Page 100 of Ghost
Zach had recommended me. Danny clearly trusted Zach enough to trust me.
The clapping, cheering, and foot stomping pulled me out of my head. It loosened my feet from their spot on the floor and I rushed over to lift Dani into my arms.
Holding her tight against me, I cried.
I was sure everyone thought they were happy tears. They weren’t. I was losing Dani. I had less than twenty-four hours before they came back for her and there was nothing I could do.
Travis stepped up behind me and pulled me into his arms.
“It’s ok, Princess. We’ll figure it out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. They’re her parents. They make the decisions. I was simply the babysitter.”
“You weren’t a fucking babysitter. You’re her mom. They’ll see that. They won’t rip her away from you. I won’t let them.”
Later that evening, I sat on the floor in the bathroom of my room while Dani played in the bath. I was eager for Danny and Dante to see the progress Dani had made, despite the dread that loomed over me.
There was a knock on the door, and I called out to whoever it was, giving permission to enter the room. I wouldn’t leave Dani unattended for even a moment. It only took seconds for a child to drown.
I looked through the open doorway as Travis entered.
He sat on the bed instead of entering the bathroom, and I had to respect his awareness of Dani’s privacy. She may only be two years old, a baby still in so many ways, but she was still a person. And he wasn’t related to her.
“How are you?”
Inhaling deep gave me a moment to put my feelings into words.
“Scared. Happy. Distraught. I honestly don’t know how to feel.”
Dani splashed in the water, oblivious to my heartbreak. She had no idea how much her world would change again tomorrow. I had to remind myself this was a good thing.
They were alive.
They came back for her.
They loved her.
But I loved her too. I could only hope and pray that they would see that. As a psychologist, I would recommend they didn’t make any rash decisions with Dani’s care and therapy. She still had a long way to go, and consistency was key. Moving her away from the only person she’d had in her life with regularity could be detrimental to her healing.
But would they believe me? Would they believe I could still be impartial with Dani’s care? Or would they think I was making shit up and letting my emotions rule over my logical thinking?
I couldn’t deny that my heart was breaking. My inclination was to pack Dani up and run. Take her away where no one would ever find us.
Only, Danny would find us. He was the one person who would always find us. There wasn’t anywhere on Earth I could hide from Danny‘Sypher’Franks.
“Ok, Dani, time to get out.”
I grabbed a towel and her little pout both thrilled me and tore at my heart. I loved she was displaying her displeasure. But I wanted more. She wanted to stay in the bath, but she wouldn’t complain. She was still too compliant. Too easy to give in to what she was told.
I had to remind myself it had only been three months. Three measly months since she had been found. Three months since she had learned how to accept love. The progress she had made was impeccable.
Still, I wanted more for her. I wanted her to push her boundaries like a two-year-old should. I wanted her to throw a tantrum. I wanted her to cry in anger instead of always crying in sadness.
She’d had enough sadness in her life.
Wrapping the towel around her, I walked to the bed and laid her down next to Travis. He leaned over beside her, tickling her chin, causing her to giggle, while I located her diaper and pajamas.
When I turned around, my hand went to my mouth to hide the gasp that wanted to escape. Travis lay on the bed next to Dani. Her little hands reached up, and she held his face. He leaned over, rubbing his nose against hers, and she giggled again.
