There was a pounding at the lavatory door. Blood dripped from the
cuts on C.C.'s arms. "JUST A MINUTE!" she half screamed half sobbed. She
quickly buttoned up the sleeve of her blouse and wiped her face. The woman
waiting to go gave her a devilish glare then went in. She put her head
down. She sat down in her seat, and slept the rest of the way to Chicago.
Once they arrived at the airport C.C. rushed to Starbucks and got a latte.
They called a cab to take them to the Holiday Inn.
As C.C. entered her room, a voice said from behind, "you forgot your coat." It was Niles. She muttered a quick thank you and he left. She curled up on her bed, scared of everyone and everything. The trial was to be in two weeks so everyone was tense and readying everything, papers files and all. The kids came to visit too. One day, while Maxwell was gone C.C. was talking on the phone with her lawyer, after hanging up she heard the children's and Fran's laughter. God, she cherished those children. She knew all their names but pretended to forget them just because she was so locked away in her past she couldn't take energy to love anyone else. Until that night.
Fran and Max went to dinner, Niles on a date, Brighton and Maggie on dates, and Gracie was going out with some friends she met at the hotel pool. She was thirteen now. That night, around ten, Gracie came bursting through the door of C.C.'s room in tears. C.C. rushed over to her, and said in a comforting tone, "What's the matter Grace?" The girl wrapped her arms around C.C.'s waist. She was not accustomed to this, but slowly put her shaking arms around the girl. "Just tell me what happened" she said softly.
"Well" she said as her chin began to tremble again, "I went out with those kids, Marie, Stacy, and Paulina. We saw a movie and got ice cream. After that, we roamed around and alley playing tag and talking about guys. Then three figures appeared in the opening. They said that us four looked like we needed a good time. Stacy said we were fine but he grabbed her and tied her hands behind her back. Paulina and Marie escaped, trying to get to the police station. I tried to fight them. They hit me and cut my arm (shows a deep cut in her arm and bruises on her face to C.C. who gasps) and they tried to rape me. They ripped off my blouse and bra so that's why I'm in Stacy's jacket. They heard police sirens, untied Stacy, and ran away. They all went home in cop cars and I just walked, cause I didn't want to get questioned. They scared me so b-bad........." She cried against C.C.'s chest.
C.C. stroked her hair and said she'd kill those sons of a bitches if she could. "Do you want me to go get Niles?" she asked gently, "he's down in the restaurant café."
Grace's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she cried, "please no! he's a man he'll never let me out of his sight again.......he'll be up all night worrying so at least wait until morning but you can tell daddy and Fran if you want to.......and you're a woman and you understand what I feel like because of you're father............"
C.C. hugged her tightly, as tears formed in her eyes. "Sweetie" she said softly, "I'll tell Maxwell and Fran when they get back...I-I know what you mean about Niles (tears welled up at the back of her eyes) Maxwell will be sure to tell him....I will defend you Grace, oh honey.......I'm so sorry."
Grace buried her head in her chest and cried until she fell asleep. C.C. stared at that angel, wishing she had a daughter. But I had she thought painfully, seeing Jessica's gentle face. She carefully put one arm under Grace's mid-back and one under Grace's knees and carried her down the hall to her room. She layed her in bed and took off her shoes. She bound Grace's wound with white bandage. She carefully pulled the comforter over Grace, and walked out of the room, tears falling down her face. "Don't go" said Grace sleepily. C.C. came back and sat beside her and sang a lullaby:
Golden slumber kiss your eyes,
Smiles await you when you rise.
Sleep,
charming angel,
Do not cry,
And I'll sing you a lullaby.
Care you know not,
Therefore sleep,
While over you watch I do keep.
Sleep,
pretty darling,
Do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby.
Grace's eyes drooped and she was soon softly slumbering into her pillow. Fran and Max were surprised to see C.C. by the bedside of their youngest daughter. She got up and said, "we need to talk." The two adults' faces flushed with horror as they heard the tale, and thanked C.C. for her care, then they bid each other good night. At around three in the morning, C.C. heard Grace's cry from down the hall. She rushed to see what was the matter.
"Grace?" she said softly as she creaked open the door. Grace's face was red and streaked with tears. She hugged C.C. once again. "I had a dream" she said shakily, "and this time I didn't get away..." C.C. held her tightly.
"What happened?" said Grace suddenly, pointing to C.C.'s arm. C.C. gasped. She was wearing a night gown so her cuts were exposed. "Cat" was all she could choke out. Grace nodded and fell asleep in her arms. Fran, who had heard her daughter's screams, ran to her room and peeked in. She saw C.C. holding Grace and smiled. She walked into the room. C.C. quickly looked up and put her finger to her lips. She placed Grace gently back on the pillow and her and Fran went to the kitchen to discuss things and eat ice cream. It was good to talk for C.C., but she kept her arm well concealed. That night C.C. lay in bed thinking. She quickly got a flashlight and dug something out from a small black purse of her's on the dresser. It was an old photograph of Niles. She traced his face with her finger and sang silently:
Notice me, take my hand
Why are we strangers when
Our love is strong?
Why carry on without me?
Everytime I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, Baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, Baby
I make believe that you are here
It's the only way I see clear
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song's my sorry
At night I pray
That soon your face will fade away
And everytime I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, Baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, Baby
Tears fell down her face as she placed the old photograph in her purse.
As C.C. entered her room, a voice said from behind, "you forgot your coat." It was Niles. She muttered a quick thank you and he left. She curled up on her bed, scared of everyone and everything. The trial was to be in two weeks so everyone was tense and readying everything, papers files and all. The kids came to visit too. One day, while Maxwell was gone C.C. was talking on the phone with her lawyer, after hanging up she heard the children's and Fran's laughter. God, she cherished those children. She knew all their names but pretended to forget them just because she was so locked away in her past she couldn't take energy to love anyone else. Until that night.
Fran and Max went to dinner, Niles on a date, Brighton and Maggie on dates, and Gracie was going out with some friends she met at the hotel pool. She was thirteen now. That night, around ten, Gracie came bursting through the door of C.C.'s room in tears. C.C. rushed over to her, and said in a comforting tone, "What's the matter Grace?" The girl wrapped her arms around C.C.'s waist. She was not accustomed to this, but slowly put her shaking arms around the girl. "Just tell me what happened" she said softly.
"Well" she said as her chin began to tremble again, "I went out with those kids, Marie, Stacy, and Paulina. We saw a movie and got ice cream. After that, we roamed around and alley playing tag and talking about guys. Then three figures appeared in the opening. They said that us four looked like we needed a good time. Stacy said we were fine but he grabbed her and tied her hands behind her back. Paulina and Marie escaped, trying to get to the police station. I tried to fight them. They hit me and cut my arm (shows a deep cut in her arm and bruises on her face to C.C. who gasps) and they tried to rape me. They ripped off my blouse and bra so that's why I'm in Stacy's jacket. They heard police sirens, untied Stacy, and ran away. They all went home in cop cars and I just walked, cause I didn't want to get questioned. They scared me so b-bad........." She cried against C.C.'s chest.
C.C. stroked her hair and said she'd kill those sons of a bitches if she could. "Do you want me to go get Niles?" she asked gently, "he's down in the restaurant café."
Grace's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she cried, "please no! he's a man he'll never let me out of his sight again.......he'll be up all night worrying so at least wait until morning but you can tell daddy and Fran if you want to.......and you're a woman and you understand what I feel like because of you're father............"
C.C. hugged her tightly, as tears formed in her eyes. "Sweetie" she said softly, "I'll tell Maxwell and Fran when they get back...I-I know what you mean about Niles (tears welled up at the back of her eyes) Maxwell will be sure to tell him....I will defend you Grace, oh honey.......I'm so sorry."
Grace buried her head in her chest and cried until she fell asleep. C.C. stared at that angel, wishing she had a daughter. But I had she thought painfully, seeing Jessica's gentle face. She carefully put one arm under Grace's mid-back and one under Grace's knees and carried her down the hall to her room. She layed her in bed and took off her shoes. She bound Grace's wound with white bandage. She carefully pulled the comforter over Grace, and walked out of the room, tears falling down her face. "Don't go" said Grace sleepily. C.C. came back and sat beside her and sang a lullaby:
Golden slumber kiss your eyes,
Smiles await you when you rise.
Sleep,
charming angel,
Do not cry,
And I'll sing you a lullaby.
Care you know not,
Therefore sleep,
While over you watch I do keep.
Sleep,
pretty darling,
Do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby.
Grace's eyes drooped and she was soon softly slumbering into her pillow. Fran and Max were surprised to see C.C. by the bedside of their youngest daughter. She got up and said, "we need to talk." The two adults' faces flushed with horror as they heard the tale, and thanked C.C. for her care, then they bid each other good night. At around three in the morning, C.C. heard Grace's cry from down the hall. She rushed to see what was the matter.
"Grace?" she said softly as she creaked open the door. Grace's face was red and streaked with tears. She hugged C.C. once again. "I had a dream" she said shakily, "and this time I didn't get away..." C.C. held her tightly.
"What happened?" said Grace suddenly, pointing to C.C.'s arm. C.C. gasped. She was wearing a night gown so her cuts were exposed. "Cat" was all she could choke out. Grace nodded and fell asleep in her arms. Fran, who had heard her daughter's screams, ran to her room and peeked in. She saw C.C. holding Grace and smiled. She walked into the room. C.C. quickly looked up and put her finger to her lips. She placed Grace gently back on the pillow and her and Fran went to the kitchen to discuss things and eat ice cream. It was good to talk for C.C., but she kept her arm well concealed. That night C.C. lay in bed thinking. She quickly got a flashlight and dug something out from a small black purse of her's on the dresser. It was an old photograph of Niles. She traced his face with her finger and sang silently:
Notice me, take my hand
Why are we strangers when
Our love is strong?
Why carry on without me?
Everytime I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, Baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, Baby
I make believe that you are here
It's the only way I see clear
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song's my sorry
At night I pray
That soon your face will fade away
And everytime I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, Baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, Baby
Tears fell down her face as she placed the old photograph in her purse.