Chapter Four

Anna

Scott has been acting strangely the past few weeks. I keep catching him watching me like he knows something I don’t. If Taz has told my secret I will skin him alive with a dull, rusty, spoon. While I understand that all the guys put one another before anything else, this doesn’t necessarily need to come out right now. Taz is a guy that I’m trying to put my trust in and I don’t know if I can do that if he spilled my secret.

My phone rings, startling me from my thoughts. It’s not a number that I recognize and for a second, I think about letting it go to voicemail. But, I get a feeling that I need to answer this call.

“Hello,” I answer, bracing myself for whoever is on the other end of the line.

“Is this Anna Stewart?” a male voice asks.

“Yes. Who is this?” I question cautiously

“Miss Stewart, this is Mr. James at the Department of Children and Families. I am sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you a few questions,” he states, using a voice that makes me sit up straight and pay close attention to what he’s saying.

“Why does DCF need to talk to me? I don’t have any children,” I laugh, as a sharp pain pierces my heart.

“Well, do you know April and Kevin Quinn?” he asks as I hear the sound of papers shuffling in the background.

I draw a quick breath before I confirm that I do know them. What would cause him to ask me about them? I know they would never do anything to CeCe or I would kill them with my bare hands. That’s part of the reason that I wanted an open adoption. So that I could see for myself that my daughter was being taken care of and no one was hurting her.

“They have a child, Cecelia Quinn. Our paperwork shows that you are the birth mom. We show that you placed your child for adoption with them. Is this correct?” he asks, as more papers shuffle around.

“Yes. But what does that matter to you?” I stutter, as a thousand things rush through my mind. Not a single one of them is good.

“I hate to tell you this, especially over the phone, but Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were killed this morning during a house explosion,” he says, his voice sounding professional and detached.

“Oh my God! Where is CeCe? Is she ok?” I cry, not thinking of where I am or who may be around.

“She is with us for now while we try to find a foster family for her,” he tells me, trying to allay my rising panic.

“I want her,” I interrupt him quickly, placing my hand over my heart as hope rises for the first time in months. Even though the situation is horrendous, I can’t help but let the little bit of excitement rise through me at the knowledge that my daughter might be coming home.

“That is why I am calling you. We have no open spaces right now and are willing to place her with you until the court can decide what to do with her legally. If you want to keep her you would need to file for your parental rights to be restored.” He explains.

My thoughts are all over the place. I have tears streaming down my face and I must be making a scene because when I look up Scott, Prez and Taz are looking at me with concern. They all get up and walk over to me. Scott wraps his arms around me while I continue the conversation.

“When can I pick her up? Do I need to bring anything? Is she ok? She wasn’t hurt, was she?” I ask while trying to push the guys back, so I can think.

“We will need to have her see a doctor and make sure her records are up to date. She was not at home when the incident occurred. Cecelia was at the daycare that she sometimes attends so that April could get some things done around the house is what we were told. That will be done in the morning, so I believe she will be able to be released to your custody around one tomorrow afternoon. You will need to bring your identification and proof of residency. Our social worker will need to do a few spot inspections per regulations which I am sure you understand,” Mr. James explains to me as I try to pay attention to him while all sorts of thoughts bombard me.

I thank him and let him know that I will be there tomorrow before hanging up. Looking at Scott, I take a few deep breaths and say the words I never thought I would say out loud. “I need to pick up my daughter tomorrow. Can you go with me?”

I see the disbelief on Axel’s face but to my surprise, Scott does not look that shocked to hear that I have a child. Looking over at Taz, he has a guilty expression on his face. I don’t have time to worry about that now. My only concern is getting things ready so that I can bring my daughter home.

“What do you need me to do to help you sis?” Scott asks me, once again wrapping his arm around my shoulders as my emotions continue to wreak havoc with my body.

“I need to go to the superstore and get everything for a baby,” I reply in a stupor. “Oh my God! I will have my baby back in my arms tomorrow!” I yell out, letting the excitement take over no matter what other emotions are running riot through me.

I have no idea what I need to get let alone how I’m going to pay for it all, but I will do whatever it takes to take care my baby girl. The words ‘my baby girl’ are one of the many things I have stuffed down so that it wouldn’t hurt so bad. Now I will have her in my arms every day. I’ll be the one getting to make memories with her and sharing in her life. I get the good and the bad. No one else will ever take that away from me again.