by Anna Scott
"Understood, anything else?"
Mr. Moore went on to explain the financial paperwork I should pull together for future proceedings and the details I needed to see to for Kelly. It was all standard items and I was pretty sure that Reed had already taken care of most of it.
As I hung up the call, Reed pulled up in front of my house. It hadn't even been an entire day, but felt like a lifetime had passed since I'd last been there. I knew that nothing would be the same again, not for me or for Kelly. I felt horrible for her and had no idea how she would deal with the loss of her mother.
"I've got your back, Gilli, promise." Reed assured me as he helped me down from the truck before moving to the backdoor to get Kelly.
"Thank you," I whispered, but wasn't sure he heard me.
Chapter 9
Reed
"Mama, do you have a few minutes?" I started. I was sitting outside on Gillian's front porch. I needed the privacy so that Kelly wouldn't hear me talking. Gilli knew that I was calling my mom for reinforcements, and though she wasn't comfortable asking a woman she barely knew for help, she knew she needed it and wasn't stubborn enough to put up a fight. One of the things I admired most about Gillian through all of this shit with her cousin's death was her ability to roll with the changes and not bitch about unimportant stuff.
Sandy, my ex had been like that, pitching a fit over nonsense, thinking back, it was one of the many things that should have been a red flag for me. I tried to push that bitch from my mind again and focus on the beautiful woman and little girl who needed me, just inside the house.
"Of course, son. What's going on?" The joy was clear in her voice, though I spoke to her often, I sometimes felt guilty for not calling her more often.
It was a long story, but mom was attentive and reasonably horrified with the story of Missy. I wasn't at all surprised when she immediately volunteered to help in any way we needed, even before I got the chance to ask.
"I'm going to come right over, that way I can help look after Kelly while you and Gillian get her room ready."
"No, mama, you don't have to do that."
"I don't have to but I'm going to, unless you think I'll be in the way."
She wouldn't and in all honesty, she could be a huge help. I hadn't given her grandchildren, but I knew that she longed for them desperately. She fawned over all the little ones at church, helped in the nursery every month and was often called on to babysit for young families. She was amazing with children. If she was there to help out with Kelly, Gilli and I could get a lot more done.
"Gilli," I called, glancing down the hall only to find both girls snuggled together on Gillian's bed. A soft, obviously worn quilt was wrapped around them as they looked at the pictures in a book. I heard Gillian's soft voice reading the words about the bull and the cork tree. I smiled, remembering that story, it was a great one and my mom frequently reminded me that I was a lot like Ferdinand, but with a fierce protective streak.
I sat down on the bed next to them and took both girls into my arms, holding them tight. Gillian lifted her rosy lips toward me and smiled. I gave her a quick, chaste kiss and listened as she continued to read. Once she was finished, I told her that my mom was on her way. She looked worried at first, but quickly recovered and was thankful.
There was a mountain of little girl crap in the front room of Gillian's house and we not only had to clear out a room for Kelly, move stuff to the basement and set all the new crap up. Kelly needed to feel like this was her home, that she was settled and safe. After the trauma, whatever it was, that she endured the previous night, Kelly needed to feel secure.
"My stars, I'm disgusting," Gilli commented, hauling another box from inside the closet in the bedroom closest to hers. She had agreed with me, that Kelly needed to be close. She should be near us so that we would hear her in the night if she cried or called out. I wasn't a heavy sleeper, and I knew that Gilli wasn't either, but with all the shit swirling and the unknown danger I felt down to my bones, I didn't want Kelly in the bedroom at the front of the house. Until I could get the security system up and running, and even after that, it was important to have Kelly close.
"You're beautiful, precious, always gorgeous."
"Yeah, right," she laughed, wiping a smear of dust off her cheek. She was a mess, dusty and disheveled, and so was I. Regardless of that fact though, she was radiant. Not ever had I met a woman who was so simple, so uncomplicated and pretty without a swipe of makeup on her face, without spending ages on her hair. She was in a pair of ratty old cut off Levis and one of my tees tied at her waist, feet bare and hair held up in a pony tail on top of her head, and no matter what, her light shined through.
Moving the few feet to her, I took the box from her hands and kissed the tip of her pert nose. Looking deep into her eyes, I promised her, "You, my lovely, are amazing. You are giving, you are strong and your beauty is beyond compare."
"Me and gama made cookies!" Kelly shrieked excitedly as she ran into the room, breaking our moment.
"Gama?" Gilli asked so only I could hear, lifting a brow.
"Apparently, they've bonded."
"Apparently." I wasn't sure if Gillian was comfortable with this turn of events, but I wasn't about to fight it.
"Let's eat some cookies and take a little break," I suggested, grabbing her hand. We followed Kelly to the table and eyed the plate of hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookies. There were four glasses, three filled with milk and one with the almond milk Gillian kept in her fridge.
"They're non-dairy, you don't have any other food allergies, do you?" Mama asked, directing her question to Gillian.
"No, ma'am, thank you. This is great."
We sat, and shared cookies, smiling through the sadness that lay dormant just under the surface. I wished that I had been able to watch my mom baking with Kelly. I knew that mama had been in seventh heaven baking with a two-year-old. I quickly eyed the kitchen, which surprisingly, was none the worse for wear. As she had always done, my mom must have cleaned up as she went.
"These are so yummy, Kelly. You two did a great job," Gillian complemented a beaming with joy, Kelly.
She pointed at my mom and exclaimed, "Gama and me did it all by ourselves."
"That's great sweetheart," I told her, and gave my mom a questioning look. She shrugged one shoulder and looked away with a secretive smile on her face.
Gilli and I spent the next two hours moving boxes and furniture. As she pulled out the smaller boxes, I had her stack everything she carried next to the stairs and I took it all down, placing it all in an unused corner that she had indicated earlier in the evening. On my thirty-millionth trip down, my cell phone rang.
After dropping the boxes in the pile, I plucked it out and looked at the display. It was Aurora. I had called her earlier in the day, and let her know that we would need some help over the next little while with Kelly. Gillian had spoken with her employees and was able to get the opening shifts covered, so she wouldn't have to be in until six-thirty when the cafe actually opened. That didn't mean, however, that she wouldn't have to work a full schedule, she would and so would I. The case I was working had quieted but I knew that was short lived, shit with DeMarco would heat up again any minute and there wasn't a thing I could do about that.
"Hey there, Red," I said to Aurora, calling her the nickname she pretended to dislike.
"Well, hello, Reed. How's Gillian doing?"
"Some moments she's good and some, not so much," I shared, not wanting to give away Gilli's secrets, but feeling safe to share that little bit with a good friend.
"Yeah, I bet. So, it goes without saying that we're all here for you guys, whatever you need. I talked to the girls and everyone is on board."
"That's great, thanks."
I appreciated her willingness, all of them, I knew they would help us out, it hadn't even entered my mind that anyone might decline. There was one thing, since Aurora's brother died, we had all become immensely closer, and had learned to rely on ea
ch other. As the couples paired off, and each went through their own dramas those bonds only grew stronger. I gave Aurora a quick rundown of the schedule. She took it all in and told me that she would get with the girls and figure things out. She reminded me too that both Trent's mom and Gavin's mom would help out too. Both women were mostly retired, though I knew that Trent's mom worked a few hours a week as a member of the board of her family's oil company.
I glanced over at the couch when I made it back upstairs and saw mama holding Kelly. They were watching some little kid show with Mickey Mouse, though it wasn't any show I'd ever seen before. All the old characters were there, but it was some kind of modern cartoon. When the theme song started playing, I stopped dead and had to force the laughter down. "Come inside, it's fun inside," damn, that shit was too funny. They were damn right though, it sure as hell was fun to cum inside, something I planned to experience again very soon.
I had to close the bedroom door, when I got back in with Gillian. The laughter I had been suppressing escaped and I couldn't stop it. "What on earth?" Gilli asked, looking at me strangely.
"That show, Jesus, have you heard that?"
"Heard what?"
"Come inside, it's fun inside?"
Gillian started laughing too, but shook her head. "I have, but I honestly never thought about it that way before. Now I'm going to laugh inappropriately every time the show comes on and since it's Kelly's favorite, that's going to be a lot."
I grabbed Gilli around the waist and brought her tight against me. "I want to kiss your sweet lips every time you laugh. It is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard," I whispered, just about two seconds before my lips collided with hers.
Kelly was asleep in my mom's lap. Her room was as finished as we could make it, in the time we had, and it was getting late. I'd talked to my partner, Tyler, a couple of times and knew that the shit with DeMarco was quiet for tonight but would probably pop off the following night. Tyler knew what was going on with Gillian, he'd relayed that information up the chain of command and I was, in essence on vacation unless shit really jumped off. I only had a couple of days, but in light of Gillian's situation, they were understanding.
Mom looked tired, and I hated to see that. I worried about her, but the few times I had asked her about her health throughout the evening, she smiled and shook her head, encouraging me to focus on what I needed to do to help Gillian. I warned her that we would talk in a few days and that I wouldn't be pushed off for long. She agreed, if reluctantly and found a way to busy herself before I could press more.
Kelly's new room needed to be painted, something I would take care of in a few days. Gilli and I agreed that we would let Kelly help select the color once we selected her furniture and bedding. For now, we would use an old dresser left from Gillian's grandparents, the portable crib I bought in Shreveport and the dresser top changing pad I picked up there too. It was enough - just, to get us through until Sunday when we would shop.
Surprisingly, I was actually looking forward to it, shopping that was, which wasn't something I ever wanted to do. I thought that a day out, taking care of my girls would be fun and hopefully the first of many such days.
"Here mama, let me take her. I'll put her to bed." Mom had come in earlier and snagged a set of pajamas for Kelly. She'd given her a bath in Gilli's bathroom and gotten her changed and ready. As I lifted the tiny little one into my arms, my eyes caught on my mother's expression. She looked at Kelly, then up to me with a beautiful smile on her face. Her heart shone through her blue eyes and the love she felt for me flooded out. She was a quiet woman, not one to get in my business without being asked, but she wouldn't hesitate to chime in, the minute I requested her advice.
"I hope this works out for all of you," mom whispered, placing her soft hand on my cheek and leaning down to kiss Kelly's forehead. She moved her hand from my cheek, brushed Kelly's soft curls from her forehead and stepped back.
"I hope so too, mom," I agreed, just as quietly, not wanting to wake Kelly or alarm Gillian. I had made my desires clear with Gilli, but I hadn't yet come right out and said anything, mostly because it was way too soon and after my fuck up with Sandy, I needed to be sure of us and our relationship before I went all out.
Mama nodded, seeming to read my mind and moved to gather her things as I turned from the room to place Kelly into her bed. 'Snefanie', the little stuffed dog I had found in her crib at Missy's apartment was there, as was the new soft baby doll I bought her at Toys R Us. Once she was settled, I placed a hand on her stomach for just a moment to calm her. When I stood and stepped back, she turned in her sleep and curled into the soft pink blanket I had placed over her and held onto her puppy, tight.
As far as I knew, Kelly hadn't asked for Missy, not once. I hadn't heard her mention her mother. It was an odd thing, I thought. Weren't most kids super attached to their mothers? I remembered my sister being that way when she was little, Dylan was too, though he was still a baby, but honestly, Kelly wasn't even three, she was still a baby too. I didn't know how Gillian would handle it when Kelly asked for Missy, what would she say? Kelly was too young to understand that her mother wouldn't be coming back, not ever. Would Kelly remember her at all?
I wondered about how Kelly and Blazer would get along. Mama had taken him to my house on her way over to Gilli's so that he could have some time in his own house, but was going back to get him so I could stay with my girls. She didn't ask about my desire to stay with Gillian, which she wouldn't, but thankfully, she was just willing to do whatever we needed.
In addition to the call I had from Aurora earlier in the night, mama had spoken to a few of the ladies from church as well. One of them owned a well known day care center with a very good reputation. The center was almost always full with a rather long waiting list, but since Mrs. Stapleton had known me since I was born, she would consider helping us out and getting Kelly into the two-year-old class. The only catch was, that opening was two weeks away, and the center didn't open until six-thirty in the morning. That wouldn't be a problem as long as I was at the house and able to take Kelly to school, but my schedule was up in the air, not something steady that could be depended on day in and day out.
Would Gilli get fed up with my crazy assed work hours? Would she one day turn on me, like Sandy did when I couldn't be there for her in the way she needed? Would she do that? I couldn't see it, but I hadn't seen it coming with Sandy either. She would need me around more, with Kelly in the house, and Gillian's commitment to raising her, she would need me to be there, to support her and be able to help her out.
As I lay down, exhausted later that night with the woman I was beginning to love held tight in my arms, it was with those thoughts on my mind. I couldn't stop myself from worrying that she would get fed up and leave my sorry ass, that she would be lonely and stray, just like my ex had done. I knew, in the rational part of my brain that I needed to let that pain go, that I needed to let go of the mistrust that came from failed relationship after failed relationship and learn to trust Gillian. She wasn't like anyone I had ever dated before, but could I do it? I wasn't sure I had it in me. My body and mind were exhausted, but it took me long hours, thinking about ridiculous scenarios and listening to the normal creaking sounds that the old house made, worrying about the man in the Lexus watching and waiting for me to have my back turned and hurt my girls.
"What?" I growled into my phone, rolling away from Gillian's warm body. I glanced at the clock and saw it was just shy of three in the morning. It had been three days since Kelly came to live with Gillian. It was three days of as much together time as we could manage. Gilli and I worked hard to give Kelly the comfort and stability that she needed. When Kelly asked for her mom, I did my best to support Gillian when she explained that Missy had gone to be with grandma and grandpa in heaven. It was the second night Kelly was there, that Gillian sobbed uncontrollably for over an hour in my arms. Kelly had cried for her mom, and it had taken a long time to get her settled. We knew to expect it, of cou
rse, but Gilli was still grieving too and it hit her hard.
With the presence of a two-year-old in the house, our more fun, nighttime activities had been curtailed. Nothing aside from some kissing and the littlest bit of groping had occurred. I held Gillian each night as we slept and got up to comfort Kelly when she had a bad dream. Some bonds were forged over time, and some came on quickly because of the muck and mire that we had to wade through. The friendships I formed while deployed developed quickly, because we were thrown together and put under extreme pressure, what could we do but rely on each other? The situation with Gillian and Kelly was much the same, the girls needed me, Gillian relied on me and we were all moving through such a difficult time, that we were forming an impenetrable bond.
We had found a rhythm of sorts, I was able to stay at Gillian's house until about nine, when I would take Kelly to Aurora. Since Aurora was getting bigger and more awkward everyday, Luke had decreed that she work from home as much as possible until the baby came. She, Amber and Dawn decided to hire a new girl since Amber was pregnant too and I was sure that if Dawn wasn't she would be in short order.
I hadn't met the new hire yet, with everything else going on, but I heard that she was a good addition - if a bit crazy. So Aurora watched Kelly until around two when Gillian was able to get her. It wasn't perfect, with Aurora's advanced stage of pregnancy, it was a challenge for her, but Kelly was old enough to climb up on the couch for changing and snuggle time, with just a little bit of Aurora's help. The girls had found a way to make it work and Aurora was glad for the company, even if it was the company of a two-year-old who's conversational abilities were limited. Luke told me privately that Aurora had been so bored at home that she was sneaking into the store and working more than he thought was safe, with Kelly at their house for the bulk of the day, it gave Aurora something to do and allowed her to rest more.
