Here is the next update. I will post the next chapter shortly. This story is now written, and I'm working on a sequel. Amber
Chapter 20
Brooke hurried upstairs. She dug into her closet and found a top and jean shorts. She then went into the bathroom and set the shower to a much hotter temperature. She moaned as the water touched her skin. Ahh! She washed twice, washed her hair, and shaved. She got out of the shower when the water turned cold. She took the time and dried her hair, then used her straightening iron. Her hair looked very nice. It hadn't been too hard to do either. She reached into her drawer and pulled out some makeup. Her boyfriend was coming over after all. Once that was done she hurried downstairs. Her father sat a plate in front of her. It was a boars head medium roast beef and cheddar sandwich on wheat bread.
Brooke immediately dug in. "Mmmm. So good. Thanks Daddy. I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"Hospital food is questionable on most days." He sat beside her at the bar. They ate in silence for several minutes.
The back door opened. Joe came in carrying two car carriers. Brooke was delighted. She hurried over and took one from him. "Hey Allen!"
Allen squealed when he saw her.
Brooke melted. "There's my little cousin. Come here squirt. You're going to get another playmate in a few months. Aren't you excited?"
Joe took Alex out of his car seat. Frank took him. "Come here to Uncle Frank Alex."
Alex cooed and reached for Frank's sandwich. Frank chuckled. "Not yet kiddo. I bet you and your brother are hungry." Joe pulled their bottles out of the diaper bag. "I have their breast milk and their lunches. They're used to eating at the same time. So this is going to be an adventure.
Frank blew a raspberry on Alex's tummy. "I can feed them."
Brooke took Allen into the living room and sat him in the pack in play. He saw the toys and started playing. Joe said. "He may get a little fussy."
Frank shrugged. "No problem."
Joe took out the suture removal kit from the diaper bag. "Let me remove those kiddo."
Brooke bit her lip. "Will it hurt?"
"It shouldn't."
Brooke sat down at the kitchen table as her Uncle expertly removed the stitches. He was right it didn't hurt and it took no time at all. As suspected Allen started getting fussy in the other room. Brooke said. "I'll go distract him. Then he can eat."
Joe walked over to Frank who was busy feeding Alex his carrots. "How is she doing?"
"She seems to be doing much better."
"That's good. How are you all holding up?"
Frank finished with the carrots and started on the applesauce and rice cereal. "Better than we were. Claire was really hurt about not being told what happened. We really thought that shielding her would be best but given the circumstances."
"Is Claire still acting out?"
"At times. She's more defiant than she used to be but I don't consider that necessarily a bad thing."
Joe shuddered. "Teenagers. I'm a few years from that anyway. How is Callie gestating wise?"
"She's great right on schedule. Our son is healthy, she's healthy. We're worried about the psychosis but we know that is coming."
Joe nodded. "Like you said, hopefully we can fend off the worst of the symptoms. She may still have to be hospitalized though."
"Yeah Dr. Barry did say that, we'll wait and see. It's also possible that she may not have any. It's like a thirty percent chance."
Joe looked thoughtful. "Well if anyone deserves a break it's you guys."
The door opened and Callie came in. "Hey Joe!"
Joe smiled. "Hey Prego. How are you feeling? Did you win your last court case?"
Callie rubbed her expanding stomach. "I feel fine and yes I did. It was an easy one. Did you get Brooke's stitches out?"
"Yep." Then he called. "Brooke you can bring Allen in now to eat and take Alexander."
Brooke came in with a very fussy Allen. "He definitely thinks with his stomach."
Frank chuckled. "He gets it honest."
Joe nodded. "He sure does." He took him. "Okay little man time for your lunch. Sorry I only have one high chair here."
Callie said. "We need to get one of those that connects to the table, actually two. This way they can eat and be comfortable once our baby comes."
"We can manage Callie."
Callie was already looking on amazon. "No they need them. More importantly we need them for when we watch them. Here we go two."
The doorbell rang. Frank looked at his watch. "Who could that be?" He went to the door. He saw a deputy. Frank knew it had to be subpoenas. "Hi Josh. For me?"
"Actually for you and your daughter."
Frank took them. So the court date had been set.
Callie came in. "What is it?"
Brooke came over. "Hi Josh! Bringing daddy his subpoenas."
"You bet kiddo. I have more deliveries." He tilted his watch cap. "Congratulations Your Honor."
Callie smiled at him. "Thank you." She closed the door.
Brooke saw the envelopes. "Two." Then she saw their faces. "One is mine isn't it."
Frank nodded. "Yes dear."
Brooke bit her lip. "When?"
Frank opened the envelope. "It's six months from now."
Brooke squared her shoulders. "Alright. When do I meet with the prosecutor to start preparing?"
Callie took her hand. "Soon. You'll have several meetings with him. You're a star witness, you heard Juan Garcia say that he…"
Brooke finished the statement. "Rapes the girls first. Actually he said 'This is why I do this. I can't have you blubbering all over the client.' He said it was a demonstration on how I was supposed to act with the client."
Callie swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry you have to do this baby."
Brooke said. "I'm not. I want to testify. I want Juan Garcia to pay. I want those other men to pay and I will testify against them too."
Callie soothed. "Actually the third guy has pleaded guilty, you won't have too for him. The other is still at large. Your dad is still trying to ID him."
"Well, I discussed this with Michelle. It's a way to vent my anger in a controlled setting. Not lose my temper. That's not what I mean. It's a way to say how I feel, that what he did was wrong and it will make a difference."
Frank was beaming with pride. "That's a good way of looking at it."
Brooke said. "Bring it on Dad because he is going to rot in prison for life for what he did to all those kids."
