The Forbidden

Chapter 5

I wake up to my mom screaming downstairs. The baby is still asleep in my arms, so I slide away from her and lay pillows on either side of her. When I reach the living room, I find my mom dancing around the living room.

"What are you screaming about?" I ask her motioning up the stairs toward the baby. "She was convicted! She is in prison!" My mom says excitedly and bounces around the room.

"Maria? Was convicted?" I ask, slightly shocked. "Yes! That means you can keep the baby!" She squeals and hugs me. "I get to keep her." I say, more to myself than to her.

We hug for a few more moments, and then I push her off of me so I can get back upstairs. When I get into my room, I see Kaylyn sitting up holding my ring.

"Kaylyn, baby, give that to me. That is from daddy." I tell her quickly and gently take it from her. She just stares at me, so I replace the ring with her little mickey mouse toy.

"I love you, Nicole and Kaylyn."

I hear. I know that voice.

"Dave?" I whisper, willing myself not to cry. Kaylyn hold up her mickey mouse with a surprised look on her face. I grab the toy and search it for something that would have made the noise.

"Give it hugs." Kaylyn says and takes the toy from me. She squeezes the doll and it says it again.

"I love you, Nicole and Kaylyn."

Tears form in my eyes. He made that for us. I lay down beside Kaylyn and watch her play with the doll. Her beautiful chocolate colored hair and bright emerald eyes bring back many memories of Dave.

Flashback:

"Dave!" I giggle, and slap his hand away. Tonight, I chose to sneak out and go on the paper route with him. "I can't, you make me feel young again." He says, grinning like a kid on christmas.

"Quit acting all cheesy, it doesn't suit you well." I tell him, taking his hand in mine. I have class in the morning, and I am so tired, but I have to stay awake for him.

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know you're beautiful!" He sings and kisses my fingertips.

"Dave, stop. You are making me act like an immature school girl on crack." I tell him, pulling my fingers away from his mouth. He smiles and laughs his deep laugh.

"Baby, baby, baby, ooooh." He sings, highly off pitch. "Baby please let gooooooo." I sing to him, trying to pull my hand out of his. He lets go and I rest my hand on his thigh.

"No more singing, or I will move it away." I tease/threaten him. He scowls at me and turns his attention back to the road.

I look out the window, and realize that we are slowing down. "What are you doing?" I ask him. He looks down at the gas gauge. "We are out of gas, great." He says and pulls off to the side of the road.

It is about six am and the sun is beginning to rise over the mountains in the distance. "Since we are here, do you want to go watch the sunrise?" He asks and takes my hand in his again. I smile and open my door.

He jumps out and runs around, closes my door, and opens it again. "I have to be good to my girl." He says and takes my hand to help me out. "Let's go up to the top of the rock wall." I suggest and pull him toward the wall of rock.

He happily walks beside me, his hand covering mine, and me humming. The sky is turning into a dark red color, the grass sparkling from the mid-morning dew and moonlight.