All You Wish For

Chapter 22

"Delilah, we have to do it now." George said as soon as she woke up.

"Do what?"

"Leave! He's gone for a few days. We can take Tommy and leave."

"He has Tommy, George. Don't you see? He took Tommy so I have to stay here and worry."

"Delilah, Tommy's at your uncle's house. Maria just called."

"This is my chance!"

"Yes, go, get dressed and pack what you can and let's go!"

"Wait, what if this is a trick?"

"Let's just do it. Then we think, okay?"

"Okay!"

Delilah packed a suitcase and left for her uncle's house. There Maria received them. "Hurry, before Elizabeth wakes up."

Nigel came down the stairs followed by Tommy. "Mama! You're here!"

"Delilah, what a surprise. George? Is that you? What is going on?"

"Hi, Mr. Thornton, nice to see you again." George stretched his arm and shook Nigel's hand.

"Papa, Steve and I are on a break, okay? You know, we need some time apart away from each other." Delilah said.

"Are things okay?" Nigel asked, still looking at George confused.

"Um, yes. But if he comes asking about me, tell him you have no idea where I am at."

"Del, what happened to your face?" Nigel asked, grabbing her chin.

"She was assaulted outside her apartment." George quickly answered.

"Oh my God, honey." Nigel said, hugging her.

"I have to go, Papa." She said, pushing Tommy out the door.

"Honey, you can stay here. Steve doesn't come here."

"No, Papa, we'll go with George far away. I still don't know where."

"Why hide? What did Steve do to you?"

"I can't tell you right now. Maria, can you tell him?"

"Delilah! Stop." Elizabeth yelled from the top of the stairs. "Don't leave!"

"Sorry, good bye."

"She what?" Steve screamed in Elizabeth's living room.

"She took Tommy and left." Elizabeth calmly said.

"Where is she?"

"Steve, calm down." Nigel said entering the living room.

"Don't tell me to calm down, you stupid old fool. I want to know where my wife is."

"Get out of my house!" Nigel said. "This is between you and your wife. Leave us alone."

"Hey, Elizabeth, do you know...?" Maria entered the living room.

"Well, well, well. Look who is here." Steve said, cornering Maria. "Elizabeth, didn't you tell me she had left?"

"She came to pick up some things."

"Steve, please, leave." Nigel said, pointing at the door.

"Okay, I'll leave. But you can be sure that the next time you see your daughter it will be in jail." Steve said leaving.

"Daughter? What did he mean, Ni?" Elizabeth asked.

"Long story, Lisa."

"Tell me now, I have time." She said, crossing her arms.

"I'll leave you two." Maria said, trying to leave.

"No, Maria, stay. We need to talk too. You need to tell me what happened with Steve."

"Okay." She said as she and Elizabeth took a seat across from Nigel.

"When my brother, Neil, married Ruth, I fell in love with her. She was older and didn't pay any attention to me. I never told Neil about my feelings for his wife." Nigel sighed. "Well, time passed, and I learned from my mother that Niel and Ruth had been struggling to have a kid. They were getting old. One night, Ruth came into my room and confessed that Niel was sterile, but she was afraid to tell him. She knew that it would break his heart. She asked me if I could get her pregnant. I fell for that and she got pregnant. At first Niel suspected that Ruth had cheated on him, but when he saw the baby, he saw his own green eyes staring up at him. But Delilah is my daughter. That's why I worry so much about her, and I know something happened with Steve and Maria, you are going to tell me."

Elizabeth looked at Maria and nodded. "Go ahead. Tell him."

"George, I'm so scared. It's been a month already." Delilah said, pacing around the motel room.

"You shouldn't be scared. We are together. And it's a good sign that it has already been a month and there's no sign of Steve." George said.

"Mama, is the bad man away?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, Tommy, the bad man is far away."

"I just have this feeling that he's going to show up one of these days."

"Calm down. Why don't you take Tommy to the pool, I'll make some calls checking how things are, okay?"

"Yes, Mama, pool!" He said jumping on the bed.

"Alright, honey. But get down."

"No sign of him yet? Are you sure?" George asked Elizabeth over the phone.

"Nothing, it's like he disappeared. The other day I drove by the apartment, and it looked abandoned."

"Thanks anyway." He said hanging up. He turned on the TV and saw Delilah's face on the news. He turned up the volume.

"This woman is extremely dangerous. She's accused of killing Julie Dayton then kidnapping her son. She has been missing for over a month. She responds to the name of Delilah Thornton. The little boy's name is Tom Dayton and responds to Tommy. If anyone has any information, please contact your local police. A desperate father awaits his son."

"Son of a bitch!" George said, turning off the TV and packing what he could.