Chapter Text
When he woke up, the first thing Trevor noticed was that there was no longer darkness, but that the light entered his room with all the intensity that the sun had. He turned to the clock and read the time when he saw 8:00 am
With what, if he had been younger, would have been a jump, he stood up to run around, picking through his best clothes, which was a problem since he didn't buy anything but the best. "I should donate some of these clothes" he thought, noticing the large number of clothes he didn't wear. Quickly, he went into the bathroom and took the biggest shower he had ever taken in his life. He combed his hair, making sure he looked his best, and left his room.
He stopped at the top of the stairs, somewhat tense almost as if he was expecting to meet another ghost that would show him another scene. Also at that time, he questioned himself a bit. Maybe all of that hadn't been much more than a dream. An imagination that he himself had created. That everything was a lie. But no, he was not going to allow himself to think about that. Because everything he had felt was so real, his senses, his feelings and his lessons, that it couldn't be a dream.
No, he was sure it was real.
Trevor left the house with the keys his driver had left dangling delicately in their place on the wall, walked to his garage, and finally left his property. He ignored the guard's confused look after telling him "Merry Christmas."
It was hard getting to a house he hadn't been to since Carrie had passed 7th grade and had flatly refused to let her father accompany her everywhere, but eventually, Trevor made it to Kayla's house.
He got out of the car and knocked on the door, perhaps much louder than he should have, seized with emotion. In the middle of a bang, the door opened before his knuckles touched the wood and now, a short woman was looking at him annoyed.
"What can I do for you? What makes you knock so desperately on my door on Christmas morning?" said the woman, very serious. Trevor felt shame cover his cheeks.
"Oh I am sorry. Really, but I think my daughter said that there was an invitation for me to join the breakfast and I'm afraid I may have been a bit late” the woman looked at him doubtfully “My daughter's name is Carrie, Carrie Wilson”
The girl's name seemed to totally change the mood of the woman, who broke into a smile.
"It's so good that you were able to come," she said with relief. "She was sure you wouldn't come, but my daughter and I knew you would." The comment ached in Trevor's heart, thinking of how his daughter had given up hope of seeing him that day. "Go ahead, we haven't started yet, but we saved a spot for you."
She stepped aside, letting him in. The smell was so good it almost made Trevor dizzy, like a reminder that he hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon.
As Carrie saw her father cross the room, she dropped the fork she was holding in her hand and was patted by Kayla as she began to cough.
"Dad?" she asked genuinely surprised. Then she composed herself and walked towards him, giving him the strongest of hugs given that Christmas. "Thank you" she whispered in his ear "Thank you so much for coming"
“From now on” he said so that only she could hear him “I'll always accompany you, okay? You will never have to wonder if I will come because I will always do"
"Well," Kayla said, "You came to hug or eat the delicious dinner Mom made," she said in a teasing voice, but deep down she was so happy that her friend got the gift she had been waiting for so long.
They all laughed and it was the signal they needed to start the meal. It was fun, even more than Trevor expected. They ate, talked about all sorts of things, and even sang one or two Christmas songs. It was so much fun that it almost hurt Trevor to have to leave.
"But it's early," Carrie complained. The girl feared that if she let her father go, she would never have what she had that Christmas again, despite her father's promise. But this time, Trevor was seriously allowing it. He even stayed a few more minutes.
When he finally got out, he hurried to the place he knew better than anyone. When he got to the Molina´s house, he regretted it a little. But it was his duty. So he swallowed his pride and knocked on the door.
This door, unlike the one in the previous house, took longer to open. When it did, it was Julie dressed in her Christmas pajamas.
"Uncle Trevor" said the girl doubtfully "Is everything okay?
“Sure” he said “I just thought I'd drop by to wish you a Merry Christmas” he held up the bag in his hand “I brought cake. and my guitar"
Julie took a couple of seconds to answer. She looked at the man and then nodded.
“Go ahead” she smiled “Welcome to the Molina´s house”
"Good, because I have many things to tell you"
~-~-~-~-~-
Outside in the garage, the three boys were silent, which was unusual, considering who was in the group.
“Okay, so maybe.” Luke broke the silence “Maybe he had a shitty life. And just maybe he regrets a little today. But he's still a thief. And we don't know if he'll do anything about it.” Despite the annoyed tone he used, even he wasn't sure about that. The three of them had seen a part of the man's change, but now with their pieces together, it was all very different.
“Luke, stop,” Alex scoffed. “You know he's not a bad person. It's still Bobby, just a lot more attacked by life."
"And old," Reggie said with a grimace.
And then the silence returned. In a few minutes, Julie Molina in her adorable pajamas and attitude that could make even a hungry tiger take a step back, walked into the room.
“Okay, I need an explanation and I know you guys have an answer,” she said seriously, standing in front of them. “Trevor Wilson came to my house for Christmas with some kind of cake offering and he talked about how he had an epiphany or a dream or whatever. It was about mom and his dead bandmates and how they would help him learn the importance of Christmas.” She glanced at each of them. “What happened?”
They looked at her confused
“What do you mean by an explanation? We did what you told us" argued Alex
"What are you talking about?" Julie complained.
"Well, the letter," Reggie explained.
"What letter are you talking about?" the girl almost yelled frustrated for not understanding.
Luke nudged Alex, who stood up and handed the girl a piece of paper, which they had found on the piano the day before.
Julie took it somewhat annoyed, ready to discover the joke of the boys, but when she unfolded the paper and read the first line, she dropped it.
"I did not write this letter" he said almost inaudibly
"So who did it?" Reggie asked
"Guys, this is my mother's handwriting" Julie replied.
The boys looked at her in surprise. Because that was impossible. There was no way, as far as they knew, that Rose Molina would show up at her old house, let alone write a letter.
"But, we know that's impossible, Jules." Luke had stood up, and now he was holding Julie's arm, who looked like she was about to faint. "Right?"
"Well, who are we to say what is possible and what is not?" Alex answered instead.
“Do you really think…?” Reggie began, looking at Julie.
“I think she's trying to help us. All of us. And I think you guys are a very big part of that plan." she said. And then, with wet eyes and to the bewilderment of the boys, she whispered "Signs"