wow. So that's from her diary. I take the next page.

He made us move away. Can you believe it?! Thomas fucking threatened me. He hit me. All my love for that man is gone. I never had the change to say goodbye. Not to the Hawks not to Rich. I haven't even seen his son yet. He was so happy when he got to know that Anna was having Max. I never liked Anna. But he loves her, not me, so I'm just happy for Rich. Now, Thomas changed our numbers and everything. There's not a way to say goodbye anymore on to keep in touch. He will never know about his daughter. Ever. 01.06.2002

I sigh. I know that he hit mom and El and even me, though I was little. But I never knew that he made us move away from our real home. I take the other page.

She's Rich's.

My eyes widen.

I mean not blood related. But I treat her like she is one. I have no love left for Thomas. He is just a biological dad. He loves El, but I think he has his doubts about Stella being his as well. So he has tried to hurt her. Though she is just 2 months old. I hate this man. 11.02.2002

I sigh and take another paper. I remember Thomas hitting me many times.

I tried to escale with the kids. Didn't succeed. And Thomas wants to take me somewhere without them. I am sure that he plans on doing something to me. I don't know, where he wants to take me, but I know, that El will take care of Stella, so I'm not worried. I love both of them more than anything in this world. 09.30.2006

I have tears in my eyes. Was my father seriously acting like this? How did I not notice? I only remember him hitting me, but he also hugged me.. Sometimes. Nothing compared to how Rich hugs and kisses me and Max every day.

I open the next envelope. Here is only one paper. With a phone number?!?

I type it into my phone and dial the number. Someone answers it and I hear a quiet chuckling as I wait for him to speak.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Hey Essie," El says and my eyes widen and tears start running down my cheeks.

"H-how?" I breathe out.

He chuckles softly, "You have your own phone now. And they have new rules for a few years now. I get to have a phone in there," he says.

I start to smile so big, "So I can call you?" I cry.

He chuckles, "Yes, baby, you can call me," he says.

I let out a shaky breath, "Anytime?" I ask.

"Anytime," he says, "Did you read the sheets from mom's diary?" he asks.

"Yes," I sigh.

"Do you think he is your dad?" he asks about Rich.

I sigh again, "I don't know. Maybe he does. I have to ask him," I say.

"You think he'll get mad?" he asks sadly.

"No. Whenever I do something so annoying and stupid, he never cares. He just hugs me," I day with a little smile.

"You've gotten lucky, sis," he says, making me smile even more, "I need to go, the plane is taking off," he says.

I sigh, "Okay. I'll call you," I say sadly.

"Yeah," he says, "Love you."

"Love you too. Bye," I sigh and end the call.

I quickly save his number and then open the last envelope what is the thickest. I pull out all the pictures and start to cry as I see them.

They're pictures of me and mom. And of me, mom, and El. No pictures with my father, but that's alright.

I look at the pictures and put them on the table. All of them except for my favorite. Looking at that hurts so much, but also makes me happy. Once I was this happy cute little girl, who didn't have cuts on her arms nor inner thighs, didn't have so skinny body and knew what the word "mom" meant.

*Time pass, 2h*

Rich's POV

I go into the trailer. I see Max sitting in the armchair, just sitting, and staring at Stella with a smile. I smirk at that. He is so in love.

"Hey," I say quietly, seeing that Stella is asleep.

Max looks at me, "Hey," he says and hands me some sheets, "Her mom's diary, I don't know where she got them," he says.

I sigh, "El," I say and sit down on the couch, trying not to wake Stella up.

I see that she is sleeping with a photo pressed onto her chest, where her heart should be at.

"What's that?" I ask Max, pointing on it.

"I suppose El gave her some pictures," he says and points on the ones on the table.

I start to look at them and Max sighs, "At first read the letters, I have questions," he says.

I sigh and do it.

*Time pass, 3 minutes*

"Here," I just say to Max and pull out an envelope from my pocket.

He loons confused but opens it. He sees the test results, "How did you," he starts.

"I started to think about it. Took some hair and... She's bot my daughter," he sighs.

"Good," Max sighs in relief and puts the envelope on the table.

We both hear a loud sob coming from Stella, so we immediately look at her.

Max gets up and squats down next to the couch, next to her head as she keeps sobbing. She starts throwing her head from side to side, making my eyes widen. Max seems calm and I know that she does that a lot.

"Hey," he whispers and shakes her, "Stelle, wake up," he says, but she keeps doing it, "It just a dream," he says and her eyes go wide open.

We both sigh in relief. Stella looks at us with terrified eyes and then starts sobbing loudly.

Max kisses her forehead and I help her to sit up. She does it, still holding the picture.

Max sits on the couch as well and pulls her onto his lap. He wraps his strong arms around her and she hides her face into his neck. He starts softly fondling her hair and kissing it. I just look in amazement, how he is able to calm her down like this. He is whispering some things into her ear, but I have no idea what they are.

"What did you see?" he asks in a few minutes.

"My mom," Stella sniffles and pulls her head away and rests it onto his shoulder.

"Your mom doing what?" I ask.

She sighs, "Getting beaten up by my dad," she says and then looks at me with a sad face.

She starts exploring my face and hair and eyes and everything, not asking anything. I sigh, "I'm not your dad. I thought about it a few weeks ago and sent our hair to somewhere and no," he says.

She sighs in relief and looks at Max for a moment. I smile sadly and she smirks a little, whipping away her tears, "You seem disappointed," she says.

"I am, but also happy, so it doesn't make things weird between you two," I say.

She smiles a little, "Did you see these?" she asks, pointing at the table and at these things.

I smile, "Yes. You were a cute baby," I say , making both of them chuckle.

Max kisses her cheek, "You hungry?" he asks and I roll my eyes. They're always eating.

"Always," Stella says and I smirk as Max gets up and goes into the kitchen.