Everything Has Changed: Book Three

Chapter Nine: Christmas

Chapter Nine: Christmas

Everyone is sitting around the living room. Our family on my Dad's side and Danny's Dad's side and part of his Mom's are sitting around the house. Miley and Kyle are here and they have a few of their relatives too. The more people, the better. It's just homey and exciting having everyone around.

It's snowing, which I think is awesome because it's Christmas. We told the whole family about the baby and everyone is really excited and they keep asking us questions. We already opened the gifts and Danny and I bought a lot of stuff for Micah from Santa and he told us he only gets a few things a year and I know for a fact they're from my Dad only.

The doorbell rings and Danny starts to get up, but I'm right by the door.

See, at our house there really isn't any hiding the front door from the living room, because everyone can see the door from the living room because there aren't any walls blocking it.

I walk over to the door and pull it open, expecting, or hoping, to see a neighbor with a plate of cookies.

But it's not cookies, it's my Dad.

Oh god, this is not a good day to show up here.

Since I only opened the door I crack, I grab Danny's coat off the railing next to the door and slip outside, shutting the door behind me. I put the coat on.

"Dad, it's really not a good day to show up here." I whisper. "Your entire side of the family is here, Danny's family is here, Caleb and Beatrice are here."

He looks like he wants to come inside and be included.

"I'm going back to Florida today." He stuffs his hands in his pockets. "And I hate to do this, but you have to let me take Micah. Eileen can't get custody."

"Dad, no." I say. "I have a plan."

"I understand Grace, but if there's a risk to your plan, there's a risk to Micah's safety. I know you think I'm a horrible person, but I didn't know she was giving him alcohol. She hit him once when I was in the bathroom, and I protected him from her. I didn't know she was giving him alcohol, and the deal was that if she made dinner, I cleaned up while she gave him a bath. I heard the water running every night-"

"You told me when I called you after Micah got here that you didn't know if he had eaten and you didn't know when the last time he had a bath was."

"Because I dropped him off at the airport in the morning." He says seriously. "And the bath thing-I literally found out the night before when I tucked him into bed that he never gets baths because he told me, Grace, I swear."

"And what's this about him not having a bedroom? What happened to my old room?"

"Eileen turned that half of the house into her 'girl cave' and every time I tried to go over there, she yelled at me. I'm not kidding. That half of the house was forbidden."

I shiver violently and then I sigh

"I promised you that I would fix things, and I will, but I can't think straight while Micah is at risk."

"If you take Micah, you could put me at risk."

"No Grace, if I take Micah and the cops show up, you tell them the truth. Tell them I threatened you with a gun to keep you quiet. I don't care, but you do what you have to to protect your family and I'll do what I have to to protect mine."

I stuff my hands in the pockets of Danny's jacket.

"Dad, you're not taking him." I say. "And there are a lot of people in my house right now that you will have to fight to get to him."