As we walked into her room she looked up at me and then at Elliot. She quickly got the blankets and covered herself. And shifted back a bit.
"Hi Isabelle. This is Elliot. He wanted to come and meet you. " Elliot who was behind me stepped forward and sat on the chair next to the bed.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm your moms cousin." She dint say anything she just kept staring at him. He kept talking to her talking about how he had a mom and dad and he had a brother and a little sister. But she wasn't talking all she did was look at him. He even tried telling her a joke but she didn't make any noise she didn't even move. When he started asking questions and noticed that she didn't reply he turned to me.
"Does she know how to talk?" I didn't really understand why he would ask that.
"Yes she's just a little shy she doesn't know you and she hasn't really said much to any one. Why?"
He shook his head. "When my brother first came to live with us, when he was adopted he didn't talk to any one for the first few years. I thought maybe that's what is happening to her."
"She has talked. To me she has I don't think she talked to Grace or any of the nurses though." She hadn't she seemed very afraid of everyone but not me.
He asks me to go outside the room to talk. "Can you help I know she has to go home with me and I want her to trust me. "
"Your going to take her? I thought you wouldn't since your girlfriend... I. Sorry I shouldn't have been eavesdropping..." Crap that's embarrassing. I didn't mean for the to come it I especially didn't to be too excited. But excited for who? For me? I was happy he was taking her but it should be that big a deal it's just another client. He smiled at me.
"It's okay she got pretty loud. Yeah. I know what it's like to be in the system and I can take care of her. Well financially but I don't know anything... Anything about raising a kid. How old is she's six right?"
"Five she'll be six in a few months. It's okay. You'll be good with her."
"How do you know? You don't know me." He snapped at me and I wince. It kind of surprised me he didn't seem like the guy who snaps at people. I look at him and blink with my mouth open. Close your mouth Lina you'll look like an idiot I tell my self.
"Sorry I just I don't know how to take care of her. Or anyone for that matter... Fuck." He curses a lot. Well my idea of a lot.
"It's fine why don't you take a seat and I'll get you some thing to drink? Coffee? Just sit with her maybe she'll get used to your presence and start talking to you." He goes back into the room and I make my way into the cafeteria.
As I'm waiting in line Grace comes up to me and asks about Isabelle. And I let her know that the family member has arrived and will most likely be taking her. She informs me that she will likely be discharged in the morning which is in about 5 hours at around ten am. I grab my hot chocolate and Elliot's coffee and as I walk away Grace tells me that she will stop by and meet the family. I wonder what she's going to think when she sees that it's her son. As I walk back to the room I decide to take to long way. It gives me a chance to think.
I pass by the nursery and stop and see all the babies. They're all so small. With their blue or pink hats on. I remember when Damien and I went to see his sisters baby we thought that we would be next. The next ones that would be in the hospital having a baby. A boy we wanted a boy and then a girl. We had it all planned out. Well Damien did. He always planned everything. He planned out my life for me and I didn't mind it gave me a sense of security. But now I don't have that security now I just go to work, go home. That's my plan now go to work, go home. It was easy then. I start walking again when I noticed the tear going down my cheek.
When I walk into the room I notice that Elliot and Isabelle are drawing a picture. And she's smiling. She stops and he starts drawing and then he stops and she starts. I get closer to them but the picture doesn't really make sense it's just lines blue and black inked lines but it's doesn't matter as long as they are getting along.
"Why did you bring two?" He asks me as he quickly glances up at me?
"One is hot chocolate and one is coffee. " I tell him as I put them down on the table. He picks up the hot chocolate and starts chugging it. I must have taken longer than I thought if he can drink it so quickly.
"So I have to ask because I need to start on the paper work: Are you taking her?" He nods. "Well she's going to be discharged in a few hours so the doctor is going to come in and take a look at her and I have to start on the paper work. So I have to go need sign into my office page but I'll be back as soon as it's done." Both their head quickly look up at me and I feel like I'm going to get yelled at like I said something wrong.
"Can't you stay a while longer with us I know that it's weird but I think she likes you and I want to ask you about how to take care of her like what I need and stuff. If your just going to sign in can't you do it from the hospital in any computer?"
"I can but my computer is at my house and that even farther than th office."
"I have my laptop in my car I'll bring it for you." Before I can protest he gets up and leaves me with Isabelle and I don't mind I want a few more hours with her. And him.
"Do you like Elliot. He's really nice isn't he. He said you can go live at his house now that your mommy is in heaven." The doctor had told her that her mom died but because she is young she doesn't really under stand. She doesn't know how she died and that would be even worst what does some one say? Oh your mom had too many drugs too fast and her heart stopped. No it's decently best this way.
"Yes he said he's a con... contuction worker. So he gets to build houses and he can build me a tree house and we can go on a boat but I don't want to go on a boat because I can't swim. But he can swim. Can you show me to swim and we can all go on a boat?" That's probably the longest sentence she's said to me and she didn't even take a breath which I'd really cute. But everything about her is cute. Especially her hair. After sleeping it got even more messed up so now it looks likes blonde Afro. And her blue eyes are more alert now they are not as red now that she has gotten some sleep. They are a bit lighter shade than Elliot but both are beautiful. I have brown eyes which are kind of boring but at the right angle in the sun the look hazel. And everyone have light eyes in Nebraska.
"I can teach you" I tell her. She grabs my hand which takes me by surprise and I look up at her.
"You promise."
"Yes I promise." And I will if I can I'll be with her somehow.
"What did you promise." Asks Elliot as he comes back in her room with a laptop case. He quickly sets up the computer and has it ready for me before he even sits down and hands it to me.
In a whisper "Lina is going to teach me how to swim so we can all go on the boat." She is much quieter with him but at least she is talking to him. She starts messing with her hair again as file the forms needed for Elliot to become her new guardian.
"She's talking to you?"
"Yea she told me that I had funny hair and said people were making fun if her hair. So I told her that next time some one makes fun of her to tell me and Ill fucking knock them out. What kind of parent teachers their kids to make fun of some one. Because their hair. They're probably fucking assholes. Seriously what son of bitch teaches them that?!" He's almost shouting and I start to chuckle.
" I don't know but it's probably some one who curses a lot don't you think?"I look at him and smile innocently I don't think he realizes that Isabelle has stared at him the whole time during his outburst and has her mouth wide open.
"Sorry it's a habit. But there's nothing wrong with curly hair. It's cute on her I guess. It's nice right?!" "It beautiful she's a very pretty girl Elliot." I tell him as I roll my eyes. And she is very pretty but it's his over protectiveness that's so endearing. He's going to be great with her.
"So you just need to sign a form that is in my car and that should be all. I'll have that paper work to a judge and she will be in your custody. Is that okay?" I look at him and give him a loom this is really his last chance to back out.
"Fuck. That's fine." He all of a sudden gets quiet. I turn my body toward him and see that he is covering his face. I grab his wrist and pull them down so that he can look at me.
"You're going to be great with her she's isn't giving you a hard time know and you have experience... You know what it's like to have to go live with strangers. You care about her and that means a lot to a kid. Isabelle has you and I know you think that you will be a horrible parental figure you won't be because not very many kids have some one who in four hours will stop their life just to help them. And you are a good man Elliot Grey and she needs something good in her life and you are something good." A very good attractive, tall, hot... Focus Lina! "I'm sorry about you girlfriend though I'm sure it will work itself out."
"It won't with her she never wanted kids and I did I was just thinking that maybe she would but it's how she acted with me today about my adoption. How can I be with someone so inconsiderate like that. And I wanted a family. We have been engaged for two months and we just... We want different things and that's okay. Having kids wasn't negotiable for me. But anyways what do I need? To buy for her? Like clothes and shit like that does she have anything? I don't want to buy her any of that crap not that I can't afford it or anything I just don't know what kind of crap a girl needs."
"She needs clothes. She had some at her house but they were pretty bad most had holes or were dirty I was going to pack her a bag but since the body was in her room I couldn't take any of it and most of it smelled like alcohol. Why don't we make a list of things?" For the next hour while Isabelle slept and Elliot and I made a list. The more we talked the closer together we sat and we some how ended up on the couch with my right side touching his left. He was warm and it was hard to write since he wrote with his left and me with my right. So we kept elbowing each other. At one point he started doing it on purpose but I didn't mind it was nice to just act that way with someone again. And Elliot was nice and warm. And he had what is possibly the best smile I have ever seen. We came up with a list of about fifty items. And some how I ended up agreeing to accompany him on his little adventure.
Around seven I woke up in the couch with Elliot's head on my lap. I tried I really did but I couldn't help my self as I ran my hand through his hair. I didn't that for a few minutes and closed my eyes again. I thought about how i t would feel if he ran his hands through my hair. His hands on my neck, my shoulders, over my breast and then... And then two men walked into the room.
"Who the fuck are you?" He shouted at me and I kept still I couldn't really move because Elliot is asleep and probably would be for a while since he hasn't slept all night.
"I'm Carolina Reid. I'm sorry I would get up but he hasn't slept all night and please don't shout Isabelle has had a rough night. Who are you? Both of you."
He looked at me then Elliot and last Isabelle who was now asleep on her side sucking her thumb.
"Christian Grey". So this is christian he's hot. Not as hot as Elliot but still pretty close he had an intimidating factor that was really kind of a turn of for me but I can see the appeal.
"Jason Taylor head of Mr. Grey's security." Oh he was the muscle he want to bad either kind of had that George Clooney thing going where he's older but he had muscles you could easily see them even through this suit jacket on.
"Which Grey? I'm the social worker for miss Anderson. What are you doing here?"
"He's my security my brother sent me a message last night. He said he has a problem and to come here. What's the problem?" His tone commanded authority. Jason walked out of the room and was now standing out side with another man who was also in a suit.
"You have to ask him I cant say anything to you about the case unless I'm told by Elliot and he hasn't said anything." Before I know it Christian is at Elliot and shakes him. And it's not a gentle shove. He literally grabs his arm and moves him. Elliot quickly shoots up and before I know the back of his heat hits my face and my eyes start to water because if the pain in my nose. I don't think it's broken but it still hurt. I get up and go to the attached bathroom and Elliot follows me.
"Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen let me see." Before I know it he turn me toward him and looks at my nose but all I can think about are his hands which are now on my hips. He feels so strong and so gentle he is staring right at my face and his forehead is scrunched up one of his hand comes up to my cheek and tilts my head up. My mouth opens my breathing becomes more shallow. Now I'm looking at his eyes which are beautiful. And they are looking at mine and I can smell his breath and it's morning breath which is usually not that good but with him it's a bit erotic his hand goes back to my waist and he lifts me onto the counter and he steps between my legs. This shouldn't make me all hot and bothered but this man is doing things to me to my body and I have no control. I don't want control with him. I just want him. For him to kiss me and touch, lick, to taste me.
"It's not broken it's just bleeding a bit. Let me get you something." He grabs some tissues and hands then to me as my nose bleeds. I try to put my head down but his hand encircles my neck. His thumb is under my chin and his other fingers are on the right side if my neck. Oh my.
Suddenly there is screaming in the room and our moment is over. We get back and see that Isabelle is moving and curled up on the bed still asleep. He fingers are in her head and she I'd pulling out her hair she is screaming and crying. Elliot, Christian,and Taylor all step forward as of to wake her up but I tell them to stop.
"Don't touch her she doesn't like being touch only her hands." I get closer to her and I grab her hands and try to talk to her. "Wake up it's just a dream. Isabelle. Izzy wake up it's not real." I move he hands for her head. Elliot takes a step closer and she wakes up and starts sobbing int her pillow. I sit on the bed and touch her head and start to play with her hair. Earlier when I rubber her back she got scared and almost jumped off the bed but I think she trusts me with touching just her head. Elliot sits on the other side and starts rubbing her head.
"Elliot? Christian? What are you doing here?" Grace walked into the room. She looks at the scene in front of her and then looks right at me. "Where is the family? I thought they'd be here by now. I didn't know you were familiar with my sons."
Elliot speaks,"mom..."