NOAH

Ch. 40

Chapter 40

Sugary tang fizzes on my taste-buds as I suck the sour powder off a skittle, my fingers fiddling with my shoelaces as I balance the phone against my ear. Chief Atwood was actively making sure Ezekiel and Olivia stayed behind bars, also helping us find a good lawyer for my case against Danielle.

After Noah was awarded emergency custody of Elijah, I decided that Dagger needed to be moved with his dad. All the kids needed to be moved with their dads and Danielle needs to be moved to prison. She should be locked away for neglecting her kids and sleeping with underage boys, having their babies like she could do anything. I want her to pay for her crimes just as Noah's 'family' is paying for theirs.

Chief Atwood made these last two weeks her mission to help us out, always checking to make sure I'm OK. She even sent us gifts for Christmas and helped Noah take his brother to the mall, knowing that I wasn't ready for too much walking. I smile against the phone, lifting from my shoe as she speaks into my ear.

"Enough about lawyer stuff, I just want you to know I'm very happy you're getting back out there."

"Thanks, it's been fun resting, but rent's coming up and I need to work."

"Well, I hope you have a great first day and I'll let my sister know you want to meet her."

"Oh, thank you so much! Have a good day."

I hear my front door creek open, footsteps pounding toward me as it closes. Eli bundles in, his hands and neck grimy with different consistences of built up grease and oil. I've told Noah to clean him up before letting him track his dirty feet into our room, but the boy is too excited to wash himself up and I'm OK with that.

He loves going to the shop where Noah works, helping him in any way he can with the cars. Luckily, the shop owner adores Noah and Eli, so she lets them hang out and even brings her daughter to play with Eli. It's a lonely change with Noah gone for hours, me sitting on the couch alone. But, the beautiful beach-side apartments we live in makes up for it and Noah always comes home during his break to see me.

"Eli, what have you been working on today?"

He sits on the edge of the bed, his hands waving in front of him as he narrates his adventures with the man who stands in our doorway. "Well, Noah fixed this old ladies car, but I got to fix my bicycle! I made the chain work again and I also painted it black, like you and Noah's car, so we can match!"

I grab his face, placing a kiss on his nose. "So, that's why you're all grimy."

"I'm the only one who gets kisses around here." Noah walks over, pecking my lips before plopping backwards onto our bed. "You ready?"

"Eli, can you hand me my crutches?" I poke Noah's stomach. "Make sure he gets a shower when you're done."

"Yes, mom." He lifts up, a smile on his face. "You're gonna be such a good mother one day, you know that?"

I grab his face, pulling his lips onto mine as his arms wrap around my waist. I never knew how much I needed someone to look over, someone to care for, until I departed ways from Dagger. No matter how much it hurt to see him born, he was truly the light of my life and I can only hope that Josh lets me see him as time goes on. Because, sometimes the biggest heartaches bring the most precious gifts.

We pull back as Eli clanks the crutches together, his face scrunched. "Stop kissing all the time."

***

Cherry leans against the counter as I tap color coded buttons on the monitor, the register popping open as I finally get it right. A vacuum roars in the background as Cherry claps her hands, the scent of canine aroma perfuming the air. I smile as she clicks something and my name pops up.