Stranger

Lin

As the week went on, Nora seemed to feel better and better.  According to Vanessa, her bruises were fading.  She was able to return to school on Tuesday.  When Friday came around again, I began to feel another pit in my stomach, knowing Nora would be going to her mother's for the weekend.  I told Nora I would meet her after school with her overnight bag and ride the subway with her.  Her mother had since moved into her own house a couple blocks away from where they'd been staying.

Nora was excited after school, and I was glad to see a smile on her face.  She was a tough cookie, but I missed her when she was away.  She told me about her day as we rode the subway out to Queens.  Nora knew where her mother's new house was, so she led the way.  When we arrived, Nora pushed the door open.  Laura was in the kitchen putting away dishes and pots from the numerous boxes that were spread around.

"Hi mom!" She called as she dropped her backpack next to the old-looking couch.  Laura appeared and opened up her arms to hug Nora.  I stood back, hands in my pockets as I waited patiently. 

"Why don't you go back to your room.  There's a surprise for you in there," she told Nora.  Our daughter smiled and hurried back towards her bedroom.  Laura turned to me, crossing her arms.

"I heard you got a restraining order against Larry," she told me.

"I did," I confirmed.  "I don't want Nora to see that man ever again."

"Don't you think you're being a tad bit dramatic?"

"Laura, that man basically assaulted our daughter.  She couldn't go to school on Monday because she was in pain," I pointed out.

"Well you don't have to worry," she told me.  "He won't be around at all this weekend.  I only see him during the week."

"Good," I told her.  "Have you been staying off drugs?"

"That's none of your business," she told me.

"It is when my daughter is staying with you," I countered.  Our child was in her care.  If she was high, she obviously wasn't going to be very reliable.  "Are you clean?"

"During the weekends, yes," she told me.  I guess it was too much to expect that she would give up drugs completely.  As long as she wasn't doing them around our daughter, I couldn't protest much.

I nodded and Nora ran back into the room with a basket filled with candy.  She hugged her mother.  "Thanks mom!!"

"You're welcome, baby," she said.  "Just don't eat it all at once.  I don't need you bouncing all over the walls."

I looked at Nora, knowing it was time for me to go.  "I'm gonna head out kid," I told her.  "Have a good weekend with your mom."

Nora stepped forward and hugged me warmly, then sat on the couch to dig into her candy.  It felt lonely on the subway ride back.  Coming back to the house without her felt empty.  I was so used to her being there that her absence was definitely noticeable. 

I had a meeting with my lawyer after that, so I took the subway to his office.  I wanted to update him on what had happened to see if it would help their case.

"Immensely," he told me when I finished telling him the story.  "It shows she's not able to provide a safe home, and the company she keeps is not suitable.  Would Nora testify?"

I sighed.  "I'd been wondering about that myself.  She doesn't want to jeopardize being with her mother, but at the same time she despises Larry.  I think she would."

The lawyer nodded and scribbled in some notes.  "Alright.  I'm going to ask for a court date, so hopefully our day will be set sometime next month.  It's not an emergency case, so it's not a priority."