Forever with His Edith

Meeting Gigi

AN: Thank you to bookchick500 who suggested I write more of Noah speaking of Eden's abuse. Please enjoy!

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Noah POV- Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade

Noah's Point of View

"Wake up, Mom, wake up! We've got to go pick up Eden. Remember? You told me she could come to see Gigi with us."

Momma was still sleeping, her hair all messy around her pillow. I had tried to be the first one awake, but Daddy was up before I was, trying to get work done before we left. I got up super early, taking a shower and getting dressed so I could be ready to leave whenever it was time.

My mom cracked her eye a bit, her face scrunched up at the light I had turned on. "What time is it?"

Her voice sounded like a frog and I snickered before jumping on the bed and bouncing beside her. "It's eight o'clock! Eden will be waiting for us at nine so we have to get moving."

"Alright, alright, stop jumping, you'll break the bed someday. I'm getting up, honey."

I squealed, jumping off the bed and pretending to fly around the room. Two of my favorite people were meeting today! I couldn't stop the jitters. Mom looked after me and watched me swirl around the room. Her eyes had some pretty dark circles under them. I could tell she didn't sleep very well. She yawned, "Did you eat breakfast already?"

"Yeah! I found some cookies in the pantry and had, like, thirteen." I jumped up and down, taking her hands and pulling her out of bed.

"No wonder you're acting this way. Noah, no sir! I don't need you to be any more rambunctious than usual. You've been doing so good. You cannot have sugar for breakfast, do you hear me? You heard the doctor."

I was on new medicines for my behavior, but I don't think they were working very well. I was struggling to concentrate in class and I kept getting in trouble for being too crazy. I also had some pretty bad anger fits, throwing objects across the room and screaming at my teacher. Aside from pills, I had to change my diet, eating less sugar and more healthy foods, and take up a sport so I could put my energy into other things. I loved exercising, but I hated not being able to have sugar. My brothers got to eat whatever they wanted, why couldn't I?

I tried to sit still, putting a sorry frown on my face, nodding in understanding. When Mom turned around, my body forgot it was supposed to be trying to calm down and I bounced on the balls of my feet. My body was just too full of excitement, there was no way for me to contain it.

When Mom finally got ready, at my insistence, and woke up my brothers, I ran to the car and she followed behind me as I dragged her. It was Saturday. Eden usually found her way over on Saturdays if she could, but today was special. Mom asked Mrs. Morrison if we could bring Eden to meet my Gigi yesterday when she took her home. Eden's mom said yes, so now she was coming with us to meet the best grandma in the world.

We drove a few blocks until we pulled in front of Eden's house. I saw my best friend sitting on the broken front porch step, her hands cuffing her chin, elbows resting on her stockinged knees. She looked really, really sad before she noticed we had arrived and a smile grew on her pretty face.

She stood up, her body seemingly struggling to do such a simple movement. Eden walked to us slowly, her motions almost methodical as she limped toward us at a snails-pace. I heard Mom gasp, but ignored her, jumping out of the truck to help Eden.

"What's the matter, Edith? Why are you moving so slowly?" I put my hand on Eden's back to help her forward like I'd seen Daddy do for Great Grandma Phyllis, and she flinched away from me with what sounded like a hiss of pain. I stared at her, confused. Eden never flinched away from me. "Eden? Are you okay?"