Q & A #53
"Will she be okay?" Meredith snuggled next to her father on the couch.
"Who? Mommy?" Spike lay the copy of 'Yertle the Turtle' in his lap. "She'll be fine. I thought you wanted a story?"
"I thought I did. Now I don't." She closed her story book and watched her father lay it on the coffee table. "Erin."
"Ah, yes." He put his arms around his daughter. "Right as rain, I'm sure."
"Where are they going? Why did Mommy go with them?"
"Mommy went because she knew a safe place to take them. A place where Sam can have some time to think, without worrying about being found." He pulled Meredith on his lap, and she rested her head on his chest. "Thought you weren't going to suck your thumb anymore?"
Meredith pulled the offending digit from her mouth. "I forgot." She looked up at her father. "Why did Uncle Riley hurt his baby girl? You would never hurt me."
"Don't call him that. And I don't know." His eyes narrowed. "How did you know? And what do you know?"
"Erin told me he hurt her. He scared her."
"And Sam?"
"Auntie Sam didn't hurt her. She loves her. Anybody can tell that, Daddy." She tugged the afghan off the back of the couch. "I'm cold."
"Sorry, love." Spike pulled the blanket over the both of them. "I'm glad her Mommy loves her. She needs that now. They both need that."
"I asked Erin about her real Mommy. The one they took her from. And you know what she said, Daddy?"
"Tell me, pet."
"She said, 'What real Mommy?' I think she forgot. She just knows Auntie Sam now. Isn't that a sad thing, Daddy? It's scary."
"You're shivering." He tugged the blanket up and covered her shoulders. "Why does that scare you, sweetheart? Auntie Sam will take good care of Erin."
"What if it was me, Daddy? What if the bad man took me from you and Mommy, and I couldn't find you? And what if they made me have a new mommy, and I didn't know you any more, and I didn't know Mommy or baby or anyone." She was crying, tears on her little cheeks. "Don't let them take me, Daddy. Don't let the bad man come."
He rubbed circles on her back, the way he had calmed her when she was a tiny baby. "Shhh. My sweetest love. I will never let anyone take you. Never let anyone hurt you. Neither will Mommy. You know that."
"Did Erin's real daddy say that?"
His hand paused. "Your daddy is saying that. And your daddy means it. Nothing will happen to you. Nothing." But he pulled the afghan tighter around himself.
When Meredith fell asleep in his arms, he cherished the feeling of her warm, even breathing. After a while, he lay her down on the couch, covered her with the afghan, and went into the kitchen to start dinner.
"Will she be okay?" Meredith snuggled next to her father on the couch.
"Who? Mommy?" Spike lay the copy of 'Yertle the Turtle' in his lap. "She'll be fine. I thought you wanted a story?"
"I thought I did. Now I don't." She closed her story book and watched her father lay it on the coffee table. "Erin."
"Ah, yes." He put his arms around his daughter. "Right as rain, I'm sure."
"Where are they going? Why did Mommy go with them?"
"Mommy went because she knew a safe place to take them. A place where Sam can have some time to think, without worrying about being found." He pulled Meredith on his lap, and she rested her head on his chest. "Thought you weren't going to suck your thumb anymore?"
Meredith pulled the offending digit from her mouth. "I forgot." She looked up at her father. "Why did Uncle Riley hurt his baby girl? You would never hurt me."
"Don't call him that. And I don't know." His eyes narrowed. "How did you know? And what do you know?"
"Erin told me he hurt her. He scared her."
"And Sam?"
"Auntie Sam didn't hurt her. She loves her. Anybody can tell that, Daddy." She tugged the afghan off the back of the couch. "I'm cold."
"Sorry, love." Spike pulled the blanket over the both of them. "I'm glad her Mommy loves her. She needs that now. They both need that."
"I asked Erin about her real Mommy. The one they took her from. And you know what she said, Daddy?"
"Tell me, pet."
"She said, 'What real Mommy?' I think she forgot. She just knows Auntie Sam now. Isn't that a sad thing, Daddy? It's scary."
"You're shivering." He tugged the blanket up and covered her shoulders. "Why does that scare you, sweetheart? Auntie Sam will take good care of Erin."
"What if it was me, Daddy? What if the bad man took me from you and Mommy, and I couldn't find you? And what if they made me have a new mommy, and I didn't know you any more, and I didn't know Mommy or baby or anyone." She was crying, tears on her little cheeks. "Don't let them take me, Daddy. Don't let the bad man come."
He rubbed circles on her back, the way he had calmed her when she was a tiny baby. "Shhh. My sweetest love. I will never let anyone take you. Never let anyone hurt you. Neither will Mommy. You know that."
"Did Erin's real daddy say that?"
His hand paused. "Your daddy is saying that. And your daddy means it. Nothing will happen to you. Nothing." But he pulled the afghan tighter around himself.
When Meredith fell asleep in his arms, he cherished the feeling of her warm, even breathing. After a while, he lay her down on the couch, covered her with the afghan, and went into the kitchen to start dinner.