The Windy City, Chi-town, the City of Big Shoulders. Chicago is what Jack calls home. His mother took him out in the wheelchair to where they were going to meet his non-biological father, Matias. “Mom, I think I can walk from here, no?” Regina shook her head in disagreement, “No, baby. You shouldn’t force yourself. Your dad said he was going to be outside waiting for us.” As they made their way to the exit, Jack looked over to a nurse who was waving goodbye. He waved back at her.

“Who are you waving at?” Regina looked around noticing that Jack was waving towards a wall. Jack didn’t respond. ‘Maybe he’s just tired,’ she thought. She reached the exit where she made Jack stand up and handed the wheelchair to a nurse who was nearby. Both looked around, realizing that Matias hadn’t arrived just yet. Regina let out a snicker, “Typical.”

Jack turned to look at her, “Mom, why don’t you call him? Maybe he’s already around here somewhere.” She nodded, taking out her phone as he spoke to her. She looked through her contacts to find Matias on her phone and dialed. As she tried contacting him, Jack looked around to find a place to sit. He eventually sat on the ledge of one of the windows from the hospital building. 

“Jack, are you able to walk? Your father is around the corner. He said he was moved by the hospital’s security guard.” Jack held himself up from the window. “Yeah, I think I can walk.” His mother proceeded to hold him from his back, making sure he wouldn’t stumble back. They walked down the busy parking lot, where Jack received fresh summer air for the first time in two weeks. After a while, they found Matias’ truck parked on the side, with the emergency lights on.

Jack and Regina approached the vehicle and opened its doors. “Hey, Jack. How are you feeling?” Jack hopped on the back seats of the car. He leaned forward to hug the man he considered his father. “Hey. I’m good now, just very weak.” Regina closed the door as soon as she climbed into the car. Jack leaned on the window, looking out of it as his parents started to speak. 

Once they reached their house, Jack noticed his two siblings, Jose and Kandy moving items out of the house. He opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle to greet them. “Crees que Marta y sus hijos esten bien quedandose solos?” Matias and Regina started to talk. She shrugged, “Pues, I don’t know, pero, as her mother, I’m tired of seeing her mistreat her kids. It was the best decision for us to just move out.”

Marta, the eldest sister, walked out of the building, greeting her youngest brother. Her four children followed behind, as she was taking them to see their father at Cook County’s correctional facility. Regina stepped out of the car and called out to her, “Mija, a donde vas?” As they started to talk Jack walked inside the apartment with Kandy.

“Did you miss me, Jack?” He smiled, holding a letter that he had received from his mother when he was back at the hospital, “Yeah, when I got your letter I started to cry, honestly. I’m grateful that you went to visit me at least once.” She frowned, “Are you saying that because of Matt?” Jack nodded, “I mean since I remember he’s been with us. To me, he’s my father, and not once he went to see how I was doing.”

Kandy looked around the kitchen; she approached the box that contained her possessions and picked it up. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Jack. Don’t take it personally.” She started to exit the apartment, leaving the door open behind her, “If you need anything, we’ll be downstairs.” He beamed at her. After she walked out, Jack thought it was best for him to take a shower.

He remembered the procedure, to avoid getting his wound too wet. He walked over to the living room, where Marta and her kids had a mess. He started looking for his clothes inside a drawer from a piece of furniture and selected a blue hoody and a pair of black jeans as his outfit. A loud noise was heard in the kitchen as if a glass had fallen from the table. Jack stood up and faced the kitchen.

His eyes widened as he witnessed a floating, dark, humanoid figure being all too curious in his family’s items. “HEY!” The dark figure looked up, holding his large, gambler hat. It floated away into the next room. Jack chased it into the room that he and Jose shared. Inside, there was nothing to be seen. “What the hell was that?” He stepped inside the bedroom, to investigate under the beds, but to no avail. 

“Okay, mija. Te cuidas.” Regina waved goodbye to her eldest daughter and her four grandchildren as they made their way. She looked at Kandy and Jose, who were lifting items and setting them into the truck with Matias’ help. “What do I help you with?” Matias shook his head, “Nothing, love. Go inside and help Jack with his belongings instead.”

As she turned to walk inside the apartment, Jack hustled out. “Mom! I just saw a guy, a man wearing all black was in the kitchen! He wasn’t touching the ground though!” His mother grabbed him by the shoulders, “Jack! Jack! It’s okay. Show me where you saw him…” Matias and Jack’s siblings stood in the street, watching as Regina took him back inside the apartment.