Echoes

Part 27

July 2008

By the time Tuesday came, I was more than ready to face whatever the Shadow Man had in store for me. I had asked Asher if he could watch Giselle from noon to 3pm shortly after booking my appointment and he had obliged with little questioning.  I woke up early in the morning, and although I had plenty of time before my appointment I rushed as if I was running late. I dressed quickly and headed for Giselle's nursery within ten minutes of rising.

"Are you ready to go see daddy, sweetheart?" I cooed as I entered the room.

But my words were soon enveloped by silence...no giggling, no babbling, no words, no nothing.

I soon realized that Giselle wasn't in her room. Strange, yes, but I figured she was probably with Zoe. I immediately went to Zoe's room, but found that neither she nor Giselle were there. Fear shot through me. Giselle could walk now. Although she hadn't managed to get out of her crib on her own yet, if there was one thing having a child had taught me it was that there was a first time for everything. Not to mention the fact that said first time was likely to come out of nowhere. Still, I forced myself not to think too much about that. Instead, I dialed Zoe on my cell phone, thinking that perhaps she had taken Giselle on a quick errand. I was most definitely going to chew her out for failing to inform me.

"Hello?" Zoe asked. She sounded exhausted.

"Tell me when you're taking her somewhere next time," I said. "She's supposed to go to Asher's right now."

"Who?" Zoe asked. "What are you talking about?" Her speech was slow and slurred.

"What do you mean who? Giselle, obviously."

"Shira what are you talking about?" Zoe asked.

"Zoe, where are you? Are you drunk?"

"I'm at a friend of my friend's house. I think his name is John. Or Jace. Or something," she mumbled. "I'm not drunk anymore."

"Zoe, where is Giselle?" I demanded. "If you took her to some asshole's house and got drunk, I swear to God I'll---"

"I don't have her right now!" Zoe shouted. "For fuck's sake, Shira, calm down. I gave her to Asher."

"You what?" I exclaimed.

"I gave her to Asher," she repeated. "He called late last night and asked if you were asleep. I told him you were. So he said he wanted to come over and get Giselle."

"Why in the fuck would he take her while I was asleep?" I demanded.

"He said he saw you with some Sam guy last week and he didn't think you were prioritizing the baby properly," she said matter-of-factly.

"And you just handed her over?" I shouted. "I can't believe you."

"I was drunk, okay?" she said, as if that were somehow a valid excuse. "And besides, you're starting to lose it a little. It's not such a bad idea for him to have her for a while."

  I ended the call, unable to listen any longer. After punching the wall a few times, I dialed Asher. What he'd done was completely out of line, and I was going to make sure he knew it.

"Hey, what's up?" he answered in the most inappropriately casual tone imaginable.

"Why the fuck did you take Giselle last night without my permission?" I asked. "Are you nuts?"

"Hey, calm down," he urged. "I was going to have her for a while today anyway."

"I know that, asshole," I replied. "What does that have to do with stealing her in the middle of the night?"