"Finding a love in someone who supports everything you do is priceless," -C.T

"Oh wow, I didn't know food under 10 dollars could taste this good!"

Joaquin gave me an unimpressed stare, sitting down next to me as I ate the food that he brought me from the restaurant. "Careful. You're starting to sound like a spoiled brat," He rolled his eyes sarcastically with a smirk, letting me know that he was just playing with me. "Yea, of course, it does. Ingredients don't need to cost thousands of dollars just to make food taste good. It doesn't matter what you have, but how you make it work together to make the food tasty," He winked and I blushed, sensing that there was some innuendo there.

"Master, I'm so sorry for not being there to protect you!" I heard an unmanly wail before arms wrapped around my waist. "Huh? Pierre!?" I sputtered in surprise and in amusement, patting his back softly as he cried into the blanket. One would never be able to tell that he was older than me. "It's alright, Pierre," I muttered with a grin. Before, I would never let myself get this close to anyone who worked for the Thorn name, but here I was. 

A shame.

"He was panicking on the way here because he thought you wouldn't like him anymore," Holly giggled from Joaquin's lap as the door shut behind her. "Stop crying, you wuss," I snorted in disbelief as he started crying more, clutching me to him. Joaquin shot him a look of annoyance that he couldn't see, but it was fine because I directed my attention to his daughter.

"Yeah, your birthday is coming up, Holly," I got her attention with a wide-eyed nod of her head. "What do you want? Ask for anything," I ignored Joaquin's exasperated sigh as I sought out to spoil her. He couldn't stop me. "Um," She got quiet as she removed her gaze from me to look at her twiddling fingers. "Uh," It sounded as if she knew what she wanted, but she was too afraid to ask because it was something unattainable.

"Just ask," I offered gently with a smile. "If you don't tell me, I can't get it for you," I stated casually and she nodded confidently. "When I was staying at the foster home," Joaquin's jaw tightened as if he felt even more guilty. "There was a kid who always stayed with me since no one else wanted to take care of a young boy. I was wondering if he could come live with us too," Her voice sounded so sad as if she couldn't believe that she left him there all by himself. What was with this van Zante family and their guilt?

But before I even addressed that, I had to make sure she understood the full repercussions and the implications of what she was asking me. Furthermore, I had to make sure Joaquin was on the same page. I had no clue how to go about doing things like this or how to include the feelings of someone else. I had to remember, it wasn't just me I had to think about.

But before I could even flick Pierre off of me and get straight to the point, Holly hit me with the facts. "I know we'll have to be a family now so that the boy can feel all of the love from you and daddy. I'm totally okay with you being my mommy if that means that the boy can be loved too," I stifled a choke that threatened to take my whole life out. "Besides, if you make daddy happy, you make me happy so don't leave us," She smiled brightly and Joaquin and I looked at each other, both sharing equal thoughts.

'She is too mature for her own good.'

'Well, if she wants it, then we might as well.'

'I'm with you every step of the way, so no worries.'

'Fine.'

I took a deep breath, tapping Pierre so that he knew to get more information about said boy. This was becoming too familial-like and I had to admit, I loved the idea of a family, especially one with Joaquin.

"So, what is this boy's name?"

I sighed heavily with this new information in my mind, reveling in the silence that had become as soon as Holly and Pierre left to go return her to school. I was scrolling through an album of my paintings, letting my boo see the works that were complete.

"Why don't you open a gallery or a store, something like that so people can actually walk in and see your works?" Joaquin questioned and I turned to look at him in surprise. "I'm not even sure I would know where to start," I explained nervously, realizing that I never made it that far.

"I have a friend who's well versed in that field. He's a drawer by trade, but he has connections so I'll introduce you to him," He waved a hand at me as if I was worrying over nothing. "Y-you'd do that for me?" I furrowed my brow and he raised his as if he was trying to understand why I'd think he wouldn't. 

"No, it's just," I sighed, putting my fork in the styrofoam container. "I never had anyone do that for me," Vivi tried her hardest to buy my paintings, to send them out as the word on the street, and I was so thankful because I couldn't have done without her, but it was something different when someone was actively telling me what they could and how they could it. Joaquin was practically throwing me to the finish line.

"Huh?" Joaquin frowned, contempt in his eyes as he thought about the life that I probably lived, secluding my hobby and my life away from the people who I wanted to show. "It'd be even stranger if I didn't help you. How can I call myself your boyfriend if I don't show my support for what you love?" My eyes widened as he took a sip of water, a lighthearted feeling splashing over me. He really just knew what to say.

Boyfriend.

I'd never thought a word would make me feel so giddy inside, but it did.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts and I stared in annoyance to see who interrupted my pleasant thoughts.

"Hi, Mr. Thorn, you have a visitor at the front desk," The nurse smiled as she leaned on the door handle and I tilted my head, waiting for her to continue. "She wanted me to ask if she could come back to talk to you," I pouted just a bit, not sure why Vivi, Davina, Holly, or Tara felt the need to do that because I had put them down on the list for access to come in without being checked. "Who is it?" I asked and the nurse looked at her clipboard before returning to me, a cold and hollow breeze shaking the air around me.

"Christine Thorn." 

I clenched my hand, grinding my teeth as I shook my head. My first instinct was to yell out no and demand the nurse tell her that she was never allowed to ever come to see me, but Joaquin intertwined our fingers together in a motion to calm me as he spoke to the nurse. "Can you give a second to think about it?" She nodded sweetly before exiting the room, the door shutting behind her.

Then I whirled around him, wondering where he got off on that. "The fuck do you mean a second to think about it?! My answer is fucking no!" I screeched and he let out a breath, fixing his steely gaze on me. "Cheyenne," He said my name in a tone that made me stop talking so I could listen. 

"I know you still have a lot of pain because Christine left you behind to go live her life while you had to endure Sterling's harsh treatment. No one is excusing that pain," He kissed the back of my hand endearingly, smiling softly. "But please don't hold a grudge. It will only make you unable to be fully happy," He said with a soft whisper that made me wonder if he was speaking from experience. "Life is really too short for you to hold onto that anger."

I folded my arms, pinning him with a cruel stare. I didn't say anything to him, but I gave the nurse a curt nod when she walked back in, awaiting my answer. I didn't say anything even after that, a gnawing feeling growing in my stomach. 

"You better be fucking right about this, van Zante," I cursed, hating that I inadvertently started to tremble as if I was remembering that same night. God, I knew I wasn't over it. "Trust me on this, babe," Joaquin rubbed my hand and I hated that it calmed me down. It was as if my anchor switched from the anger and hatred that I held to the support and the love that I got from Joaquin.

This fucking bastard.

"Hiya, Cheyenne! Are you okay?!" I heard her before I saw her, and I knew that she was standing on the side of my bed, her tears practically wetting the air. I sighed deeply, willing that annoyance and anger to stay down just for a little bit. "Yes," I replied in a cool tone and she nodded, continuing to go on. "I hope that bastard rots in the darkest parts of hell. Luckily, Vivi and I managed to get a punch on him just before he was taken to prison," I blinked in absolute shock, wondering how they managed that.

I managed a terse smirk at the thought before shaking my head. "Why are you here?" I folded my arms, leaning back against my pillows so that I didn't have to be so close to her. Who knew? Maybe this was just some ruse for her to try and kill me like Sterling did. 

"I-I," She stammered, trying to find her ground. "I just wanted to come by and see you, you know," She confessed and I rolled my eyes, tired of hearing that same old excuse. "But did I say that I wanted to see you, Christine? Do you really think that of all people, I'd want to see you?" I harshly seethed, watching her recoil in pain and hurt.

"That would've been a fine excuse eight years ago, you know, had you not have left," I was over it, honestly. I didn't know what Joaquin expected me to. I couldn't look at her and not feel betrayed because she went on to live her life and smile and do all the things she wanted but I couldn't. "Now, I don't blame you for Sterling's treatment towards me, but I do blame you for knowing and not doing a thing about it. You don't understand what has happened in these last eight years."

There was no way that she could ever comprehend the strife, the anguish, the need to be accepted by a man who you thought had your back, the need to be free, the need to just live.

Never ever.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you behind, my dear brother!" She wailed and I stilled in my position, unsure of what to do if she was going to touch me in the midst of her actions. Joaquin gave me a look that told me to think about what I was doing and I did. "I swear to God on my life, I'm so sorry!" I could hear the grief in her tone, see the regret and sorry in her blue eyes and I unfolded my arms as I started to speak.

"Are you happy?" I questioned and she looked utterly confused, her eyes darting around my face for clues. "Huh? What? What does that have to do with anything?" I rolled my eyes, realizing that she was still a dunce. "Are. You. Happy?" I emphasized every single word and she slowly nodded, a bright smile and I sighed heavily, looking away.

"Then stop apologizing. I'm tired of hearing you say I'm sorry without even doing anything to back it up. If you're sorry, don't tell me. Show me!" I snapped, her eyes widening as she came to an understanding. 

The only way that I could see myself moving on from that world of hurt that she and Sterling caused me was to look at what positive things came out of it. I met Joaquin and I met Holly and I met Tomas. I learned how to work on my own, to develop great relationships with people. The ultimate thing was the fact that I learned how to love when that mindset was destroyed, and I considered that to be the greatest feat ever.

"If you can do that," I finally fixed her with a stare that didn't hold anger or disgust. "If you can prove to me that you deserve to be in my life after all this time," I sharply inhaled, feeling Joaquin rub circles into the back of my hand.

"Then I might think about the idea of giving you a second chance."

She started to cheer in happiness, thinking about all the things that she could do to prove her worth. I only did so because I hated seeing Joaquin have that glum look on his face like he had so much to regret, so it was incredibly worth sacrificing this grudge to see that bright smile on his face as he became the victim of Christine's prodding questions.

That night, I had my very last nightmare and it was okay because Joaquin was there.