Stolen Lullaby

Always A Mother

"Please please stay with me... hang on for just a little while longer my darling." Taylor desperately observed the broken breathing line looking for a way she could somehow repair it herself but the tubing was torn into two pieces, there was no way to reconnect it. Maisie's mouth opened and closed giving gasps for air as her tiny hands clung to Taylor's shirt in distress. Taking her eyes away from her child for just one fleeting moment Taylor looked up at Carol with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Maisie is innocent she has nothing to do with why you're angry with me. Please I am begging you to let someone in to help her."

Carol still said nothing and continued to stare at Taylor with cold indifference, her back still against the door while security started to use force to pry it open. Carol wasn't necessarily a big woman but any kind of deadweight purposefully using itself as an obstruction can be cause extreme difficulties when it's used against something.

Taylor felt Maisie's grip on her top start to loosen, her open mouthed gasps for air were quieting down into hiccups while she rested her head into the crook of Taylor's neck, the place where she always found the most comfort.

"Come on, be a strong girl for Mommy... please." Taylor sat back down on her bed holding Maisie to her chest while rocking her back and forth. "I know you're tired, but Mommy, Daddy and Sophie still need you." Maisie's hiccups slowly came to a complete stop and Taylor felt her body which was once so warm against her skin go cold. Hearing Taylor Let out a scream of agony from the depths of her soul gave Carol the signal that what she had set out to do was accomplished and she stood up moving her weight away from the door and letting security lead her away and nurses to rush in.

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Before I am a musician or a public figure I am most importantly and foremost a mother. You can have your child for seconds, months or decades but you will always be a mother even if the time was brief. My daughter Maisie was only two weeks old but I still loved her the same as if I had spent a lifetime with her. Feeling her body become so light in my arms and the warmth leave her skin destroyed any desire in myself to continue to live. In that moment I just wanted to leave this earth and go wherever she had gone. I've had both of my children taken from me in differing capacities and it is a pain I would never wish on my worst enemy. All I've ever wanted was to be a mommy and raise my children in peace. The selfish actions of one person created a domino effect of devastation that we will feel for the rest of our lives. Never have I had any feeling of hate or vengeance in my heart for Carol or Steve Collins, in many ways they were victims of Sarah Jacobson's actions as well. However I am absolutely disgusted that my family has been forced to go through two separate trials one for each of our daughters for different reasons to prove to the courts again and again the irreparable damage the Collins have inflicted on us and to plead for justice to be done so we may finally be free of the dark shadow they cast over us. Today my statement is for Maisie Charlotte Alwyn, our baby girl who was forced to be born too early but fought so hard to stay with us. Carol Collins with her husband Steven as an accomplice deliberately planned out actions to end her life in a bid to get revenge on us for continuing to justifiably fight them for our other daughter. I cannot fathom how a woman who calls herself a mother can cause another mother's child to perish and watch with justified glee. I will never be able to forgive you for the callous cruel actions you committed against my baby that had done nothing in her short life but try and survive. My heart does not have any room to feel anything at all for you, not even hatred. In saying so I ask the court to give our family a chance to heal and sentence Carol Collins to maximum punishment that the justice system can provide.

Joe stood at the podium in front of the judge and jury with the victim impact statement written by Taylor in his hands. As he read the statement to its conclusion his voice trembled with emotion and he choked back tears. Reading it out loud made him feel as if she was in the room with him instead of her words being in absentia. The judge thanked him for his courage to stand in front of the court before releasing the jury to convene and deliver a verdict. Walking past the Collins table Joe kept his head down walking straight out of the court room purely just eager to get home. Looking at the car radio time he saw that it was still early and he had some extra time before he had to pick Sophie up from school. Swinging past a bakery he picked up some pastries before heading home. When he arrived at home he pushed the front door open attempting to be a quiet as possible as Benji purred and rubbed up against his legs.

"Get out of here man, these aren't for you." He joked giving the giant cat a gentle nudge with his foot. Benji gave a small indignant hiss before sauntering away. Joe rolled his eyes continuing to take his shoes off before making his way upstairs. Taking this journey still never ceased to make his heart do a small leap into this throat as he made his way down the upstairs hallway to the door decorated with pink bunnies. Taking a deep breath he carefully turned the doorhandle inviting himself into the room.

Taylor sat in the soft rocking chair next to the window and smiled looking up at him.

"Hey..." She greeted him with a soft voice not wanting to disturb the little person napping on her chest. A giant grin crept across Joe's face as he approached the two of them, putting the pastry box on the ottoman.

"How is she today?" He asked giving Taylor a kiss on the head.

"She's good... I think I got a giggle out of her today." Taylor leaned into Joe's hand, she was clearly exhausted but still smiling. Joe watched them for a while longer before getting up to get some plates for the pastries so they wouldn't all have to move downstairs to eat. Stopping for a beat he admired a new artwork that was hanging on the wall above the crib. It was a cheerful framed calligraphy message declaring:

"I Know Miracles Happen... Because Maisie Is Here"

A/N: I'm sorry for giving you guys so much anxiety with the last chapter I hope this one made up for some of the grief! As always thank you so much for your support, votes, comments etc. This story isn't over quite yet, but for the next story I may need you readers input deciding if you want to continue in the universe of this a/u (maybe a prequel or a sequel) or begin a whole new story, let me know your thoughts.