Before We Were Fifty

Chapter 7

Sitting at the kitchen table, the social worker stopped by this afternoon to check on Dulcie. It was hard reading her, but I think she liked me- I hope. As I pour her another cup of coffee, her brown eyes follow me, especially when Lukas comes in from his walk with Stella. Damn, I should've told her to stay away longer.

"MOMMY!" He jumps up and down beside me and I bend over, kissing his head before grabbing a wet wipe and wiping his hand before handing him a sippy cup of apple juice. "Who dat?!

"This is Ms. Rivera. Say hi, baby." He immediately hides behind me and I laugh. Walking over to the table, I hand the beautiful Latina woman her beverage and take my seat. Dulcie comes walking in- dressed in a pretty blue and yellow flowered dress and sits beside me. "Hello, darling."

"Kota!" She smiles and laughs at me as she climbs on my lap. The social worker smiles and jots down a note. "Who dat?"

"This is Eva Rivera. Say hi." Lukas who is standing shyly in the doorway to the bedroom has his hands folded in front of him just watching Dulcie cuddle me.

"Hi." She says and I smile at Lukas, opening my arm up wide. He runs over to me and I let him sit on one leg and Dulcie on the other.

"Well, I have a few questions, Ms. Johnson."

"Alright."

"How long have you known Jamie Dornan?" She has her pen and pad ready and I readjust the kids. Here we go. Stay calm.

"I met him two years ago. We weren't really close until the movie started."

"So you both work together?"

"Yes. Our kids have play dates at times."

"And what is Jamie's behavior with the kids?"

"He's beyond caring and kind. He treats Lukas as if he were his own and Dulcie better. She's his princess. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her, any child for that matter." Hopefully she believes me. Mostly cause I'm telling the truth.

"Have you see the video of Amelia pulling Dulcie?"

"Yes, it's appalling."

"Well we're under the impression that this child needs to be placed in permanent home that might not be the parents necessarily."

"Excuse me for asking but under what reasoning? Jamie is fully capable of taking care of her."

"Miss Johnson, though Mr. Dornan is fully capable of providing for Dulcie, we feel that, with his job and everything, that the environment for her would not be fit- not to be sexist either, but this young girl needs a female figure in her life and as I'm understanding it, Mr. Dornan is currently divorcing, his sisters are no where near him to stabilize Dulcie and on top of it all the his current residence is being demolished."

"But...but what if he finds someone to provide her with a motherly touch, gets a house, and such? I've seen single parents before take care of children- little girls and fathers alike. Please, Ms. Rivera, you can't take Dulcie away from Jamie. She's his only happiness." Over looking the fact that he has Lukas too, but that's beside the point.

"And who is going to step into motherly shoes while another woman is immediately stepping out?" Well here goes nothing.

"I will."

"What?" She seems taken aback from my comment.

"I will. I love Dulcie as if she was my own son. And I care about Jamie enough for him not to lose his kid. He can move into my apartment in LA, or we can move to Ireland- whatever it takes for him to keep his daughter, I'll do it!" My voice raises slightly and the kids just look at each other, before shrugging it off and playing with my hands. "Please...please don't take her away from where she belongs."