Baby Fever

The Dream Team

"What do you mean we're moving?" I clutched onto her shoulders from the hospital bed.

"We can't be moving!" Were the only words I repeated to her from the car. 

"I refuse to move!" I put my foot down when we arrived at Jeremiah's place. 

"Victoria" she uttered her words through gritted teeth as she clenched the steering wheel "go in, get your things, and then come back." 

"But- but"

"Now!" 

I sighed and headed to the house. After dropping the bomb on me that we were moving, she had remained completely silent on the entire drive back here. 

Her mind can't be made up, can it? I was turning 18 in a couple of months, I had rights! Didn't I? 

Well, the last time I tried to tell my mom I had rights, I was 13, and she answered by chasing me around the house with a chancla. 

I quickly ran up the stairs and grabbed my things. Everyone else was still being checked out at the hospital. She dragged me out of there before I even had a chance to see check on them.

After gathering all my things, I went back to the car. 

"Please don't make us move." What's that they say about kindness always being the solution?

"I understand that you'll miss all your friends, but it's better to see them from Facetime then from the ground you'll be buried in if you die." 

"That's a stretch! Where will we even go?"

"Rebecca has a cousin that works for a wedding planner company in New Jersey. It's by New York." She tried to sound enthusiastic. 

"I hate New York." I huffed and crossed my arms. 

"You love New York."

"And what if the stalker just follows us there? Have you told Agent Debber about this."

She hesitated. 

"Mom! Don't tell me you're not telling our agent about your plans."

"I don't see any reason to tell Debber about our plans. His main responsibility was to protect you, and he failed."

"I thought his responsibility was getting dad back!"

"Your dad's a lost cause, okay? He's not coming back, and the sooner you accept that, the better."

"Mom," I turned in my seat so I was facing her, "You can't seriously mean that."

She kept her eyes glued to the road. "I do. I want to be out of the house by the end of the week."

...

When we got home, Agent Debber was waiting for us. I jumped when my mom slammed the car door and marched up to him. 

A little smirked formed on my face when she grabbed and twisted his ear. He looked stunned at first, but he didn't have time to react because she dragged him inside. I unbuckled my seatbelt and quickly followed after them. 

"You told us that you caught the stalker!" I pointed my finger at him. 

"I thought we did. I think we're dealing with something bigger here." He rubbed his ear. 

Mom scowled at him, "Unless you're here with actual answers, I suggest you get out." She poured him a glass of mango juice.

"Mom!" Now was not the time for hospitality.

"What? Anyone that walks into this house gets refreshments. I wasn't raised in a bush!" She put the drink and a snack in front of him.

"Whoever has been following you guys, isn't doing it alone." He faced my mom, "The man who attacked you had orders from someone else. We need to figure out who's calling the shots."