"What do you mean, there's nothing you can do?"
The police officer shifted slightly in his seat and cleared his throat.
"Ma'am, I'm going to explain to you once again that this is not threatening or intimidatory behavior. The best thing I can recommend is that your, uh...partner gets a new phone."
Stevie was apoplectic. She slammed her hands on the kitchen counter and Sheryl, staring out the window with tear-stained cheeks, jumped in shock.
"Ma'am, I would remind you that as an officer of the law I am well within my right to place you under arrest if I consider your behavior to be threatening or intimidatory."
"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Me slapping my own counter is threatening but a man who was charged with blackmail and is now sending unsolicited messages to the person he was blackmailing is fine? That's ok? And, Officer whatever, I am going to explain to you once again that she needs that phone with that number. It's not a simple matter of just changing it."
The police officer held his hands up helplessly.
As soon as Stevie read the message in the car, rather than the blundering, panicked excuses she was expecting, Sheryl had swerved off the road and had a panic attack. Once she was able to speak again she explained that Brian had been the boyfriend who was controlling and blackmailing her. She'd never told Stevie his name, they'd never ever discussed him. She hadn't wanted to.
The minute they arrived back at Stevie's she had called 911 and despite Sheryl's protestations, demanded the first available officer get to her house immediately. The man in front of her, expecting an emergency, had been thoroughly unimpressed when he was presented with a text message.
She was right though - it was concerning behaviour. Sheryl had blocked his old number so he'd obviously got a new one, and the content of the message was of course inappropriate too. He was obviously playing some kind of game, and Sheryl was scared, and Stevie was in a rage.
"If you have any more issues, let us know. They will all be attached to the same incident and if there's enough of a case we can press charges. Until then, you can apply for a restraining order, but off the back of one message I don't think you'll have much luck."
~
"Is she ok?"
"Still sleeping."
Stevie had spent the past hour by her own bed, watching Sheryl fitfully sleep. All the thoughts of babies and their future were ripped up and forgotten the moment that message came through.
Karen had come over as soon as Stevie called. She passed her a glass of water and Stevie sipped it before sinking into one of the bar stools at the counter and putting her head in her hands.
"I can't imagine how upset she must be. They really won't do anything to help?"
"Nope. We just have to sit here and wait for him to contact her again, or slash her tyres, or god knows what."
"Can I do anything?"
"You know what, yes, actually. Call the people who manage my security and tell them I want more. I want someone here 24 hours a day, I don't want her to go anywhere alone."
"Ok...it will probably be expensive."
She lifted her head and stared at Karen for a beat.
"Karen, do you know who you work for? Besides, I don't care if it bankrupts me. I'm keeping her safe."
Karen nodded then looked past Stevie and smiled. Stevie turned to find Sheryl in the doorway, tired and red faced. She opened her arms and Sheryl stumbled into them, still half asleep. She rested her head on Stevie's shoulder and they stayed there in silence for a moment, Stevie gently rocking and stroking her hair.
"We'll figure it all out, don't worry. I'll draw you a bath."
~
Stevie sat with her knees tucked up to her chest by the sunken bath as Sheryl lay back and breathed in the steam. She reached down and idly traced circles in the surface of the hot water, lost in her thoughts.
"Hey."
Pulled back to the present, she returned Sheryl's smile.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
"A little better. We just have to control what we can. Maybe I won't hear anything more from him. There's no point worrying about it." Stevie nodded in agreement and felt better herself hearing Sheryl take such a rational perspective. Without her, she'd have been going crazy over something like this. "More importantly...are we ok?"
"How do you mean? Oh..." she wasn't sure she was ready to have the baby conversation yet. "We're good. We've got a lot going on right now, so let's just focus on that, hm?"
Sheryl reached up and grasped her hand.
"Sure. Could you hand me a towel?"
Stevie helped her out of the tub and they walked back into the bedroom to find Karen arranging their favorite snacks on the bed.
"Oh Karen, thank you. You're the sweetest." Sheryl pulled on a robe and hugged her. "Look what she did, baby. Peanut butter and apple slices!"
"I don't know what I'd do without you. Either of you."
The past few weeks, the three of them had formed a close bond. Karen was wary of Stevie's relationships - when things inevitably collapsed she'd be the one picking up the pieces. But she could see the difference with Sheryl. It felt like she'd always been there.
"Ok, I'll leave you to it," said Karen as Sheryl clambered onto the bed and reached for the tv remote.
"Oo can phtay if oo ike," Stevie's voice was muffled as she was cramming animal crackers into her mouth as though she'd never eaten.
"No, I have stuff to do. Thank you though, have fun!"
As Karen left, Stevie joined Sheryl on the bed. Sheryl attempted to feed her a nacho but somehow ended up getting queso in Stevie's hair.
"We are a disaster," Stevie laughed as she reached for Sheryl's damp towel to wipe it off.
Sheryl kissed her on the cheek. Despite everything that had happened that day, she couldn't think of anything right now that could make her happier. She flicked through the channels until she found an old Audrey Hepburn movie and they curled up together watching it until they both drifted to sleep.
