Loyal

Chapter 85

Vera's POV

            "Aunty Ray?" I push through the front door of the house with several bags of groceries. Making my way through the hall into the kitchen, I pull the bags onto the counter. My stomach has grown twice the size since I've been gone from California. Reaching forward I rub it, smiling.

            It's been over a month now, and this baby is growing faster than I could have ever imagined. Leah just left last night to head back to San Francisco for finals, and Aunt Ray has been setting up the spare bedroom into a nursery. Everything has been perfectly fine, ideal really. I look to my wrists and ankles. No swelling yet.

            "Aunty Ray?" I make my way into the nursery, the house is silent. She must have gone to run some errands. Pacing back to my room, I collapse onto the bed, letting out a long sigh of relief.

            I've been keeping myself busy with drawing, tending to the house, and taking care of filing for Aunty Ray. She works as an accountant, and brings her work home. It isn't anything too difficult, just a lot of sorting paperwork just as I did at the internship. I roll to my side, which has proven to be more comfortable now, and see a shiny red at the corner of my bed. Leaning over I pull it to me, trying to figure out what it is.

            "What the hell?" I mutter to myself, holding it out in front of me. It's my red dress, the one I wore to the gala. It's bloodstained, torn, and still smells of alcohol. I drop it and kick it away from me, as if it's covered in something disgustingly contagious. How the fuck did that get here? I'd been taken in the ambulance wearing it after Cam had beaten me, but by the time I had woken up on a hospital bed it wasn't on me! Maybe Leah had taken it. Maybe they got mixed up in Leah's things and she left it here?

                        "Vera? Vera, are you there?" The front door opens and I can hear Aunty Ray coming into the doorway. "I've got you some spaghetti!"

            Spaghetti. Spaghetti. My first dinner together with Colin was spaghetti. Spaghetti in his kitchen. After we ate we made love. Love as sweet as the spaghetti sauce and Italian sausage we cooked together. I stand up from the bed and grab the dress, shoving it into the trash bin, my vision blurring with tears. Erasing Colin from my mind was proving to be harder and harder each day.

Colin's POV

"Colin! Colin!" 

The children in the nursery jump up and down at my knees, trying to clasp onto me. I laugh, kneeling down to be at eye level with them.

            "Did you guys miss me?"

Rosalina, a short black haired five year old pouts, narrowing her eyes at me.

                        "You said you'd come back to visit us two days ago," she emphatically holds up two small fingers, a hand on her hip. The other little ones around her start nodding in agreement.

            "Hey, I had a game two days ago, you can't blame me for not coming!" I throw my hands up in mock defeat. Rosalina's expression softens and she starts to laugh before jumping into my arms. It's another weekend at the center, Live Hope, a place I had personally put together for children with no parents, or foster kids who are currently in limbo. Every weekend I can I come through, and the kids love me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love them back.

                        "Did you win!?" Several of the kids squeal, jumping up and down. I carry Rosalina on my shoulders, two others grab at my knees.

            "Nah, we didn't win this time." Two losses. Two fucking losses. I try not to let the sting of the opening game at Levi and the second loss get in the way of my time with the kids. I quickly change the subject.

            "What have you guys been up to?"

            The kids go on speaking over one another, talking about naptime, snacks, and accusing one another of not sharing. I listen intently to each one of them, I know every little voice deserves the chance to be heard-especially since a lot of them don't have an adult who will listen to them.

                        "I'm hungry," mumbles Rosalina. I look down at her, noticing how she looks a little thin. Turning to the two workers at Live Hope in the room, I point to the children.

            "Did they eat breakfast this morning?"

            The two workers exchange glances.

            "Send Becca in here," I snap. One of them runs out into the hall, and returns shortly with Becca.

                        "Colin?" Becca asks.

            "Rosalina's hungry, she says she hasn't eaten. Who's in charge of all of the money? I've been forwarding enough money to feed all the children in this damn city."

                        "I can check on it right away," Becca says.

            "Whoever is in charge of finances for this place, fire them. I want someone new." I say firmly. Becca raises an eyebrow before heading out. When Becca leaves I point a finger at the two workers.

            "None of the kids in this place should ever be hungry. Never," they both flinch at my last word and nod fervently.

            Rosalina is still on my shoulders and she rubs my head.

                        "Colin?" she asks.

            "Yes Rosie?"

                        "Are you a daddy?"

            I laugh.

            "No Rosie, I'm not a daddy. Why?"

                        "Because you'd be the best daddy ever!"

            I pull her off of my shoulders and fly her in the air, landing her among the other kids.

            "Well thank you Rosie, I hope to be the best daddy ever one day."

            I sit in the middle of a circle the kids have made around me, and grab a book to read to them. God willing some day I'll be a father. My heart aches as I think of Vera, and the white picket fence dream I shared with her the night we painted my garage. I shake my head and continue to read, trying to push her out of my mind.