Raura's Daughter

eighteen.

Rydel's POV

"Why would you do that huh?" Laura asked Vanessa loudly from behind the kitchen door. I was sat in the lounge preparing a hospital bag for Ross whilst eavesdropping on Laura and Vanessa's heated conversation. "You could have got yourself and my daughter killed!"

I'd never heard such an anger in Laura's voice before, it was almost a little bit terrifying. The officers who had tracked Vanessa's phone had arrived back to the sheriffs station within minutes with Isabella in their arms and a shaken up, confused Vanessa alongside them. Instantly Laura had begged at Vanessa's feet for an answer as to where they went and what had happened to them, Vanessa hadn't answered her and left it to the sheriff to explain the situation to Laura and I, leaving us both extremely confused.

He had told us that Vanessa decided to take Isabella into the nearby park and play with her. Instantly this was a red flag for Laura and I because anyone with half a brain would know that an eight month old baby can't do anything except eat wood chips off the ground at a park. Vanessa had then proceeded to carry Isabella into a nearby woods and leave her there in hopes that someone would replace her with Vanessa's son, Ryder, the one she gave up for adoption.

"Stop yelling at me!" Vanessa screamed in anger. I bowed my head at the pain in her voice. I'd barely seen Riker since he arrived home but according to Rocky he hadn't been doing so good either. I began to wonder if it was possible to lose your mind over something so traumatic like giving your child up for adoption or if they had both simply forgotten who they were and what their morals consisted of.

"You had no right to take Isabella to the park without my consent like that!" Laura continued. I could hear a fist slam against their wooden dining table, if I had to guess, I'd say it was Laura's. "She's eight months old, Vanessa! If someone had tried to harm either of you she would have been as good as dead I'm sure of it."

With a sigh, I stood up from my comfy spot on the couch and swung Ross' hospital bag over my shoulder. I gently knocked on the kitchen door, cutting Vanessa off from her tearful begs of forgiveness. Laura opened the door and managed to force a smile onto her face when she saw me. "Sorry Delly, I'm almost done here. Can you give me a-"

"Laura." I murmured. I hated to cut her off but I needed to try and prevent the argument from getting any worse than it already was. She raised her eyebrows at me to continue. "I think Vanessa's had enough scolding for one night. Why don't you head to the hospital and I'll babysit Bella for you tonight? Ness could probably use some sleep anyway."

Vanessa was sat at the dining table with her head in her hands, her dark curls of hair covering the majority of her swollen, expressionless face. My heart ached for her. This wasn't the Vanessa I knew and loved, I was desperate to get to the bottom of her madness. I couldn't let her continue to act this way, it just wasn't how things were meant to be.

With a quick shrug of her shoulders Laura accepted the hospital bag from me and slid it over her shoulder with a quiet sigh. "Keep an eye on her, don't let Bella out of your sight. I'll be back later."

Laura left and locked the front door behind her, leaving Vanessa and I alone together in the kitchen with a thick layer of silence lingering in the air. I took a deep breath and sat down on the chair opposite her, laying my hands out on the table beneath me. "Ness... look at me." I whispered. It almost felt like I was communicating with a wall or a paranormal entity, something that simply wouldn't answer you back no matter how long or hard you tried. I pulled a strand of her hair gently away from her face and locked eyes with her. "Ness." I said again with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Vanessa whimpered as slow tears began to fall effortlessly from her dark brown eyes. "I don't know what came over me today."

I bit my lip and held her hand tightly in my own. "Do you want me to help you?"