Can't Say I Don't Love You (A Sokeefe AU)

Chapter 15

A/N:

TW: Abuse, murder, panic attack

~

Ten years ago...

Emma Foster brushed a fond hand over her daughter's forehead and smiled at her.

"Stay here, okay Sophie?" She whispered, her voice lilting and gentle.

There was something five year old Sophie couldn't place her finger on, something she didn't know how to explain.

But her mother seemed... More tense than usual? When she reached out and hugged her, she could feel her mother's heart thundering.

And was that a sob that she just released?

"What's going on?" She asked obliviously.

Emma moved a little, before putting her at an arm's length and smiling again. Something about it looked forced. Scared.

"Nothing, baby," she said softly, kissing her forehead. "I love you, okay? Stay with your brother."

Sophie looked up at Liam and grinned, nodding. She liked it when mommy put her with her brother. He always had fun games to play and amusing ways of entertaining her.

She sat down, cross legged.

She didn't notice how scared her brother seemed to be.

"Please don't go," she barely heard him plead.

Emma inhaled a shaky breath and forced another smile, cupping her son's face and kissing his forehead like she did Sophie's.

"I love you. Look after your sister, okay? You're all she has left."

The last part, she muttered under her breath.

Sophie heard it. She didn't know what that meant. But mommy seemed sad, and she didn't like it when mommy was sad. So she looked up and grinned at her mother.

Emma looked away, but pat her head. Her breathing became hard, as if she was struggling to breathe.

She left the room.

She would probably come back anytime soon, so Sophie wasn't too worried.

She looked up at her brother, cocking her head to the side, wondering what game he would suggest playing this time.

Instead, his eyes were rimmed red and he was shaking.

"Liam...?" She asked uncertainly.

"Stay here, Sophie," he spoke, voice trembling.

She frowned.

"Hide and seek!" He hastily added on. "Stay here, okay? Don't come out unless I tell you to."

But how was that hide and seek if he already knew where she was?

Still, she agreed.

She sat down and waited.

Minutes passed. Or was it hours? Seconds? Days? Sophie didn't know what was what. Liam had tried teaching her a few times, but she still didn't understand it.

However, whenever she was told to wait, she had the habit of counting to pass time. As high as she possibly could, which was a hundred. Her mother told her that that was really, really high.

She counted to a hundred about three times before she got bored. Patience wasn't exactly her strong suit, at least that was what Liam sometimes grumbled about.