To Save My Daughter

Part 3: Live Today, Like Normal

I Awoke in my bed, with Grace snuggled beside me. She hadn’t done that since she was a little girl. I stroked her blond hair, taking in the smell of her shampoo. All I could think about is how much I loved my little girl. She was growing up way too fast for me. How I wish I could stop time. As I lay there, memories of last night started filling my mind. Was that dream or real. Even at this moment everything seemed surreal.

I sat up, and turned to get out of bed. I knew it was early, and I had the day off from work. I just couldn’t lie there any longer. I felt restless. As my head was spinning, I just kept thinking, last night was not real. Man, do I know how to dream or what. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an envelope sitting next to my alarm clock and cell phone. It was addressed to: My Love.

I looked at it and turned it over and over. How did that get here?  My love? Nobody has ever called me that. Did Grace leave a note from a boy in my room by accident? What the hell, if she did, I’ll at least get to see into her private life a little. Yes, I felt guilty, but sometime curiosity gets to the best of us. I opened the envelope slowly, afraid of what was inside. Even more fearful on how it got there in the first place. I knew deep down, this wasn’t a teenage love letter.  

I unfolded a gilded sheet of paper and started to read:

My Love, 

You may be wondering if last night was dream, when in fact it is your destiny.

Be ready for me tonight; you need nothing but yourself and your daughter.

Do not try to cross me, there will be consequences.

Xander

I wanted to scream or cry. I didn’t know which. Maybe both. All I kept thinking was “Oh SHIT! Vampires are real” I thought I had grown out the Goth stage. I never thought for once that it would come back to haunt me. “This can’t be real, someone is messing with me.” I took the letter, and left Grace sleeping. I needed some time to think. How was I going to get out of this? Why did I get that stupid tattoo? Everyone told me that I would regret it. Shit, Shit, Shit. Why didn’t I listen? It just sucks when things come back and bite you in the ass.

I made a cup of coffee, but just sat there on the couch holding it. Looking out the window, I felt helpless. Part of me wanted to send Grace to her fathers; the other part of me couldn’t and wouldn’t live without her. Maybe I was selfish, she was mine. I had nine and half months on him, and I’m the one that takes care of her when she is sick, or her heart is broken. It is me that protects her. How was I to protect her now? If I sent her away, the fear raging inside me said, he would find her and kill her, and make me watch. Would that be worse, than the life we have set before us? Would death be a better answer for us both? I knew that I had to do anything and everything to protect her. Even if it meant keeping her by my side at all times, where ever that may be.  

Grace finally woke up and came into the living room. She sat next to me, and looked into my eyes. “Mom?” I heard her say. It took me a moment to respond. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts.

“Yes, baby.”

“Last night was real right? It wasn’t some weird dream? I remember going outside, and there was this guy. Hot guy. He asked me my name, and after that I was on the ground and heard you screaming at me to run”.

“Yes, baby it was real. But it is over now. Nothing for you to worry about. I’ll do all the worrying for us.” Grace nodded and smiled. She snuggled back into my lap, as we both looked out the picture window in the living room. We sat there, just watching the world pass up by. How was a going to break it to my angel that her world was going to turned upside down again? I had promised her the last time that the shit hit the fan when I divorced her father, that I would do everything in my power to keep life as normal as possible. I felt like a liar. I needed help, but who could I turn to. Nobody would believe me. If I did find someone who did, would I be putting them in harm’s way?

I decided the best thing I could do was live today like any other day. Why should I stop living, because of that thing?  I took a shower, did my hair and makeup as always. Put on a tank top, jeans, a hoody, and sneakers. I told Grace to get dressed, because we’re going out to lunch and shopping. I figured I couldn’t sit around the house, waiting for all hell to break loose.

When we walked outside, we both stopped at the same time, looking at the garbage cans. The trash that was spilled last night was cleaned up. Nothing looked out of place. It looked as if nothing had happened. As if it was our imagination. I prayed it was, but when I looked at Grace, I knew what happened last night was real.

“Hey girls, what are you out doing today?” Grace and I screamed, looked at each other, and broke out laughing. Steve, our annoying neighbor, looked at us as if we were crazy. He was doing some yard work, and we didn’t see him, bent over behind a bush. We knew we were both still nervous and upset about what had happened last night.

Since we didn’t respond at first, Steve looked gave me a puzzling look and said, “Yeah are you girls going out to have some fun?”

Rolling my eyes, I said; “Yes, so we got to be going. Bye Steve”. Oh, how I dislike that guy. Grace is right, when she called him porky pig. That is exactly what he looked like. Pot belly, bald head, and stubby nose. Sheesh, just my luck. Not attracted to the man next door, and the most attractive man I’ve seen, is deadly. I can’t say I have ever been lucky in love. I should slap myself, what was I thinking.   

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