Gracie

Chapter 24

Skyli's POV

When I woke up, I didn't move. I didn't want to. I felt Wyatt move before he sniffed. I knew this was hard on him too, but I couldn't pull myself out of it.

"Wyatt," I asked softly. My voice was hoarse from crying. He hummed a response and kissed my head.

"Yeah?" he answered, clearing his throat.

"I want my baby back," I replied. It was silent for a moment before he sighed.

"Me too," he said in agreement. "But for now we have to move on and hope that Gracie is okay," he added. He was right, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I got up and went to the bathroom before I went down the hall to Gracie's room. I held my arms in close to my body and just stared at her room as tears ran down my face. Her room was too perfect... untouched. I missed my baby even more if that was even possible. I jumped when Wyatt touched my waist gently.

"You're torturing yourself, love," he said softly. I shook my head and sighed.

"No, Wyatt... stop," I snapped at him. He stood in front of me and sighed as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I'm trying not to leave you alone right now, but I'll give you space if that's what you really want," he said.

"You know what I want," I said softer.

"I know, and I'm sorry I can't give it to you but we had no choice! I'm trying here Sky; I really am, but you have got to meet me half way. You're not the only one who lost her," Wyatt said in frustration. I sniffled as more tears fell from my eyes.

"I know," I whispered, giving in. He sighed and pulled me into a hug. I broke again. I sobbed into his chest. After a minute, He pulled away and wiped the tears from my face.

"Go lay down," he said to me. I nodded and went back to the bedroom. I didn't want to do anything else anyway.

Wyatt's POV

I hated seeing Skyli so torn up. I was upset too but it broke her. I sighed and pulled out my phone, checking my messages from Davis before calling the one person who could fix this.

"You shouldn't be calling me," her voice answered the phone.

"Look, I agree that you are Gracie's biological mother, but you had no right to rip her from our lives after a year. Do you realize how long that is?" I asked heatedly. I could hear Grace wailing in the background. "What's wrong with her?" I asked instinctively.

"She's just fussy is all," Rose dismissed it. I rolled my eyes as I paced in Gracie's room.

"She's not fussy, she's sick. She needs to see a doctor. And it only makes it worse that she doesn't know you. She misses her family," I argued.

"I'm her family!" she snapped back quickly.

"Were! You were her mother and you gave her up! We took care of her, we did everything for her! We gave her everything she could ever want! How could you be so selfish as to rip her from the only life she's ever known? The only family she's ever known?" I countered.

"I'm her mother," Rose said with less resolve.

"Do you have a doctor for her? She's teething now, do you know what to do? Did you know she was allergic to peanut butter and shellfish?" I asked. Rose was silent. "Gracie's last name is Cook. She is registered under that name, she has my healthcare plan, and she's been under our care for the last year. You can either do the right thing and bring her back willingly, and I'll allow visitation, or I will take you to court and you will never see her again. And if you try to run, I will find you and social services will bring her to us anyway. You abandoned her without so much as an explanation. You may share the same DNA, but Skyli is her mother," I said low in warning.

"If you take me to court, they'll know she's mine," Rose argued.

"And I have the medical records, pictures, and facts to prove otherwise. You won't win. You can risk it if you want, but it's best you take my first offer if you ever want to see Grace again. I'm giving you until the end of tomorrow before I file a report of a kidnapping," I said before I hung up the phone.

I had Davis digging up dirt on Rose, now that we finally knew her last name, and any thing else that could help. I also called my lawyer and gave him a heads up, just in case. I was going to fight this; for Gracie, for me, and for Skyli. That was our baby, whether or not Rose wanted to acknowledge that.

Skyli stayed in the room all day. She didn't eat; only getting up every now and then to use the bathroom. I didn't tell her of my threat to Rose, just in case she brought Gracie back tomorrow, but I would tell her about possibly going to court. She deserved to know. After making a few slices of toast and pouring water in a cup, I went up to the room and set it on the bedside table before rubbing Skyli's back gently.

"I'm going to fight this for us, Sky. Legally, Gracie's more ours, than hers. I already called and told Rose to prepare herself," I explained to her. She sat up slowly as her red, puffy eyes landed on me.

"Why didn't you fight her when she first came over?" she asked hoarsely. I sighed, knowing I should've fought harder.

"I didn't have all the facts yet. I was too shocked, at first, to react. I wanted to make sure we went through the proper channels because, biologically, Rose is her mother," I explained. "Plus, I was too in shock to know what to do. I never thought she would show back up," I admitted. Skyli nodded thoughtfully.

"So how do we fight this?" Skyli asked. She didn't sound convinced in the slightest.

"We have records proving that we have been caring for Grace for the past year. Plus, her last name is registered as Cook. She doesn't have a birth certificate because Rose didn't give birth to her at a hospital, right?" I asked, getting more encouraged by the moment.

"I guess," Skyli said unsurely. I could tell she didn't want to get her hopes up just yet.

"I had Davis check it out with his step-dad, who's a lawyer. This was an optional adoption without any paperwork, but you still have the letter right? A mother has 60 days to reclaim her baby. If she doesn't, the adoption is legal. Gracie is legally ours," I explained.