The Space Between Us.

In the pouring rain-- Prologue

(Unedited)

Ashbourne county Fire Station

The rain was beating hard on the glass, it could be heard inside the station.

"I'd hate to be stuck out in this weather," Huggins mumbled to himself. "Better call Monica, tell her not to come pick me up in this rain." He pulled his old trusty flip phone out, dialed Monica's number.

It rung for a second. Then there was what sounded like Monica's favorite song playing. She was already in the car.

"Hey Mon, go on back home. There is probably mud all over the road-- ain't safe. I'll call you when the rain slows a bit." Huggins mumbled to himself as he looked out of the blinds. The sight of a yellow ball caught his attention. 

"I'm good at driving James, calm down. I won't go slippin and slidin down off the road-- I'll-"

"Monica someone left some puppies on the doorstep."

Monica's face scrunched up, "James that only happens in movies quit playing and pack yer shi- stuff up." 

James laughed at her almost curse word." You real serious about quittin' cussin huh??" James laughed to himself as he opened the door and felt a gust of wind and the cries of a baby. 

He picked up the basket and closed the door.

"Monica I don't think these are puppies."

"Look at 'em, dammi- darnit. How you gon know what it is without checking??"

"Chill out Monica I think it's a baby." James said as he placed the basket on a table in the fire station break room. 

The cries turned to soft whimpering as he moved further into the building, away from the noise.

He put Monica on speaker and placed the phone down on the table next to the basket.

"James I'm right outside, I'm coming in." 

"Ok" James replied but only half-heartedly; he was afraid of finding a real baby in the basket. The whimpering was continuing. James took a deep breath and lifted up the yellow blanket covering what James was a hoping were some puppies who sounded like babies; but much to his dismay he found a baby. A baby with a wet tear streaked face was completely naked, not even a diaper. 

'The baby is shivering, poor thing'  After a good minute of thinking he remembered the blankets they kept in the fire station for people who needed them he pulled the wet cold blanket of the baby to find a little necklace wrapped around the baby's neck. It read:

November 17th 

James automatically thought this was the baby's birthday; "but that was a few days ago" 

James was trying his hardest to swaddle the wiggling baby as Monica walked inside the Ashbourne County Fire Station. Monica could hear whimpering and cursing further inside the Station.

"James! I'm here."

"Come in and help me out."

Monica walked towards the voice of her husband, curious of the baby he apparently found. Monica walked into the back room to find a naked baby kicking and whimpering as James tried to wrap the baby -- the naked baby- in a blanket.

"Holy Shit, I-I mean, nevermind." She said as she walked into the room, closer to the baby.

"Look at 'er eyes James. They're beautiful." Monica said as she pushed James out of the way to get a better look at the baby.

The baby was the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. Soft black curls, that was a little long for a baby her size. Her skin was a light shade of Brown, the tips of her ears were a little darker, that meant she would get darker as she grew. Her eyes were black in the middle but they faded into a purple, the most mesmerising feature of her eyes was the pink ring around her eyes. 

"What do we do??"

"I don't know James." Monica whispered, as she wrapped the baby much faster than James ever could. Monica looked down and met eyes with the baby.

She felt like the baby latched onto her soul and wouldn't let go; Monica felt a connection with the baby she'd only felt once. Monica felt as though the baby was pulling on her heart. Monica and James had unfortunately failed to conceive.  They couldn't afford fertility treatments either, so Monica felt as though this baby was a gift from god.

"James we've got to keep this baby."

"Moni-"

"James, this is our chance. We can't have children nor can we afford to adopt. Let's keep her."

"Monica this isn't a stray cat you found loitering in our back yard! This is someone's baby! We need to call the Police of child services or something."

"Ja-"

"Monica" James looked Monica in the eyes and saw her anger.

"This is our baby Jameson, I know it."

James understood that Monica never really got over the miscarriage. 

"Monica, let's just call child services and we'll talk about this later." James said as he picked up his phone to call Child Services.

Monica cradled the baby to her chest as she watched JAmes mumble into the phone as he glanced back at the baby and then continued talking into the phone.

James walked back over to Monica and the baby as he sighed.

"A storm is on it's way, they can't come get her for a week."

Monica smiled down at the baby, this was all working out in her favour.

"We'd better go get some baby Stuff then." Monica said as she walked over to the basket umbrellas were kept in.

James reluctantly followed Monica into the car. He got in the driver's seat and drove to the nearest Store to stock up on supplies.