Chapter 3
5 years old
"He's here! He's here!" Lizzie screeched, running out of the house, the screen door slamming behind her. Sam follows her, stopping on the porch to watch as she runs towards the car that's pulling up the drive. She bounces on her socked feet, eagerly waiting for the driver to step out of the car. Apparently her patience runs out as the moment the door opens, she jumps at them.
"Daddy! You came!" She gushes as she wraps her arms around his neck. Red laughs as he climbs out of the car with one hand wrapped around her back so she wouldn't fall. As soon as he stood upright, he swung her onto his hip and shut the car door.
"Of course I did, Sweetheart! I wasn't going to miss your birthday!" He said in mock indignation. "You only turn 5, once you know." Lizzie beamed up at him before laying her head on his shoulder, tightening her arms around his neck in a hug.
Red smiled as Sam clapped him on the back in greeting as they headed up the stairs to the porch. "Oh! I almost forgot! I got you a present!" Lizzie's eyes widen and she wiggles in his arms as he turns back around and heads back to the car. Red puts her down so that he can open the trunk and she gasps once her eyes fall upon her gift.
"A bike! You got me a bike! Papa! He got me a bike!" Red can't contain the small grimace at hearing her call Sam, Papa. It was necessary for her safety though. He'd used some of his contacts to get the adoption to go through, after all. Sam had to be her Papa for all intents and purposes. But Red consoled himself with the fact that he'd always be her daddy.
"Well ain't that a good looking bike! And red too. Huh." Sam gave Red an unimpressed look as he helped him finagle the thing out of his trunk.
"I like red! Purple's my favorite but all the other girls have pink bikes. I hate pink. It's stupid." As she disparaged the virtues of the color pink, Lizzie's eyes never left the bike as she hopped from foot to foot.
"Lizzie, Sweetheart, go put some shoes on and then Sam and I can teach you to ride, okay?" Before Red had even finished speaking, she was running back into the house to do as he said.
"God, she's a little fireball, isn't she?" Red asked, his wistful eyes watching as she retreated into the house.
"Yep, can barely get her to sit still. That girl's got more energy than I know what to do with." Sam tried to sound exasperated, really he did.
Red looked over at him, fully aware of the way Sam's voice had dripped with love.
"She's wonderful."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
6 Years Old
Both Sam and Lizzie looked up from their dinner at the sound of tires crunching on the drive and the sudden screech of brakes. They looked at each other then back towards the front of the house. They weren't expecting company.
"Stay here, Lizzie. And don't make a peep." Sam stood up from the kitchen table and walked down the hallway. She could hear him open the hall closet and grab something from the top shelf just before the front door banged against the entry way wall.
"Jesus Red! I almost —"
"Where is she Sam? Where is Lizzie! I need to see her! Lizzie!" Red called out to her but Lizzie was glued to her chair in shock. She'd never heard her Daddy sound that way before. Like he was angry and sad at the same time.
"What the hell, Red! Calm down! I ain't lettin' you see her 'til you calm your ass down! It's Christmas for Christ's sake!" Sam shouted over Red's continued yelling of Lizzie's name.
"Get out of my way, Sam! She's my daughter!" There was a scuffle in the hall before Red came into the kitchen. Upon seeing Lizzie sitting frozen in her chair, he dropped to his knees in front of her, clutching her to him so tight she couldn't breathe. Red's shoulders suddenly began to shake and she soon realized he was crying. She didn't know her Daddy did that.
"It's okay, Daddy. I'm right here. It's okay. I love you, Daddy." She looked at Sam desperately as this just seemed to make her daddy cry harder.
"Red, I don't know what's going on, but you gotta calm down. You're scaring our Butterball, Red." Sam put his hand on Red's shoulder in comfort and after a moment, Red loosened his hold around Lizzie.
"I'm sorry Sweetheart. I just missed you so much." Red wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed her on the forehead.
Lizzie knew she shouldn't be sneaking. Daddy had put her to bed and read her a story, just like he always did when he came home. But he just looked so sad. She had to find out why. When she heard the murmur of his and papa's voices, curiosity got the best of her.
She crouched at the top of the stairs, careful to stay to the right side where there weren't any creaky boards.
"They're dead, Sam. Carla and Jennifer. I came home and—Fuck. It was everywhere. So much goddamn blood." It sounded like her daddy was choking. She wanted to go to him and give him a big hug but she was afraid she'd get in trouble for being up past bedtime. "And I couldn't—I'm so sorry, Sam. I had to come see her. She's all I've got left!"
"Shit Red. Who could have done this?"
"I think it's the same people that killed Katarina. I've… I didn't stop looking into it Sam. Fuck, now I may have led them straight here. Sam, we have to go. You have to move! It's not safe!"
"Shut up Raymond." Lizzie had never heard her Papa Sam talk like that before! He rarely even raised his voice at her. "Lizzie! What are you doing out of bed?"
Lizzie gasped at being caught out. She must have made some noise. She scurried back into her room, trying to be as quiet as possible, as if that would make it better, make them forget she was up in the first place and had heard things she probably shouldn't have. Lizzie grasped the knob and shut the door, careful to turn the knob so that the lock wouldn't catch and make a noise. Sam had taught her that sneaky trick.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Sam sat at the kitchen table, the phone clutched in his hand.
"Ray, we have to tell her something. She started asking questions."
"No yea, it's fine. She's at a friend's house—"
"Jesus Red, will you listen to me? You scared the hell out of her the other night. She's been having nightmares about that night again!"
"No. Listen Red. She's smart. Other kids have daddies that come home every day. Other kids don't have a daddy and a papa that aren't… well." Sam cleared his through awkwardly. "And other kids don't have daddies that come home ranting and raving about her not being safe and needing to move."
"Dammit Red! Is that what you get out of that whole thing? For the last time, I'm not moving her! She's got enough to deal with! She's finally making friends. Think about her for a second!"
"Yea, alright—"
"Are you kidding me? A traveling business man? You're—"
"No yea, fine. Whatever you want." Sam hmm'ed in exasperated agreement. "Bye."
