Officer Daddy

Chapter one, My baby boy

I looked up and saw him. He appeared to be about four years old. His tattered clothes and the sandy brown hair wasn't what made my heart catch in my throat. Nor was it the dirty toy bunny that he was holding in a death grip in his small hands. It was the broken, shattered look that haunted his pretty blue eyes. He was trailing behind a woman in her late 40's. She wore a pantsuit and spoke angrily on the smartphone wedged between her shoulder and ear, while her fingers were digging through the papers in a folder in her hands. She payed no attention to the little boy obediently following behind her. I watched as she headed for the ward of the state department in the court house. His eyes never left mine.

Suddenly, I wasn't standing in front of the courthouse anymore. I was back to being the scared little girl, hiding behind the couch as the cops pound on the cheap door. I watch as my parents rush to flush the cocaine down the toilet. I catch a glimpse of the bruises covering the woman I call my mother. She doesn't deserve the title though. Even my young five year old brain understood this. My father stands up and shoves my mothers frail body out of the way, accusing her of ratting them out to the cops. He punches her square in the face. She fell to the ground, clutching her cheek. He runs to the back door but the cops were there too. I watched in horror as he grabbed the loaded gun out of the closet near the door. He looks back at me one more time with pure hatred and anger in his eyes. Eyes that are so similar to my own. The last words that come out of the monsters mouth I'll never forget. He said "You're going to end up like your mother, a worthless whore." He sneered at me and then charged through the door. The gunshots were deafening. I covered my ears with my hands. I shut my eyes. Wishing this was just a nightmare. But, even if I were to wake up, I'd still be living a nightmare. Finally, after an eternity, the shooting stopped. Men in police uniforms started trickling into the house. A man with dark hair, in his early 30's and piercing blue eyes slowly approached me. He held out his hand to me and said "Hi. My name is Derek Jacobs. I'm here to help you. I'm going take care of you. You'll be safe." I looked at his outstretched hand and then back up at him. He saw my hesitation and continued trying to coax me out, "It's alright sweetie, you're okay." I timidly reached out and placed my tiny hand in his. He smiled and picked me up and walked past the cops searching my house and put me in the car with the flashing lights.

After that night I became a ward of the state. I went from place to place. A new set of parents every month. I never saw that police officer again. Or as I think of him, my guardian angel. When I turned eighteen I got an apartment with the money I saved up from odd jobs I had worked. I got a job as a waitress. I have a stable life right now. Who knew a little boy would change all of that?

I couldn't just let him endure the same fate as I did. I felt like I never had a home. I felt unwanted and alone. I had to do something. So, I walked up to the lady and tapped on her shoulder. She jerked around and quickly ended the call. "May I help you?" The lady asked in a nasally voice. "Yeah, actually you can. Is this boy a ward of the state?" I said pointing to the battered boy staring wide eyes up at me. "Yes. What's it to you?" She replied angrily. "Well, I'd like to file the adoption papers for him. Whatever it takes, I will do." I snapped back. She stuttered and instructed me to follow her. I felt a warm hand slip into mine and looked down to see a smile stretching across his little face. I knew I made the right choice.

One year later
I laughed as five year old Colten ran around our little apartment with a red bath towel tied around his neck, pretending to be a superhero. Now a healthy, clean little boy and my official child. For a little while I let his infectious laughter cloud my troubling thoughts. I took a break from the appending doom that was sure to come. As Colten ran into the kitchen to get a sword (a plastic fork) my eyes traveled to the cluttered coffee table. Piles of bills sat upon it. Bills I couldn't pay. My smile disappeared as reality burst through my walls again. I reached my shaking hand out and grabbed the sealed envelope I was dreading to open. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I finally gained the courage to open the letter. My world came crashing down as I read the bold words. EVICTION NOTICE stood out. The letter drifted out of my hands and fell to the floor soundlessly. An angelic voice calling out "Mommy! Mommy come look at the birdy in the window!" Tore me from my daze. I numbly got up and followed Colten's voice to the one bedroom we shared. I stared blankly at the pigeon perched on the sill of the window. I looked down at my happy little boy. I couldn't help but feel as though I failed him. I can't give him the home he needs. But, I can give him love. I straightened my back and pasted on a smile. I scooped up Colten's little body in my arms and raced toward the living room and plopped him in the couch while he giggled and screeched. I ruffled his sandy colored hair and turned on the old television. I smiled one last smile towards him and headed to the bedroom to start packing.

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Hoped you liked my first chapter! I needed to put a little backstory in it so you understood a little about Eden's childhood and Colten. I don't know how often I'll update, I'm a swimmer and I take honors classes so I have a hectic schedule.

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