Page 10 of Stolen Dreams

“Paige had just gotten them a townhouse,” he announces with pride.“I will give you the address, and you can go over there and pack up what you think Lucy will want.I don’t suggest taking Lucy.The trauma might be too much.”

“We’ll do that without her, then,” Charlie answers for me again.“What does Emmett need to do to get this process sped up?”

He looks over from Charlie to me.“I’m assuming you are going to take responsibility for her?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”I’m sure I surprise even him with the answer.

“That’s good,” he replies.“I have Paige’s last will and testament, which has been filed.”I don’t hear anything else he says, because I hear footsteps coming closer to us.

“She’s awake,” Mrs.Graham says from the doorway, and I turn to see her face is streaked with tears.“She wants to know if she can go and see Paige today.”A gush of breath escapes me, and I have to hold on to the chair next to me.“I told her that we had visitors first.”She looks from her husband to me.“She’s in the living room.”

He gets up from his desk and walks around it.“Here we go.”

I wish I could say I was ready for this moment.I wish I could say it was a moment I’ve dreamed of my whole life.I wish I could say, at this moment, it was the happiest day of my life.But I would be lying.I’ve never been more scared of someone in all of my life and I’ve had to sit face-to-face with my mother in court, pointing the finger at her for killing my father.

Charlie follows close against my back, as if he knows I need him for the strength to face her.The minute we round the corner, I stop walking.My feet feel like they are in cement boots and can’t be lifted.She sits in the middle of the couch, with Mrs.Graham beside her with her arm over her shoulders as she tries to comfort her.Her head is down, with the same color of hair I have covering her face.Her head turns slowly toward us, and when she does, I hear Charlie gasp from beside me.There is no way she isn’t my child.Not only does she have my hair coloring but her eyes are also like I’m looking into a mirror.The blueish-green eyes stare back at me.She has little freckles on her nose.I think that is the only thing she got from Paige.Actually, I hope she got everything else from Paige because I have nothing good to give her.

“Hey, sugarplum,” Mr.Graham says to her, “how did you sleep?”She doesn’t answer him and just shrugs.He sits on her other side.“Are you hungry?”he asks, and she shakes her head.

If anyone in the whole world knows what she feels like right now, it’s me.She’s probably scared out of her mind.“Maybe you can help me make some muffins.”Mrs.Graham smiles at her.

“Lucy,” Mr.Graham says, “there is someone here I want you to meet.”

If I thought my world was spinning around me before, it’s nothing like it is now.It feels like I’m in a cyclone or a tornado.“This is Emmett,” he says, and I see something flash in her eyes, but there isn’t time to really look at her because the doorbell rings.

“That should be Stewart,” Mr.Graham states.“I’ll get it.”He gets up and starts to make his way to the door.

Charlie hits my shoulder, his way of telling me to go to her.I glare at him as I take a step toward Lucy, stopping in front of her.“I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”She just looks at me, and I’m wondering if she knows I’m her father.I’m wondering if Paige said anything to her.I’m wondering if she hates me as much as I hate myself.

Mrs.Graham looks at me with a sad smile on her face.“Mr.Emmett drove all night to come and visit you.”It’s like she’s putting in a good word for me, but Lucy just looks down at her hands in her lap.

“Here we are,” Mr.Graham says as a man follows him with a black bag in his hand.“Stewart, this is Mr.Clarkson”—he motions to me—“and this is Lucy.”

He nods at me with a smile on his face.“Where should we set up?”He looks over at Mr.Graham, who motions to the other empty couch.He puts the bag on the coffee table in the middle as he opens it.“Okay, I guess I will start with Lucy,” he announces as he puts on his gloves.She leans away from him and moves closer into Mrs.Graham’s side.

“How about you start with me to show her it’s not going to hurt her?”I look at Stewart, who just nods at me.

“Sounds good.”He opens the package with two sticks in it.Taking one stick out, I see it’s shaped like a cotton swab.“I’m going to swab the inside of your mouth, between your cheek and your gum,” he says, coming over to me, and I open my mouth.

He does it, and when he’s done, I look over at Lucy.“See, it didn’t hurt,” I say.“It tickled a bit.”Stewart turns and puts my swab in an envelope and writes my name on it.Then he walks over to Lucy, who isn’t sure of what the fuck is going on but opens her mouth.It takes a full thirty seconds before he’s done.

Once he’s done, he puts all his stuff away.“I’m going to the lab now and personally seeing to this,” he informs Mr.Graham, who nods.

“Why don’t we give them some privacy?”Mrs.Graham urges her husband.“I could use a coffee.”He looks at me, not sure he should leave me alone with Lucy.Fuck, I’m not even sure I want to be left alone with her.

“We’ll be in the kitchen,” he tells Lucy, who watches them walk out of the room.

I look over at Charlie, who opens his eyes big and tells me to go and talk to her.Not sure what to do and where to sit, I opt for squatting down in front of her.“Hi, Lucy,” I say awkwardly.“I know you must be going through a lot right now,” I say, and she just stares at me.“I just want you to know that I’m going to do whatever you need me to do.”

“Am I going to have to live with you?”she asks, her voice cracking at the end.I look over at Charlie, who looks up at the ceiling, probably trying to control his own emotions.Her voice is that of a scared, broken little girl.“I heard Mrs.Graham and Mr.Graham talking last night.”

Of course she did.She probably pretended she wasn’t eavesdropping, but in reality, she was listening and paying attention to everything.No doubt scared out of her mind, not knowing what was going to happen to her.“Yes,” I confirm, “you are going to come and live with me.”She wipes a tear away from her face.“I know you are really confused right now.”I put my hand on her knee, and her heat surges through me like an electric shock, straight to my heart.“I know you’re probably really scared.”Her lower lip quivers, but she doesn’t look at me.“There is nothing I can say that will change that.But what I will say is I’m going to help you in any way I can.”I remove my hand from her leg.“I’ll get you whatever you need.”

ChapterSix

LILAH

Igrab my lunch box and water from the seat beside me when I park in my usual spot, getting out and looking up at the clouds that are rolling in.“It’s going to be a wet one today,” I mumble as I tuck my phone in my back jeans pocket.

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