Elijah

I couldn’t believe it. He really had the nerve to show up here again, and so soon. Morgan stood at my door, hand poised to ring the doorbell. He looked worn down and dirty. I did have to wonder what he had been up to the past week.

Behind him stood Joan, holding a shoe box that had some sort of blanket sticking out underneath the lid. She didn’t look happy as she glared past me. Her blond hair was hastily pulled back in a bun. She had aged years in just a short time. I was glad Dawn was upstairs with Emily.

Dawn had been distant, as much as she had when she first came here, if not more. I was worried about her. She would hardly talk to me, but I knew she was listening to everything I told her. Since Emily had been going to therapy, she was able to connect a little better with my girl and was more than willing to come by today to talk to her, even maybe get her to agree to start therapy to help with coping with what she had gone through.

“What can I do for you, Morgan?” I asked, setting my foot on my side of the door so he couldn’t barge in.

“I can’t deal with this thing Galvin left in my charge any longer,” he answered, pointing at the box, his voice filled with distaste. “I didn’t want it to begin with, but I couldn’t let Erick or the others just throw it away, either.”

“What it is?” I asked, keeping my expression hard. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know.

“Can we come in?” Morgan asked, almost ashamed about asking for my help. “It’s cold, and this thing really can’t be out in this weather.”

The air was frigid with the incoming snow storm; the sky was covered in dark clouds with the wind beginning to rise in speed.

“Fine,” I sighed, keeping the doubt out of my voice. What could he possibly have in there? I stepped out of the way, opened the door, and motioned towards my office. I shot a text off to Emily, to let her know to keep Dawn upstairs as her mother had shown up. That was not something my sweet girl needed to face just yet.

“Thank you,” Joan said, taking a seat after placing the box on my desk—a lot softer than I would have expected. “And thank you for getting that picture of Dawn to me. She looked happy.”

“Not a problem,” I replied. I wanted to put that picture as my screensaver but knew I couldn’t yet without possibly raising suspicion.

“When can I see her? Galvin was taken to jail, so isn’t it safe now?” she asked.

I took a moment to look her over. The last time I saw her, she was upset and panicky. Now, she was calm, if not a little rattled at the same time. Her eyes were red, from both crying and tiredness, but there was acceptance at the same time.

“I’m not sure,” I said truthfully. “Right now, it really is up to her, but she’s going through a difficult time due to a scare she had a few days ago. She isn’t talking to anyone, will hardly even let her new trusted friend be in the same room as her.” That was an understatement. She wouldn’t let Kaleb near her at all, and I could hardly get one word out of her.

“So, you do know where she is?” Joan asked, sitting up straighter.

“Yes,” I said but didn’t give anything else away.

“Where?” she asked, looking around the office for any sign of her.

“That’s also up to her to decide. She knows a few things about what caused her to be in such conditions as she was in. She’s nineteen, so it’s completely her choice,” I answered. Kaleb and Zack had come up with the idea of her deciding on what was best. We had talked to Dawn, or at least tried to, and got no reaction out of her one way or the other. I knew she didn’t want to go with her mother if given the choice, and with her state right now, there was not any way I was going to let her.

“What do you mean?” Joan asked, standing up, her voice higher than necessary.

“Joan, calm down,” Morgan sighed. “It’s none of our concern.”

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down,” she seethed, glaring at Morgan.

“Hey, can you please keep it down,” Emily said as she entered the office, glaring at the two. I was just about to tell them myself, but looking Emily’s way, I could tell something was wrong.

“Emily?” I said, going to her so we could talk quietly, without the two guests hearing. I could hear Morgan mutter something underneath his breath about my soon to be sister-in-law.

“She won’t calm down. I swear, I didn’t do anything,” she said quietly. That’s when I noticed Dawn standing off towards the wall that kept her out of view of the office. I was surprised I hadn’t felt her there. I guess I wasn’t entirely paying attention, thinking she’d stay upstairs. “She heard voices . . .”

“It’s okay, Emily,” I said, laying a hand her shoulder. “Sweetheart?” I called my girl.

Her eyes were back to dull green, like she had given up. Her hair was a mess, as she kept grabbing it in handfuls, yanking it. She wore one of my sweatshirts, which was huge on her but looked good at the same time, along with pink yoga pants.

“Excuse me for a moment,” I said to the two, who were still half arguing. I stepped away from the office towards where my sad girl stood, looking down at the floor.

“Hey,” I said gently, lifting her chin up slightly with my index finger. She still refused to meet my eyes, looking past me. “What’s going on in that mind of yours?”

I didn’t expect an answer. I tilted my head, trying to meet her sad eyes. She still refused to look at me, but a tear leaked out. I didn’t hesitate to bring her to me, wrapping my arms around her and laying my cheek against the top of her head.

“What were you talking about that made her upset?” I asked, turning to Emily, ignoring the raised voices in the office and Dawn stiffened more than she already was.

“I left the door open a crack, since having it closed all the way makes her panic, and we heard their voices. I tried to get her to stay, but she came down here, and I had to follow; I didn’t know what else to do,” Emily said, near tears herself.

“It’s okay,” I smiled gently. “Can you call Kaleb for me, please?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said, taking a deep breath, and headed back upstairs. I knew Kaleb would want to know who was here, and if I could keep them longer, he could get someone here, along with himself.

“Dawn?” I said, hoping I got her attention. Her breathing was faster than normal, but not quite panic-fast yet. “I’m sure you know who’s in my office right now. It’s completely up to you, but you can either come in and face the music, or go back upstairs where Emily is, where you won’t have to see them.”

“Please,” she mumbled out in a whisper, turning her face in my shoulder and neck. She tried to crawl into me.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I won’t let either of them take you from me. Ever.”

“If it wasn’t for your stupid ass, I wouldn’t have had to sell my daughter!” Joan shouted, making Dawn jump and whimper into me.

“I wasn’t the one who made you decide to become a drug addict,” Morgan shot back. “And I didn’t make you sell her. I only gave you the option!”

“Hey, enough,” I hollered at them as I walked back into the room. I guess we had our answer now whether Joan knew what had happened.

I held Dawn against me with her back to the two, and her head turned into my shoulder. I felt her shaking and only pulled her closer in response. “Now, what was so important that you had to come by today, of all days? I do have things to do.”

“It’s in the box,” Morgan said, motioning and glaring at the box that still sat on my desk. Joan huffed in response but stayed quiet as she slumped in the chair.

I slowly reached for the box. The lid had a few holes cut into the top. It was about the size of my shoe, which could be filled with just about anything. There was a weighted object inside of it.

Glancing first at my girl, who was still hiding behind me while her hands were wrapped around my left arm, then looking up at the two, who were both looking my way, I slowly lifted the lid up. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it sure wasn’t the little thing wrapped up tightly in a blanket. She was tiny but looked healthy at first glance.

“A baby?” I asked, shocked, looking up at the two, and making Dawn glance up at me as she held her breath.

“One of the girls gave birth, and Galvin wanted me to ‘take care of it’. I couldn’t kill it. I already had to watch one girl lose a baby,” Morgan said.

“I can’t stand the crying of that thing,” Joan said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You can’t stand anyone, no matter who they are these days,” Morgan mumbled towards Joan.

“How dare you,” Joan replied angrily. “I’m upset, you idiot. I want my daughter back. She was stolen from me.”

“Joan, please,” Morgan said. “You know she wasn’t, now please knock it off.”

“I will take her myself if I knew where she was,” Joan seethed.

“How old is the baby?” I asked, touching her warm cheek, mostly to make sure she was alive and real.

“Less than a week,” Morgan said. “The girl was only about seven or so months along, I think. I had her taken out of the compound so Erick didn’t end it the same way as the last one, but she didn’t survive the birth.”

“Okay,” I said, but then turned to Dawn. “Sweetie, I need my other hand. “

Her eyes were wide, but clearer, as she moved slightly back, keeping her back to the two who had put her into the life she hadn’t wanted. Smiling down at her, I turned to the baby in the box. I gently picked it up, guessing it was less than five pounds. After laying it on the desk and unwrapping the blanket, I found no clothing, just a diaper that seemed full and in need of a change.

“Can you get me a diaper from the stash Kelly leaves here?” I asked, turning to Dawn, who was staring in frightened awe. She nodded and went to the living room.

“How old was the mother?” I asked, looking up at Morgan, who was now standing on the other side of the desk.

“Eighteen, or so,” Morgan shrugged. “I really don’t know. She was homeless, and Erick was in charge while she was at the compound, but she was pregnant before him, I think. I snuck her out when there weren’t many guards, and took her to my place.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the diaper and wipes from Dawn.

Changing the diaper, I saw the baby was indeed a girl, and was already thinking of what documents I would need and what phone calls to make.

“I’m sorry, child, for the other day,” Morgan said, making Dawn jump. She was standing facing me, looking at the floor.

“What did you do now?” Joan huffed, coming to stand next to him with her arms folded across her chest.

I now had the baby wrapped back up, and was holding her in my arm, hoping Emily would be back so I could have her take the baby out of harm’s way and call my dad to get here as soon as he could.

“He scared my girl,” I said, nodding to Dawn as she grabbed onto me once again, but touching the baby at the same time. “Do you want to take her and go upstairs?”

She shook her head and shrugged. She was torn on what to do; stay with me, her safe place, or take this baby that was born into a world no one should have had to be away.

“Who is she, anyway?” Joan spat. “Just a waste of space. Both of them are.”

“Joan,” Morgan warned, right as Dawn glanced up at her. Dawn had tears in her eyes, but also determination and acceptance.

“What?” she glared at him, before moving her eyes my way. They widened in shock as they landed on Dawn.

“Elijah,” Emily said, coming back into the room but stopping short when she saw what I was holding and the expressions on all our faces. She only paused for a moment, before turning to me and taking the baby, saying something about calling her father-in-law.

With both hands-free, I touched Dawn to get her attention. She turned around, and tears were falling from her eyes. She looked devastated.

“How?” Joan asked, shocked and pale.

“Dawn?” I said in her ear, “I think you should go back upstairs.”

She shook her head, gripping my shirt. How could she not want to run from here?

“Okay. You can leave at any time,” I said quietly. I turned back to Joan. “This is why she hasn’t contacted you. It’s been up to her from the start. I won’t ever force her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”

“She’s a minor; she has no choice,” Joan said. “She will be going home with me now.”

“She’s nineteen, and even the courts can’t force her to go with you if she chooses not to,” Kaleb said as he entered the room, two police officers following him.

“You can’t stop me taking her back,” Joan said, while Morgan slowly backed up, trying to make himself invisible. “She’s my daughter, for crying out loud! I have plans for her. She owes me for her worthless father.”

“Sorry Ma’am, but you are both under arrest for child trafficking. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” Kaleb said, indicating to the two officers to arrest them.

Joan did not go quietly, giving away her plot of how she was going to get out and come for her daughter, who was meant to die, and telling us how Morgan had just killed a woman in her home. I pulled Dawn closer to me as Joan was dragged out, kicking and screaming. Morgan went willingly, accepting his fate, head down and tail between his legs.

“Are you okay, sweets?” Kaleb asked Dawn, who was shaking and suppressing her sobs against my chest. I knew Kaleb viewed my girl as a little sister and cared deeply about her.

“She will be,” I said, hoping that was the truth.

“Alright. Give me a call later?” he asked, starting to leave.

“Sure, but you need to know, I need some things taken care of. Morgan and Joan brought a baby here, less than a week old.” I said, rubbing my hand up and down Dawn’s back as she took in some deep breaths, trying to get her crying to stop.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. He said the mother didn’t make it; Emily has her upstairs right now,” I replied. “For the time being, I’d like the baby to stay here—after my dad checks her over, of course. She’s a tiny thing.”

“Of course,” Kaleb said, not asking why. I wasn’t even sure why I wanted the baby to stay, as I knew Emily would be more than happy to keep it as her own, if given the choice. With it being the one thing that really got my girl’s attention, I couldn’t just leave it in someone else’s hands.

“Doc is on the way,” Emily said, coming back in, holding the sleeping baby. “I called him and he should be here shortly.”

“Thanks, Emily,” I said gratefully. She really had been wonderful help this week, with not just Dawn, but everything.

“Not a problem,” she answered, handing the baby over to Kaleb.

Taking a seat in the chair, Kaleb spoke, “Did Morgan say who her mother was?”

“No,” I answered, taking a seat myself while Emily excused herself to wait for my father to arrive, and most likely my mother. By now, Dawn’s sobbing was down to just a few sniffles and she was much calmer. She sat on my lap with her head on my shoulder. I was coming to think that was her favorite spot.

“Wonder if it was that young girl we found in an abandoned house a few days ago. The timing and blood loss would all match up,” Kaleb mused. “It’s hard to tell without DNA. I’m sure you want to keep this on the down-low?”

“If at all possible, yes.”

My father arrived not long afterward, my mother in tow. Dawn hardly moved from her spot, but I could tell she was listening very closely to as much as she could hear. I gently shooed her off my lap so I could watch my father as he looked at the baby girl, and took any necessary pictures. Dawn stood close by with her hands in front of her. She was nervous, but I wasn’t sure if it was for herself, or for the baby.

“Hello,” my dad said, looking at Dawn before everyone else, and then turning his attention back to the baby who Kaleb had laid on the desk. “Less than a week old? Maybe about two, three days, at the most.”

“Should she be monitored at all?” Emily asked, stepping closer to the baby.

“Strong heartbeat, good coloring, but very tiny,” Vence said. “I don’t think hospitalization is mandatory, but you do need to keep an eye on her for any breathing trouble, or anything not typical for a baby. Since she is preemie, she may be up more at night to eat, and lag behind most babies her age,” he said, as he bundled the baby back up. He handed her to me. “What do you plan to do with her?”

“Keep her tonight, but after that, it’s totally up Dawn,” I said, turning to her. She still stood with her head down and looking at the floor. I gently lifted her head with my index finger, making her meet my eyes. “It’s all up to you, if you want us to take this child as your own. You have lost so much, and I want you to be able to have the choice. If you choose not to want to take her, I’m sure someone in this room would be more than happy to.”

With wide eyes, she shook her head and began to take steps backward. I could see the want in her eyes, but also fear and trepidation. My own look softened. I was still concerned. I wished I could read her mind at that moment. I expected her to flee to the safety of our room, but she went to the window and sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She stared out of the window, lost in thought.

“Has she been this distant all week?” Kaleb asked. I could see Zack and Emily preparing to leave.

“Yeah, she has. Since Erick and Morgan were here. She’s been depressed. I’ve hardly gotten a word out of her, and she hasn’t eaten much this week, either,” I answered. It was clear she was losing what bit of weight she had been able to gain.

Kaleb had only come by one day, trying to talk to her, but she wouldn’t let him anywhere near her. I didn’t blame her, although I was extremely worried about her.

“Did one of them say something to scare her?” Kaleb asked, looking over at her.

“I don’t think so. I think it’s more to do with whatever her panic brought on when she was in that crawl space last week,” I answered, watching my girl.

“Hey man, we’re gonna head out,” Zach said. “You sure you’ll be okay with the little one tonight?”

“I’ll be fine,” I said.

“I’m just a phone call away if you change your mind,” he said, before bidding us all goodbye.

“Can I talk to her? I know you aren’t your normal self when it comes to her; you’re too soft on her,” Kaleb said, half amused.

I couldn’t deny that I was soft on her. Normally, no one could make me care so deeply about them in such a short amount of time. Most people knew I wasn’t one to be messed with.

“Yeah, go ahead,” I said with a smile. “I’ve gotten a lot more out of her today than I have all week.”

“Oh, I’ll get something out of her,” Kaleb said in determination.

“Just be nice,” I sighed, worried he’d press the wrong buttons to get her to talk.

“When aren’t I?” he winked before going over to my girl. At first, she ignored him, and it took a little coaxing before she slowly followed him out of the room and into a quieter one.

“Maybe she needs anti-depressants,” my father said, leaning against the desk beside me.

“I wouldn’t want her on those unless there is no other choice,” I said, remembering all too well the feeling of everything being muted and dulled.

“It may help her cope with everything,” my mom spoke up. “She’s been through so much in such a short amount of time.”

I probably needed to be a tad bit tougher on her to get through to her; that she couldn’t let life get her down, just because her memories got the best of her.

“Not right now,” I said, hoping to get my parents to drop the subject.

“Alright, son,” my father said, patting my shoulder. “Do you think Dawn will want to keep this child?”

“I honestly have no idea,” I sighed, looking down at the baby.

“What do you plan to do if she doesn’t?” Mom asked.

“Well, with Emily and Zack expecting a baby within seven months, I don’t think they would be up to taking this one on. Emily is strong, but she can only take so much. The both of you aren’t up to long nights,” I said, looking between my parents. “I think Kelly and Kaleb would be the best option, as they plan to adopt anyways, since they won’t be able to have any more biologically.”

“If she wants to keep her?” my dad asked.

“Then you’ll be grandparents a few months sooner than planned,” I laughed lightly. “And I’ll have to go shopping.”

“What do you hope she decides?” Dad asked.

“My wants are whatever Dawn wants,” I answered, looking back down at the baby. She began to stir, looking for food.

“You want her,” my mom replied with a smile. I was not going to let my own wants out.

“Mom,” I warned, but she merrily chuckled and patted my cheek before going to make a bottle for the baby.

“Do you want us to stay the night? I’m pretty sure the child will be okay, health-wise,” my dad said.

“You and Mom can go home. We’ll be fine,” I yawned.

“You’re tired,” Mom said, handing me a warm bottle filled with two ounces of formula. “Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

“My sleeping partner hasn't slept much. Too many nightmares, but we’re just fine,” I said, knowing my parents would try to push sleeping pills on her if given the chance.

“Okay, so,” Vence said, “We’ll head out then. Call if you need anything at all...”

“Of course,” I said, taking the bottle away so I could burp the baby.

Mom gave me a hug before leaving, and said they’d call sometime tomorrow so they would know what Dawn and I decided.