2:86 The Climb

Zaiden was home. His dad had picked him up from the rehab center. He had made sure his dad brought his check book when he picked him up. He made the large donation to the place that he had planned to make. He really hoped it would be put to good use.

His parents offered to let him stay with them. With Zander and Alana living there, they didn’t have the room for him also. He just wanted to be in his own home anyway.

He knew that his parents were worried that he would start using again. They didn’t need to. He had no intention or desire to get into that again. Too much was riding on him staying clean.

The house felt so empty. He sat in Grace’s room hoping that being around her things would make him feel better. All it did was make him remember how little time he had with her before he fucked up.

Setting in Owen’s room wasn’t any better. He missed the boy being in the room playing on his video games or doing his homework.

Raelyn had told him that she was asking for full custody of the kids. She said that if he could stay clean she may let the kids visit as long as someone else was at the house with them.

It hurt that she didn’t trust him, but he understood. If he had been in her shoes, he probably wouldn’t trust him either. She was trying to do what was best for the kids and keep them safe. Maybe eventually he could earn her trust back and she would see that he was once again the man she had originally fallen in love with. Well, he almost was. He was now older and smarter than he had been.

Zaiden went out to his green house to check on his plants. He was happy to see that someone had been taking care of them while he was gone. He would have to find out who it was and thank them.

He looked around the green house and smiled. Finally he was someplace where he could find a little peace and not be haunted by the emptiness of the house. Out here he had his plants and his bees to keep him company.