Pretty Wings (Paul Walker)

Ch. 20

Hanna lifted Cara off the table after she'd changed her and smiled at the little girl as she started to babble.

"I know, I know," Hanna said walking down the steps so she could get to the kitchen to fix lunch.

"Mama."

"Yes Paulie."

He pointed down to his stomach and Hanna bent down to kiss his forehead.

"Let me put your sister down and I'll start on lunch ok?"

Paulie stood up and walked with his mother to the living room, jumping up on the sofa beside Cara to smother her with kisses.

"Are you going to be a good big brother and watch your sister for me?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Ok," she said kissing his forehead and walking into the kitchen.

Paulie looked at his little sister and laid back on the couch.

"Cara," he whisper yelled at her.

She struck her fingers in her mouth and started to babble again.

"No, no Cara," he said taking her fingers out of her mouth.

She started crying and Hanna rushed to where they were.

"What happened?"

Paulie looked too shocked to say anything and Hanna quickly put two and two together once she saw Cara stick her fingers back into her mouth.

"When she sticks her fingers into her mouth take them out and if she keeps doing it call me ok."

"Ok mama," he said turning so his sister had his undivided attention.

She turned on cartoons for them and went back to cook until she heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it," Paulie asked like his mother had taught him.

"It's grandma."

Paulie wasted no time opening the door and nearly knocked his grandma down to hug her.

"Well looks like someone missed me," Cheryl laughed picking her grandson up.

"I did, gamma."

He leaned in and hugged his small arms around his grandmother's neck. She sighed and hugged him tightly to her body. Cara watched the scene unfold before her she smiled a little and reached for the older woman.

"Aww Cara wants some love to huh," Cheryl asked putting Paulie down so she could give Cara a little attention. "How's my sweet little girl?"

Cara held the woman's cheeks in her hands and leaned in as if she was attempting to give the woman a kiss. The gesture brought tears to her eyes as she thought about her son and how much he was truly missing out on. He'd always wanted a daughter, and know he'd had one, but at what cost?

"You made it."

Cheryl turned her attention to Hanna and smiled.

"Hey Hanna."

Hanna walked over to the woman and hugged her.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice.

"It's not a problem. I love these two so much."

"Well the Alfredo is almost done, it just needs to be stirred one more time before you serve it."

Cheryl could tell something had Hanna on edge, but decided not to force her to talk about it.

"Take care of yourself," she said instead as she watched Hanna walk through the front door.

***

Kori's breath caught in her throat as she watched Hanna walk into her bedroom.

"We got action."

Vanessa came to stand behind Kori, but she couldn't bring herself to feel satisfaction because the look on Hanna's face scared her. This wasn't the same Hanna that she had grown used to over the years. This Hanna looked determined and angry. A bad combination if she wanted to get away with a crime that could send her to jail for two decades.

***

Hanna looked around her room for anything that seemed to be the slightest bit out of place. She felt around the room like a crazy person before she looked up and her eyes zeroed on something that looked like a camera. Narrowing her eyes, she moved the dresser to better reach the object and took it down, inspecting it.

"Son of a bitch," she said before climbing down off of the dresser. "I don't know who or what you are for that matter, but you better believe that I won't stop until I find out who you are and when I do, you better hope that God has mercy on your soul."

She broke the camera before leaving the house. She'd made her point for the day and she only hoped the person behind this was ready for a war.

***

Vanessa and Kori looked at one another and tried to figure out the best way around this situation, but it was out of their hands now.

"What are we supposed to do now?"

Vanessa didn't have an answer to her question, so she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"We wait."