Here's the new chapter!! Once again, thanks for the reviews. They honestly mean a lot to me. ;D
"You ready Nat?" Calleigh asked.
"You bet, Natalia said. "But can we stop off before and get lunch because I'm starving right now."
"No," Calleigh said. "We're running late already and I don't want Layla to start freaking out. You know, she's become so sensitive and she's afraid that I'm going to leave her. She didn't want to go to school today, because she thought that I would leave her there."
"Alright," Natalia said. "But you owe me a sausage McMuffin."
"Nat, breakfast is over."
"There's always tomorrow morning."
The two women headed in the parking lot and jumped in Calleigh's Hummer. "What's all of this?" Natalia said, moving a doll with stringy hair from the passenger seat.
"Those are Layla's toys but I'm going to put them all back in the house today," Calleigh said, putting on her seatbelt. She looked at Natalia. "Nat you're going to have to put on your seatbelt."
Natalia reached around and strapped herself in the seatbelt and laughed. "Okay, Cal."
Fifteen minutes later, Calleigh pulled into the school's parking lot. She glanced at clock hesitantly and noted that she was four minutes late. "I'll be right back," Calleigh said, looking at Natalia. "Unless you wanted to come in also."
"No go ahead," Natalia said. "In the condition I'm in, I need to take things slow."
"Alright, then I'll be right back." Calleigh began walking towards when the other parents started staring at her. She ran a hand through her hair nervously as some of the father's started looking at her. Once inside, she walked down the hall to Layla's class feeling at ease. Walking closer, Calleigh heard the whimper of a child and knew immediately who's child it was. Then the teacher said 'don't worry, she'll be here soon.'
Calleigh walked inside the class and the loud click of her heel made the teacher look up.
"See, there's you mother," the teacher said.
Calleigh half smiled at the teacher, silently thanking her for trying to keep Layla calm.
Layla turned around and smiled when she saw Calleigh. Her eyes were still wet but she ran to Calleigh.
Calleigh reached down and picked Layla up. "How's mommy's big girl?" She wiped a tear away from Layla's eye.
Layla wrapped her arms around Calleigh neck, hugging her tightly. "I thought you left me."
"I would never leave you," Calleigh said, looking at the teacher who was beckoning for her attention. Calleigh walked to the teacher and grabbed the piece of paper from her.
Once outside, Natalia noticed Calleigh still carrying Layla, but now Layla wrapped her legs around Calleigh's waist. Calleigh opened the back seat and sat Layla down. She watched as Layla buckled her seatbelt then went around to the front of the car.
"I can't believe this is your routine everyday," Natalia said, snacking on a snack.
"Yep," Calleigh said, doing a double take at Natalia. "Hey is that my bag of trail mix you're eating?"
Natalia smiled. "Sorry, I told you I'm hungry."
Calleigh looked in the back seat and noticed Layla was looking sad with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"I don't want to go to child care," Layla said, knowing her fate as soon as she stepped in the car. "I want to stay with you."
Calleigh looked at Natalia then back at Layla. "Sweetie are you worried that I won't be around for you?"
Layla didn't respond but her head dropped and a tear fell from her eye.
"Nat, can you drive us somewhere to get something to eat?"
"Yeah sure, of course," Natalia said, hopping out the passenger seat.
Calleigh climbed out the driver's seat and into the backseat, sitting next to Layla. She wrapped her arm around Layla and Layla fell into her chest. Calleigh rubbed her hair softly.
"Taco Bell?" Natalia asked.
"Sure," Calleigh said simply.
Fifteen minutes later, they had their food and back at CSI. Calleigh now sat in the break room, watching as Layla played with her food. "Sweetie, you have got to eat."
"Mommy, are you leaving?"
"No," Calleigh said, shaking her head no. "I'm not going anywhere."
"But what if you leave like Daddy? He said that he wouldn't leave either."
"Sweetie, don't worry about that right now. Finish eating okay." She watched as Layla took a bite out of her taco.
Calleigh finally convinced Layla enough to go to child care so that she could finish work. She was now in the evidence locker, analyzing evidence with Eric.
"You and Horatio went to a crime scene today?" Calleigh asked, breaking the silence.
"Actually we went to Marisol's grave," Eric said not looking up. "The person that took part in her murder is out of jail but there's been a similar murder but the night shift processed the scene and collected the evidence." He held up the victim's shirt. "Look at that. There's orange fiber on it. I bet you if we run it we'll get a match to the fiber used in the prison clothing."
Calleigh half smiled. "Yeah we can run it against the list of manufacturers."
"What's going on with Layla?" Eric asked. "I walked pass the break room and noticed she was looking sad. Is she still sad over what happened?"
"Yes, and I don't know what to do. I picked her up from school and she was crying to the teacher." She looked up briefly. "Then, when she saw me, she hugged me and clung to me for dear life. The teacher gave me a note saying that Layla has been distant today at school. I think maybe it was too soon to put her back in school. But Eric, I feel so bad because I don't have a lot of time that I can spend with her."
"Don't worry," Eric said. "She'll come around."
"Yeah, hopefully soon."
Very short, I know, but I'm going through a series of writer's block at the moment. Hopefully it will be cured today.