I stared at Jimmy as he rolled in the grass, "Look." I pointed to Ella, who giggled, almost two years, I couldn't believe how fast time was flying. "Poy," she gurgled. I bounced her on my hip, her blue eyes glittering and big, adorabley goofy, toothy grin spread on her rosey cheeks. "Someday little rockstar, you're going to be less of a daddy's girl and more of a cowgirl," I winked. Ella laid her big black head of curls on my shoulder and sighed, my cue for nap time.
As we walked back to the house, Bobby was standing outside watering flowers, Mother J, in a rocking chair on the front porch a perfect sight, a perfect family. I sighed wishing to God, that my Daddy could see me all grown up. Allowing me to show him how grown up his own little girl had become, a mother, a wife, and daughter in law, so much different than the seventeen year old he'd left here what seemed centuries ago. I missed him but as always serving the country just never allowed us to be together. I hadn't spoken to him in over a year and today, my heart was aching for him.
"Hey beautifuls" bobby smiled, "I was wondering when you two would be back from wonderland." He smiled taking the sleepy baby and handing me the hose. I smiled up at him.
"We had to come back," I smiled at the sleeping baby, "it was nap tiime." "I see, well let's go then shall we?" I watched as they disappeared into the house.
"He's so happy," Mother J, smiled after him. "I've never seen him more alive." "I've never been happier." I agreed. Mother J smiled, and continued to knit.
Later after supper Bobby was giving Ella a bath, and I was sipping some wine out on the front porch when an ugly and all to familiar limo pulled up to our curb. Standing up I braced myself for the worst. "Emily?" Nicander's father stepped out of the back seat. "Hello, can I help you?" I replied coldly. "i have just been from seeing my son, his lawyers wanted me to give you this." I took an manilla envelope out of his hands.
"What is it?" I asked. "A court ordered hearing for custody of the baby." His eyes seemed sad, but his expression seemed...rather happy. "Are you kidding me?" Bobby's voice came from behind me. I felt my guard drop, and the tears clump up in my throat, now I wished my father was really here. "The hearing is in a few weeks, be sure to get a good lawyer," he seemed to warn us and then walked quietly back to his car.
"Emily you swore that we would be safe here," Bobby boomed. "WE ARE SAFE, look Nicander isn't getting out of prison, custody would go to his parents!" I knew it was a bad arguement. "Emily, she's our baby we've raised her for the last two years of her life, watched her grow, it's not their place." He hissed. I felt the tears burning my eyes, I hate being wrong, but mostly I just didn't want to lose my baby. "Em, listen I'm not angry with you, you couldn't have foreseen it, I'm sure it would have happened at any place. But, this just hits me too close to home plate, I told you that this wasn't a safe place. I told you we'd be too easy to find." "WEll it isn't as if we're fugitives or anything, we're not running from the law, it's just..."I trailed off. 'I'm going for a walk," I whispered. I clamly left theliving room.
As I brushed JImmy and thought things over, everything became perfectly clear. Nicander was a permanent part of my life. I sighed and pulled out my cell phone, slowly I dialed my dad's place. The phone rang over and over until my ear ended up falling asleep. He was not there and I didn't know what to do. I put Jimmy back in his stall and walked back up to the house. Bobby was watching TV and looked at me as I walked in.
"You OK?" He asked. I nodded, and climbed into his arms. "I just...don't understand. When I start to lead a perfectly ordinary life, he always comes back. No judge in Canada would give that family custody of my baby, and that is that." Bobby nodded. "But why does he always try?" I murmered. Bobby thought for a long while. "Maybe because, he's really just that messed up in his head Em, maybe he really believes that you two are in love, that he's going to have you in the end." That is what I am afraid of, I thought, that he will have me again, in the end.
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