Part 349: Meeting of Two Families

Hurley took a large gulp of ice water to quench his parched throat. The big man was getting a sore throat, trying to tell his mother the story of the Island and not get interrupted. She was so worried about him, she couldn’t even hear the story. And when he mentioned about evil soldiers with guns and various other points, it really didn’t help her at all. “I am so happy, Madre de dios,” she said, crossing her, “That those brave me were there to protect my boy.”

“Maaaaa.” Hurley said, rubbing his eyes, “For the last time, will you please calm down? I’m here, and I’m okay. It’s all over.”

“Oh, my boy, is all right,” she said, kissing each of his cheeks.

“Yes, it is good to have you home, Hugo,” Haperlin replied.

“I’m glad you were taking care of my mom, Ken,” the large man shook his hand.

“As per your Will, which now is no longer binding. I’ve contacted Mr. Pillson to get the documents ready to bring you back to life. Mr. Chiles was most helpful in speeding up that procedure.”

“Yeah, he’s been pretty good, dude,” Hurley stood up, “Well, if you don’t mind, Ken, I have someone I wish my ma to meet.”

“Well, before you go, there is one thing, I need you to sign off of.” He pulled out a handful of papers from a briefcase.

“Again with the money!” Carmen grunted, “I do not care about the stupid money. My boy is home and that is enough, Harperlin!”

“Mrs. Reyes, I am only doing my job as the protectorate of his estate.” The accountant defended himself.

“Ma, for the last time, calm down,” Hurley said, taking the papers, “What is this?”

“It’s the executive order to sell your Multimedia company in Las Vegas.” He said, handing him a pen.

“I have a multimedia company?” the large man questioned.

“Yes. Amazingly enough, about nearly two months ago, a large company out of New York City swooped in and wanted to buy it. They’ve been buying out the major stock holders and last but not least was you. They only recently made their bid for your stocks two weeks ago.”

“Really? How much am I worth in this company?”

“Eighty million.”

Hurley dropped his pen. As his mother reached down to pick it up, the full scope of Haperlin’s words popped into her head as well. The large man coughed and then looked confused. “Eighty million?” Hurley whispered, “They want to buy my stocks . . . .for eighty million?”

“That’s right,” Harperlin laughed.

“So . . .I’m about to be richer?”

“Uh . .yeah.”

Hurley quickly looked toward his mother. “Has anybody died?” he asked.

“Hugo!” she gasped, “Of course not! What kind of question is that-“

“Ken,” the large man turned back to his accountant, cutting off his mother, “You said this company started buying stocks around what time?”

“About two months ago,” the accountant blinked, “Why?”

Hurley slowly leaned back and rested his head on the wall. Two months ago, they were knee deep in trouble with the Liberation. They had fought their way out and Mia had managed to access the Watchman computer. The one that said certain people on that Island had an electromagnetic imbalance. Mia pressed the reset button and it was marked on Hurley, saying that the curse had been reversed. He just got eighty million and no one had died. The large man then quickly signed the papers.

After he handed them to his accountant, he helped his mother get up off the bench and slowly leave the room. He had someone very important for her to meet.


Joscelyn was holding onto the glass of water in her meeting room. She had to pause for a second when she realized she was tapping her feet up and down. The young woman took another sip of the water, trying to calm herself down. Joscelyn smirked, twirling her hair with her finger. What did she have to be nervous about? Paige was her sister and she loved her. Derek was the perfect man to marry her sister and she loved him like a brother. They never gave up; all this time, they never gave up. Perhaps it was the overwhelming love she knew they had for her. It was almost enough to make her heart burst.

The door then opened and Paige walked in. She was holding a baby carrier. Derek slowly walked in behind her. The younger sister then set down her baby on the table. Joscelyn slowly stood up, the nervousness leaving her all of a sudden. Paige slowly walked over other; using the chairs at the table as a crutch. She was finding it more difficult to walk at the moment. “Joe?” she said, her eyes swelling up with tears, “Is . .is it really you?”

“It’s really me, Paige.” Her sister smiled.

Paige then cried and embraced her sister, holding onto her. Joscelyn began to cry too, missing her sister deeply. Paige was going to off her sister a place to stay and more than that, a home where she would feel welcomed. Her idiotic internet romance fell through in Australia and Joscelyn surely couldn’t go back home; not after what her mother did to help her escape her abusive father. Paige was there with her at that moment, offering her the home she had always wanted. “I love you so much,” Paige wept.

Hearing her sister say those words, only make Joscelyn weep even more. Derek stood by and smiled proudly. He loved his wife and the giant heart for her family she always seemed to have. “I told them you weren’t dead,” the younger sister sniffed, “Didn’t I, Derek?”

“That’s right,” the young man smiled, “Despite was the authorities kept trying to say, Paige would say if they didn’t bring her my sisters body, then she’s not dead.”

“Thank you so much for never giving up.” Joscelyn kissed her sister on the cheek.

“And now we got you home where you belong. We’re going to take care of you, okay?” Paige assured her.

“I love you too, Paige.” The older sister smiled, “Now, where is my niece?”

“Yeah, come over and let me introduce you to our pride and joy.”

Paige took her older sister by the hand and led her over to the table where the baby carrier was. The baby smiled at the approaching Aunt and started to kick her feet. “Oh, my god, She is gorgeous,” Joscelyn smiled.

“Connie is already smiling,” Paige wiped her eyes with a tissue,” I can already tell you two are going to get along fine.”

“May I hold her?”

“Oh, Joe,” the younger sister playfully nudged her, “You don’t have to ask my permission for such a thing.”

Joscelyn slowly picked up the little baby. She cooed and smiled at the warmth of love she was feeling for her aunt. The baby rested her head on her shoulder and Joscelyn nearly broke down in tears. She was there and with her new family. It was almost overwhelming. “Paige, you want to tell her?” Derek mentioned.

“Tell me what?” her sister inquired.

Paige reached into their child’s diaper bag by the side pouch. She then pulled out a folded piece of paper and proceeded to unfold it. She handed it to her older sister with a bright smile on her face. “Mom sends her love.” She whispered.

“What?” Joscelyn gasped. She took the paper and proceeded to read it.

Dearest Joe
I am so happy to hear you are alive, my sweet. When your sister told me you had gone down in that plane crash, I feared the worse. I think it was your own sister’s unstoppable spirit that kept me from believing you were dead. Now she told me they received word that you crashed on an Island with other people and you survived. God smiled down on our family that day, Joe. After all we’ve been through, we deserved our own little miracle. I am so happy you are alive, baby. I miss you terribly. I look forward to hearing from you when you are settled in. I love you, my angel.

Mom

Joscelyn was so overwhelmed with emotion, she could no longer hold her niece. She gently gave the baby over to Derek. She took another look at the paper and realized it was a printed document from an email system. “Mom is all right?” she whispered.

“Mom is more than all right, Joe,” Paige smiled, “She’s left dad.”

“She . . .did?” she coughed.

“That was the whole plan. My running away was the first start. You getting injured was the second part. When the drunken bastard raised his hand to her, that was the final straw. She left him forever.”

“Where is she? Is she here?”

“No, sadly, she is not. She didn’t want to give our father any indication of where we might be. That’s . ..why we really shouldn’t go see her, Joe. And why she won’t come see us.”

“But . .where is she, Paige? She is safe.”

“She is better than safe. She is having the time of her life. She’s in the Bahamas.”

“The Bahamas?” Joscelyn giggled.

“Mom took all her funds and moved there to live. She always had my email which is how we can contact her now. We’ll always talk to her, Joe. But it’s best not to know where she really is.”

“So, if Dad does find us . . .if we don’t know, than he won’t know.” Joscelyn shook her head, wiping her cheek, “We shouldn’t have ever had to make this sacrifice.”

“I know, Joe, but we did. Hey, at least we got each other now.” Paige gently rubbed her sister’s arm, “What better Christmas present could we have gotten?”

Joscelyn smiled. Paige was right. In her own way, she was telling them they should be thankful for what they have. And perhaps it was enough. She wished they could all be one happy family but mom knew as long as her daughters was safe, she would be happy no matter what. It was truly was enough to be thankful for. Joscelyn finished wiping her tears. “Hey,” she gleamed, “I got somebody I want you two to meet.”


Hurley began to walk down the hallway toward where he knew Joscelyn would be. He had his mother in tow and she wouldn’t stop asking him who they were meeting. As much as the big man wanted it to be a surprise, he was a few second away from telling his mother who she was just to shut her up. Then as he turned the corner, he blinked when he saw Joscelyn and her family walking toward them. The young scarred brunette smiled at him, realizing they had both done the same thing. Within seconds, they made up in the hallway. “Hey, Hurley,” she grinned.

“Hey, Joe.” He smiled.

“Who is this?” his mother inquired.

“Is this who you wanted us to meet?” Paige smiled at his presence.

“Paige, Derek, This is Hurley.” Joscelyn smiled.

“Mom, this is Joscelyn,” Hurley smiled.

“This is my boyfriend/this is my girlfriend.”

The young couple blinked when they said their sentences at the exact same time. They looked at each other and it was a mutual understanding in their eyes. Paige was little thrown back by the statement, wondering who this man was and where she found him. Mrs. Reyes was flabbergasted as well, not expecting her son to have a girlfriend till he lost all his weight. Derek seemed to be the only one able to say anything. He reached over from his wife and held out his hand. “Well, great to meet you, Hurley,” he laughed.

“Likewise, Derek.” He chuckled, shaking his hand.

The young man’s greeting shook the other two ladies out of there momentary freeze. Mrs. Reyes smiled and laughed with joy, as she took Joscelyn’s hand and embraced her. “Hello, child,” she laughed, “It is so wonderful to meet you!!”

“Hello, Mrs, Reyes,” Joscelyn laughed.

“Now, now, you can call me Carmen,” she said, patting her hands.

“Nice to meet you, Hurley,” Paige said, shaking his hand, “You meet up with my sister on the Island?”

“I did. We were great friends out there and I think . .we’ve grown closer.”

“I couldn’t have survived without Hurley,” Joscelyn replied, mostly for her sister and Hurley’s mother to hear.

Paige looked at her and could tell the sincerity in her voice. She smiled brightly then leaned up, kissing Hurley on the cheek. “Thank you for doing that.” She smiled.

“Hey, dude, “ Hurley laughed, “It’s one of the few things I am proud of.”

The two families started to intermingle and talk between one another. Paige allowed Mrs. Reyes to hold her baby. The young woman smiled as well, glad to see a “mother” figure in her lives. Joscelyn walked over to Hurley, as he placed his arm around her. She held onto him; her own giant teddy bear. The large man smiled at the woman he called now girlfriend and their own families getting along.

Things were finally starting to go his way after all.