We Are Free

Fair And School

*August 29th*
*27 weeks pregnant*
Halo is so ready to have this baby I don't blame her. She looks uncomfortable. Andrew's birthday was the 10th but we didn't do anything big. He is 7 now.
    Emily will be in 4th grade and Andrew 2nd grade. We are going to the fair today. Anna has to work unfortunately so it will just be Zac, me, Andrew, Blake, Ryker, Emily, Zane, and Chloe. I pack what we need and go to the fair grounds.
     We get out and I put Zane on my shoulders. We go to the first ride and Zac and I take Andrew and Emily on it while Chloe takes the boys and Blake on other rides.
     We all meet up a half hour after that and go on a little haunted house ride. Ryker got scared and started crying. I held him and when we got off I clean his face with a baby wipe. He won't let me put him down so I carry him.
     We go on 4 more rides before Zac and I go on the Splat. We get on and we wait for the ride to start. We laugh at each other. The ride starts and Zac screams the whole time as I try to laugh at him.
     When the ride stops he is walking funny and wobbling. I am laughing at him. He flips me off before I fall over laughing.
     "Yup, here we go. Zac don't puke." Chloe says to him.
     "I won't, I promise." He says.
     "Okay, you two done?" She puts her hand on her hip before switching Blake to her other arm.
      "I am good." I say.
      "One minute." Zac says. We wait for him he sits down. 30 seconds pass and he gets up. We go to a different ride and take Emily on it. She has fun and so do I. Zac screams the whole time but he had fun. We get off that ride.
      "You scream louder then Emily does." I tell him.  He pushes me playfully before we go get food. We wait in line and get our food and drinks. We all sit at a bench and hand everyone their food. We talk while we eat.
      "Did you tell her what we did after the baby shower?" I ask Zac.
      "I saw the pictures." She rolls her eyes. "You two should never be left alone and it's sad because you both are in your 20's."
     "I ain't never going to grow up." Zac says.
     "Yeah, me either. I have to say I always thought I would be the first one to get married." I say.
     "Me to!" Zac says.  We start laughing at each other.
      "I thought you two would date." Emily says. She says it with no emotion and continues eating as Chloe laughs so hard she almost falls off the bench. We look at each other.
    We both shake our heads no. We have no words for her. Chloe gives Emily a high five.
      "That was good." Chloe tells her.
      "I know it doesn't matter but come on Zac of all people." I say.
      "Well you and Halo were friends and now you are having a baby with her." Emily points out.
      "That's different though."
      "How?"
      "I have known Halo longer."
      "That didn't stop Zac." I start laughing and so does Chloe. "Burn." She shrugs her shoulders and gets up to throw her garbage away. Zac has his mouth open.
     "I think she knows more than she is letting on." Zag stammers.
      "Damn that was good!" I say.  I high five her and so does Chloe. When we finish eating the kids get hot so we all leave. Emily's shoulders were red and I can tell in her face she got some sun. Andrew's face was red.
     We go home and get inside. Halo was sitting on the couch eating a home made popsicle. She had the tv remote sitting on her belly. In that instance it flies off.
      "Damn it! Rebel stop that!" She yells. We start laughing. "She has been doing that since you left and it is pissing me off. Watch!" She sets it back on her stomach and it flies off again. Halo gets it and I see a tiny hand print in her stomach as Rebel is waiting for her to lay the remote back on her stomach. I sit next to her. I lay my hand where her's is and she pushes.
     "Oh my gosh!" I say.
     "I feel that."
     "Does it hurt?"
     "No, she is just being a pain. She keeps moving."
     "Hey, will you quit being mean to your mom." Rebel pushes on my hand again. "Sassy butt." It feels like I can hear her taunting me. I roll my eyes at her.
     "How was the fair?" Halo asks me.
     "It was good."
     "I have an appointment the 1st at noon."
     "Okay, I will be there."
     "Okay, I also finished the nursery."
     "Really!"
     "Yeah, I put the rest of the stuff away, I put her clothes in the dresser, and hung the letters up. Go look." I get up and go to Rebel's room. Sure enough it was done.
     Above her crib said her name in pink and white poka dot colors. Her dresser had more clothes than we know what to do with. Her closet had clothes hanging up. Diapers and wipes were under the changing table.
    Extra diapers and wipes were in the closet. Her rocker was next to her dresser. That will come out when she is born. Her car seat on top her dresser. We didn't do anything fancy. I want her here more than ever now.
*September 1st*
I get the kids up and ready to go. They get dressed while I make breakfast. We eat and they get their shoes on. I brush Emily's hair and throw it into a bun. They get their backpacks on and to the bus stop.
    The bus comes and they say goodbye to me. I don't get emotional and I don't feel like crying. I often wondered if my mom cried during moments like these. Maybe it just gets easier as it goes. Soccer and baseball are over Karate is starting.
     Emily has her first practice the 10th. She moves up a belt. She is excited to move up and ready to as well. She is very good at it and tough. She can take you out by kicking you a certain way. She only does it at practice though. I go inside and Halo gets up.
     "Good morning beautiful!"
     "Shut up." She scolds me as she says so giving me the death stare. I look down.
      "I am so over being pregnant it is unreal."
      "I know just a couple more months."
      "Yeah that's to many."
      "I'm sorry." I hug her for a little bit. I leave the house. I go to work and she is going to Anna's for the day. She can't work and has nothing to do at home. I get to work and start my work. Without school I get done with everything sooner. I throw on my work shirt and tend to the counter.
      "Hi, can I help you?" I ask a costumer.
      "Yeah, I am looking for a battery." He says.
      "Okay, if you will follow me I can help you."
      "Okay, thank you." He had a little girl with her she was no more than three. She had a dress on that was poofy on the bottom and flower barrettes in her hair. She reminded me of Emily at that age.
     She had a sippy cup with her. As I am talking to the man I hear a crash. We look down and see that she dropped her sippy cup. It cracked open and the water spilled on the floor.
      "I am so sorry!" Her dad apologizes.
      "No that's okay. James can you get a towel out of the back?"
      "Yeah, sure boss." He answers.
      "Thank." She starts crying. I get down to her level.
      "Hey sweet heart it's okay. Accidents happen." James hands me the towel and I wipe up the water. He throws her cup away.
     "How about a sticker." She nods her head yes. We go to the sticker bin. We have one just for the kids that come in here. We also have a little treasure box. She picks out a sticker.
      "If it is okay with dad, you can get a prize out if the treasure box." He nods his head and she goes to the treasure chest. She falls on her way but gets back up.
      "Thank you for being so patient with her, she has muscular dystrophy."
      "Oh, I am sorry. It's nothing though. Things happen." I tell him.
     "Do you have any kids?" He asks me.
     "My fiancé is 27 almost 28 weeks pregnant with our daughter."
      "Congratulations!"
      "Thanks, I also raise my brother and sister."
      "Can I ask why?"
      "Mom died, dad is in jail I was 15 when I dropped out of school to work here and support them. My brother was like 2 my sister like 5 and I lived with my dad he was in no shape to raise a family, he was never home and did horrible things when he was.
     I had two friends one is my fiancé the other works here as does my fiancé. They helped me and I managed to make it out." I tell him.
      "Wow!"
      "Yeah, a cracked sippy cup is nothing."
      "Yeah, I can see that now." We laugh a little.
She comes back to the counter.
      "What's your name?" I ask her.
      "Rebel." She says.
      "What a coincidence my daughter's name is Rebel to."
      "Really!"
      "Yup!" She gets a huge smile on her face. Her dad buys the battery he needs and they leave. I continue working the counter until a familiar face shows up. Derek! He comes to the counter and I am not scared of him. He looks at me cold dead in my eyes.
      "Can I help you?" I ask with a smile on my face. I act nice and like nothing happened.
      "Yeah, where is your slut?" He asks I can tell his voice is full of hate.
      "Excuse me!" I am taken back and no one calls her that. Sure she has dated two people but she has only ever slept with one.
      "You herd me."
      "She isn't here." I act calm even though my blood is boiling. I want to hit him.
      "Then where is she?"
      "I am not telling you. You can leave this property as well. I have the right to refuse service being the manager."
     "Oh you are are asking for it. Where is she?!"
     "We can take this outside."
     "Lets go!"
     "Zac, your in charge."
      "What!" He looks up and the shop groans. We go outside. It was hot out seeing that it was a little before noon.
      "I am not scared of you." I stand tall to him. I am taller than him. Though now my height fits my age more.
      "You better be momma's boy." He gets close to me.
      "I don't know what your talking about but you need to leave."
      "I know where she is."
      "She isn't here. If you so much as lay a finger on her you will regret the day you were born."
      "I know where she is!" He hops in his truck and I start panicking. I run inside and call Anna.
      "Is Halo with you?" I ask.
      "No, she just left."
      "Fuck!" I yell.
      "What's wrong?!"
      "Derek is coming for her! Get there as fast as you can!" I hang up on her and grab my keys.
      "Zac, pick the kids up from school! If you can't find someone who can! You are in charge!"
      "What's wrong?!"
      "Halo and my daughter are in danger." I hop in the car and call Halo. I tell her to get out of the house and do it quick. Once she hears "Derek" she moves right away. I call the cops. It's a race against time, not only for Halo's life but for Rebel's to.