Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Thirty Five
Hope groaned when her alarm clock blared. Her body ached. Bo's bootcamp was having torturous effects on her muscles. She didn't want to get up. As she reached for the snooze button, she realized it was daylight. She looked around the bedroom. She was alone. She frowned.
"Mommy," Ciara's voice called to her from the hallway.
Hope looked at the clock. It was 8:00am. Confusion flooded her.
"Yeah baby?" Hope called as she scrambled out of bed.
Ciara appeared at her doorway and observed her curiously. Hope ran a hand through her messy hair, "What's wrong?"
"Aren't you going to take me to school?" Ciara questioned.
Hope's heart sank, "Of course I am."
"In your pajamas?" Ciara asked confused.
"No," Hope shook her head, "No, I'll change."
"10 minutes," Ciara replied, "I'll wait for you in the car."
Hope looked at the clock again. Then she looked at the empty bed. Bo was up to something. She scurried around to dress in something more presentable than pajamas. She settled on something she could run in and threw her hair up in a pony tail.
She raced down the stairs and to the car where her daughter waited patiently. Hope chose not to acknowledge the the fact that this would be her first time out of the house alone. She gripped the steering wheel and started the car.
"Are you okay mommy?" Ciara questioned as she watched her.
Hope nodded, "I'm fine sweetie. Are you?"
Ciara nodded and buckled her seat belt.
"Did you eat breakfast?" Hope questioned, "Did you brush your teeth?"
Ciara nodded, "I'm a big girl. I know how to get ready for school."
"I'm sorry mommy slept so late." Hope replied, "Where's daddy? Did you see him before he left?"
"He had to go to work early," Ciara nodded, "He didn't want to wake you up. He said you needed to sleep."
"Huh," Hope nodded. She drove through Salem quietly, occasionally stealing glances at her daughter. She tried to suppress the guilt that nagged at her. She felt selfish and idiotic for not being present for her little girl. When she pulled up to the car line up at school, Ciara unbuckled her seat belt.
"You better not try to leave this car without giving me a hug first," Hope demanded.
Ciara smiled, "I would never!"
Hope smiled back. Her little girl was growing up so fast. She twirled her long hair, "You did such a great job getting ready all by yourself. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks mommy," Ciara grinned with pride and wrapped both arms around Hope's neck.
Hope kissed Ciara's cheek, "Have a wonderful day at school."
Ciara jumped out of the car, "Daddy said he left you a present on the kitchen table."
"He did?" Hope's eyebrows raised.
Ciara nodded, "And that he'll be late at work so he can't pick me up today."
Hope's eyes narrowed, but she recovered quickly, "Looks like I'll see you soon then."
"Ok," Ciara smiled, "Can't wait!"
Hope smiled at her daughter as Ciara slammed the car door. She fell into a cluster of children and ran towards the front doors to her school. Hope searched in her purse for her phone, but realized she left it at home. Bo was up to something alright. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she drove back through Salem.
When she pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, she felt a small boost of confidence from completing her uneventful trip to the school and back on her own. She almost laughed at herself. She killed the engine and made her way to the kitchen to find the present Ciara mentioned.
She found a small gift bag with pink tissue paper. She eagerly reached her hand in the sack to find runner's mace with an attached note.
'Until you get your gun back…
Love, Bo'
Hope smiled to herself. She tore the mace from the plastic package it came from and fastened the velcro around her hand. Her heart raced a little faster than normal as she thought about running alone. She gripped the weapon in her hand and thought about the fighting moves Bo had been teaching her. They weren't necessarily new. She knew them. She'd used them on the job, but relearning them was something she needed to prove to herself that she wasn't a victim. She could defend herself.
She sighed as she stepped out the front door. She could do this. She not only wanted to prove it to herself. She wanted to prove it to Bo. She knew he would know she felt that way. He knew her too well, which is why he set her up.
She fell into an easy pace on the familiar route she'd taken with Bo many times. Her eyes darted around her environment and she occasionally gripped the mace a little too tightly in her hand when a noise would startle her. Regardless, she kept running.
Later that evening, Bo arrived home and rubbed his eyes when he parked his vehicle. Work had been rough. He was tired. He checked his phone once more. He hadn't heard from Hope all day and he couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad sign.
He was making his way up the front walk when Ciara opened the front door in greeting.
"Hey Daddy!" Ciara grinned.
Bo smiled as he bent down to hug her when she ran to him, "Hey! How was your day?"
"It was good," Ciara replied, "Mommy took me for ice cream after school."
Bo's eyes widened in surprise, "She did?"
Ciara nodded with pride, "Then we came home and did homework and now she's making dinner."
"Your mom is cooking?" Bo's eyebrows raised, "Is she feeling alright?"
Ciara giggled and then defended her mother, "It smells yummy!"
Bo closed the front door and locked it behind him, before making his way to the kitchen. He found Hope setting the table, "Hey FancyFace."
She smiled at him, "Hey Brady."
Bo took the scene that greeted him in the kitchen in with disbelief. Hope leaned over with a hand full of plates to kiss him, "Thank you."
Bo stared at her serious face, "For what?"
"For today," Hope replied seriously. She placed the plates on the table and reached for his hands, "For everything."
"Did you run?" Bo questioned as he held her hands in his.
Hope nodded once, "I did."
Bo smiled at her, "So you enjoyed my little gift?"
Hope nodded again, "I did."
"I'm proud of you," Bo replied seriously, "I knew you could do it."
She kissed him again, "You gave me more than a little gift…"
Bo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and waited for her to continue.
"I've been so caught up in me and everything that has happened. I haven't been a mother," Hope spoke slowly to keep her emotions in check, "It's been easy for me to be selfish because you're here. Doing all the work. You've been taking such good care of our daughter. Today reminded me that my life is much bigger than what happened to me. I've been neglecting one of the biggest reasons that gives my life purpose and I'm so sorry."
Bo pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, "Hope, Ciara has two parents for a reason. I'm happy to carry the heavier load. I'm her father. We're partners. We've always been in this together. You have been through a lot. I knew you'd jump back in when you're ready."
Hope bit her lip to keep in her unshed tears, "Thank you."
Bo kissed her. His heart swelled at her progress. Hope wrapped her arms around him when their kiss broke. They held each other for a moment.
"One step at a time remember?" Bo asked.
Hope nodded into his shoulder. She was so thankful for his support, "I love you."
Bo kissed her temple, "I love you too."
Ciara burst excitedly into the kitchen, "Is it time for dinner yet?"
"Yeah, what's this dinner I smell?" Bo winked at Hope, "Dare I say it smells safe to eat?"
Hope laughed, "There's only one way to find out!"
