Daddy's Little Ragdoll

Chapter Twelve/ Six Months Later

Chapter Twelve

    “Just stay out here, I’ll yell if I need anything.” She squeezes my hand and then creeps into the house.

    Nervously I wait, no sound, no screams, no pounds. Dead silence. There’s a creak and I know that means she’s hit one of the broken steps. Wait, she always avoids that step, no matter what. Someone is awake. My heart is beating like a hummingbird’s wings. Someone is awake.

    I promised to stay out here unless she needs help. Hands shaking and shivers run up and down my back. I wait. Five minutes pass, then ten, and now fifteen. Finally I can’t wait any longer. I push through the unlocked door and up the stairs. I’m careful to avoid the broken stair in case it was just an accident she made. I navigate my way through the hallway to her room.

    “Stephen,” I whisper.

    Cautiously I peer around the corner and her dad is standing over Stephen. His hand covers her mouth, preventing her screams from being audible. She sees me, but he has yet to notice me. I text Taylor to call the cops and send them to Stephen’s door.

    Two plans: one, attack him and try to knock him out or just keep his away from Stephen, two, stay here and wait for the cops. I can’t decide which is best. She looks like she’s breathing okay, but I can’t tell for sure. My mind is racing and my hands are shaky. Only a few seconds to make a decision. Her eyes seems to be pleading for help.

    “HEY!” I yell at her dad.

    His head whips around and his eyes fall on me. Pushing Stephen away from him, he is now focused on me. I only have a millisecond to make assess the situation. Stephen is okay, check. Her dad is mad, check. I’m his target, double check. Plan? None.

    I feel myself turning on my heel and rushing down the steps, they’re careful to miss the lifts in the boards. His steps are clumsy and follow quick, but stumble over the stairs. I reach the bottom and can feel his closeness. His breath on my neck, his reach grazes my arm. Quickly I dash for the kitchen, exit through the back door. Even hungover and still half drunk he’s quick, but he loses his grip on the grass quickly.

    A simple trip and a swift regain of balance and his attention is back on me. He must not notice the sirens for he is still coming at me. I hear them, I need to make it to the front of the house. I might be able to jump the fence. It’s one of those things you learn to do as a teenager, but I don’t know if I can make it over without him catching a limb. I decide to risk it.

    Dashing at the fence, I feel my feet fly off the ground and my body roll over the top of the fence. His hands reach for something, anything to hold onto, but I pull away before he can take hold. There’s a single police car sitting in front of the house. I don’t see Stephen anywhere, though.

    Running at the police, I retell the scene in a exhausted voice.

    Looking around I try to spot Stephen. She isn’t outside and her face hasn’t appeared in a window. Telling the police they nod and I wait. My breath is caught in my chest and my heart hurts. Out of worry and fear, I feel completely everything and nothing.

    Then there she is, standing in the doorway. She wobbles over to me. A black eye, a hurt wrist, and bruises.

    “He came back for me after you got away. I didn’t think he would find me in the closet, but he did.” She starts to cry. “I’m sorry I should have listened to you.”

    I hold her tight and watch one of the two policemen bring her dad, in handcuffs, from the house and put him in the back of the police car. Moments later the other policeman bring out Gretchen, her mom, in handcuffs also. Confused, I ask why her.

    “She assaulted my partner when we arrested him.” I nod.

    Stephen hugs tight to me and averts her eyes from the cop car. “Can we go home.”

    I hold her tight and walk her over to the house. Leading her to the bedroom, I lay her down on the bed and wrap my arms around her. She cries for awhile and I listen. Once she falls asleep, I switch with Abigail. She lays next to her sister and soon both are asleep.

    Taylor and I go to Poppa Al’s and get milkshakes and fries. Once back home, I wake both of them up and hand them each a chocolate milkshake and salty fries.

    “We have to go to the police station when you’re done.”

    Stephen doesn’t look up, but says, “I know…”

    And with that I realized that she was done being her daddy’s little rag doll. He can’t push her around anymore, and she’s ready to stand on her own.

Six Months Later

    Abigail and Stephen live alone in a house two doors down from me. After their mom lost custody of them, Stephen became emancipated and took custody of Abigail. Their dad is spending ten years in jail for three counts of assault. She buried that rag doll in a box along with all the fake pictures of her and him. 

    Today, Stephen and I graduate.

    In three months we both will be going to George Fox University. She will be studying psychology working towards a degree in social work. I will be studying to become a teacher.

    Today, Stephen agreed to wear my letterman’s jacket over her graduation gown. And I agreed to tell her I loved her in the middle of my valedictorian speech.

    In two hours, Stephen and I will be sitting down at our favorite diner in our favorite booth. We will eat a hamburger, a milkshake, and fries. I will tell her I love her and she will, most likely, tell me she loves me back.

    Today, I will ask Stephen the biggest question of my life. Stephen will answer that question.

    Today, we begin the rest of our lives.