A Child Called It

Chapter 4

Jason's pov

We converted my den into a bedroom for Alyssa. I open the door. She timidly walks in. "It's alright Alyssa you're safe now." She sits on the bed and looks up at me with tears in her eyes. Poor kid. I sit down and pull her into my lap. I sing her a song and she lays her head on my chest, asleep now. I lay her in the bed and close the door. I walk down the hall and Miranda is trying to get Sierra to sleep but she's super fussy. "Here hun I got her." She smiles. "Thanks."

*later*

I finally lay down after it taking three hours to get her down. "So what are we doing with Alyssa?" My wife asks. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." I say, staring at the ceiling but looking over at her instead. She looks at me too. "I wanna adopt her." She sits up quickly wide eyed. "Babe-" She cuts me off with a kiss which surprises me because I thought she didn't wanna do this. "You are one of the kindest people ever." I stare up at her wide eyed then a smile breaks out and I pull her down beside me.

*the next day*

The principal calls me down before class starts so I walk in there. "You have a new student." "Oh cool." I say, sitting down. "His name's Thomas." "Alright." I wave to the secretary and walk back to my classroom to get it ready. I hear the bell ring and the kids start filing. I see the new kid and smile. Alyssa and him are chatting up a storm. I get the kids started in work books and sit at my desk to grade papers.

*later*

The kids were at lunch and I was listening to Pandora on my phone while grading papers. Temporary home by Carrie Underwood just came on. The door opens and I take my headphones out. "Can I help you, ma'am?" She looks like she's been crying. "Are you Alyssa's teacher?" I nod. "Ad you are?" "Her mother." Oh jeez. I didn't know she had a mother! She never mentioned it and I never saw one. "What... Uh what do you want?" I ask, nervously. She pulls a chair up and sits down, tears coming to her eyes. "I wanted to.... Thank you for saving my little girl.... I couldn't do it.... He just beat me up all the time." "Ma'am you need to call the police. Get him thrown in jail and he can't hurt you or Alyssa. You two..... You two can be very happy together." I kinda hate that. I was looking forward to adopting Alyssa. She stands up and shakes her head. "No you'd take better care of her than I ever would." The door opens. "Mama!" "Oh crud!" I put my head on my desk. "Mama, w-what are you doing here?" I shakily stand up worried. The little girl already crying. She knows it's not gonna be good. "To say goodbye sweety." She says hugging Alyssa. "B-But mom.... Why?" Alyssa sits down in her desk and I pull a chair up beside it. "Mr. Aldean is gonna take care of you now." I can tell the woman is trying hard not to cry. "Hey this isn't goodbye. You can come see her anytime ya want." I say, patting Alyssa's shoulder. She hugs me. The woman bursts into tears. Alyssa jumps down and runs to her mom. I pull out my guitar. "I wrote a song a while back that fits this." They both sit down as I strum to the song. "Let's don't say goodbye, I hate the way it sounds so if you don't mind let's just say for now, see you when I see you, another place some other time, if I ever get down your way or you're ever up around mine, we'll laugh about the old days and catch up on the new yeah I'll see you when I see you and I hope it's someday soon." As I was singing, I didn't realize the students filed in. I turned around to see my whole class staring at me. "Oh uh hey kids." "Wow! You're really good at that." Carolyn one of my students says. "Thanks. It's always been a dream of mine." "Can you play us another song?" Tony, another student of mine asks. I smile and nod. "What do y'all wanna hear?" They shout a bunch of singers that I've never heard of which are obviously not country. I smirk. "How about this instead?" I walk to my desk and exchange my sneakers for cowboy boots and put my cowboy hat on. I grab my guitar. "Anyone ever heard the stylings of the world famous Garth Brooks?" They look like they've never heard of him!! Well that's about to change. "His eyes were cold and restless, his wounds had almost healed. She'd give half of Texas just to change the way he feels. She knows his love's in Tulsa and she knows he's gonna go! But it ain't no woman flesh and blood it's that damned ol rodeo." After I finish that song, the kids cheer. I smile and stand up playing my guitar. What to sing next? Damn I'm supposed to be teaching math to these kids. Oh who cares! "Here's a song I wrote about my little girl and my wife." I'm surprised to see them at the door. "Goin' through my closet the other day found an old yearbook flipped right to the page of that senior trip, down there on that Panama strip."

*later*

Miranda's pov

He was on top of his desk, tearing it up on his guitar. This is where he belongs, singing not in a stupid school! His eyes are closed as he sings with such passion. "Get up here girl." He says, grabbing my hand. I laugh as he pulls me up on the desk beside him. Sierra in my arms. He lowers the guitar. "Hey sweetheart, we're adopting Alyssa." "I love you." I say hugging him. He smiles and jumps down then calls Alyssa out of the crowd, putting her on the desk. "So how was that for a fun day kids?" They all cheer. Then he holds a hand up so they quiet down. Then the bell rings. "See ya tomorrow youngins." He says waving.

*later that night*

I was getting ready for bed when I lowered the brush and turned around to my amazing husband. "Jason, we should talk." His eyes go wide. "That's hardly ever good." "It is this time." He smiles then. "What's up, baby?" "You should try at your dream again." His eyes go wide. "I can't. I already tried and failed. Now I have kids and a wife to support. We can't go back to that livin' by the skin of our teeth stuff." I sit on his lap after he sits on the bed. "I think you'd make it, please Jason, you were so happy today!" He smiles, his cheeks going red. "I sure was." "Please?" "Ok I'll ask the kids tomorrow get their opinion then I'll make a decision." I smile and kiss him. "I love you." "I love you too."