The Baby Between Them

Chapter Seventeen

Rae looked at her phone as it started ringing on Friday afternoon. She didn't usually answer private numbers, but with Sasha and Rick in jail now and all the legal crap happening, she knew it could be important, so swiped to accept it.

"Hello?"

"Collect call from Palen Creek Correctional Centre infirmary, inmate Richard Mason. Do you accept?" Came the automated voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes, I accept." Rae responded. Sasha had tried to call three times in the last two days, but there was no way she was talking to that murderous, kidnapping bitch and she took great pride in announcing that no... She would not be accepting the call.

"Gigi?"

"Hey Ricky Boy. How's life in the pinch? How's the chest?" She asked and he chuckled.

"I'm going ok. Luckily the crazy bitch missed most vital organs. One of my lungs needed patching and reinflating and it doesn't tickle, but I'm on the mend." He went quiet for a moment. "To think I'd been working so hard with the rehab to stay out of here." He was trying to joke around, but Rae could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Hunter told me what happened. How she forced you to help. You saved our lives Rick and I'll never forget that."

"He did? That's good. I was so scared you'd hate me."

"I'm not going to lie... I did... Until he explained. I was so confused as to why you'd do it, because I thought you loved me, but then I understood."

"I do love you Gigi. I love you like you're my own kid. I'd do anything to keep you safe. That's the only reason I stayed with her so long. As soon as you moved out after high school, I was gunna be good as gone."

"I appreciate everything Rick. I really do."

They were both silent for a little while, until the automated voice in the background announced they had three minutes left in their call.

"How's Amelia?" Rick asked.

"She's doing good." Rae answered. "Too good." She added sadly.

"What do you mean by that?" Rae could hear the confusion in his voice.

"Social services are taking her and putting her in care as soon as she's ready to be discharged Rick. The hospital social worker has to get the paperwork amended to add the stipulations Dad has had added, in regards to me and Lily having visitation, but she goes into the system on Monday and she'll have a family to go to by Friday when the hospital plans on discharging her." A sob broke free and she sucked in a deep breath to stop from losing control of her emotions completely.

"Shit! Gigi I'm sorry. What do you want to happen?"

"I want to be her Mum, Rick, but I can't take custody until I'm eighteen and even though that's in three weeks, there's nothing that can be done in the meantime. My parents won't foster her and neither will the Hughes, because they're all worried I'll regret taking on a baby so young and not having a normal fun start to adulthood."

"They do all realise you're not normal and not the partying type yeah?"

"I know right! And it's not like I'd have to give up going to uni or anything. These days you can do most classes remotely since all of the COVID shit."

"Exactly. You're a resourceful kid. You always have been. I'm sorry no one is trying to help you make this happen." They went quiet again. "Rae I know you've been staying at the hospital with Amelia at night. I'm going to talk to Mitch and get him to grab your stuff from the house and take it to his."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm going to sell the house. I've organised with a mate to put everything of mine, the furniture and what not in storage and told him to burn all of Sasha's shit for all I care."