Hiding Place || Tori Kelly

A Daughter

continued

6 PM

André pulled up to the house with his windshield wipers sloshing rain away. He turned the car off as Tori woke up to see that they were at home. "Did you call AJ and invite him over?" Tori asked, unhooking her seatbelt and looking for her phone.

"Babe, did you see that?" André asked holding his arm out in front of Tori protectively. Tori quickly looked up, but could truly see anything past the rain cover windshield.

"Dré, don't do that. You're scaring me," Tori whined. André shook his head.

"I'm not playing, babe. I'm serious. I saw something in the bushes," André said. Tori squinted and did her best to focus past the rain, but couldn't make anything out past her shrubs and garage door.

"It was probably an animal trying to get out the rain. We'll scare it off when we get out. Let's go. I'm getting cold," Tori said. André was still a bit skeptical but got out thankful that his side was closer to the door in case Tori was wrong. The couple jogged up to the house and didn't see anything. "See, I told you," Tori shivered. André did his bed to open the front door and stepped in but realized Tori hadn't followed him in as he turned the corner into the house. Quickly he turned back and stuck his head out of the front door to see his wife completely missing.

"Tori!" André called over the rain. Not caring that he already took off his jacket, André ran out of the house past the threshold and tall shrubs to see Tori standing in front of the still warm Jeep. All André could see was his wife staring at something getting soaked in the rain. "Tori!" He called once more. He came around the corner and finally say what she was looking at. There was a little girl, light skinned, no older than six standing before her clutching a backpack.

"Hey! What's your name?" Tori asked loud enough for the child to hear over the downpour. The little girl stayed silent, unsure if she should answer. Tori held her hand out and pushed her hair out of her face. "Do you want to come inside?"

"Tori," André skeptically cautioned.

"André, she's a child. We can't leave her out here to get sick," Tori defended. Slowly, the little girl walked up to Tori and took her hand, allowing Tori to lead her into the huge house.

inside

Tori grabbed a few towels as André watched the child marvel at the beauty and warmth of their home. He had no idea what to do. He couldn't let her sit on anything because Tori would kill him, and he didn't really want to offer her anything because he didn't what she was allergic to out what her parents allowed her to have. Therefore, he just stood behind the island and watched her. "Here you go, hun," Tori said as she came back upstairs in a new outfit. She pulled a huge towel around the small girl and did her best to dry off the thick fabric that made up the child's clothing.

"What about me?" André whined. Tori looked back at him with an eye roll and threw the second towel at him. Tori took the little girl to the table and sat her down at the head before sitting down at the next seat over.

"Alright, sweetie. Uhh, I'm Tori. That's my husband, André. And this is Abiah," Tori introduced, making sure to place her hand on her stomach and show the child that she wasn't a threat. "What's your name?" Tori tried again.

"Iriella. But my grandma called me Irie," Iriella answered. Tori smiled at her small victory and picked up the little girls backpack.

"Okay, Irie, can you tell me what's in your backpack?" Tori asked. André shifted towards the edge of the island in case he needed to make a quick break. Iriella unzipped the bag and pulled out a ziplock bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, a brush, and a small bottle of lotion. Then, a zip locked bag of papers, and then a sweatshirt, grey t-shirt, leggings, and some underwear. Tori inspected the stuff and saw that whoever sent Irie made sure that she was well packed. "Irie, where is your grandma? Can we call her?" Tori asked, wanting nothing more than to send this child back to the rightful guardian. Iriella shook her head and grabbed the bag of papers.