"Eva. Come on, it's time to get up." I pulled the covers off her the next morning. Her silhouette was illuminated by the night light we had bought yesterday. "You need to get ready for school and I have to go back to work."
"Do we have to?" Eva moaned, reaching to pull the covers back over her head, but I caught the sheet before she could.
"I'm afraid so." Pulling the sheet back to her waist, she covered her face with her hands. "Come on. You can have some of that cereal you picked out yesterday."
"I wish I could just go to work with you."
"I wish you could too, but that's not an option today. Get dressed, okay? We're leaving in about forty-five minutes."
"Okay." Eva kept her back to me as she sat up. Knowing I wasn't going to get anything else out of her, I closed her door and walked back into the bedroom to finish getting ready.
When I walked back into the kitchen a few minutes later to pull out the cereal, Eva still wasn't out of her room. I wondered if she had fallen back to sleep, but before I could call out to her, she emerged wearing a long sleeve pink shirt, her dark jeans, and white tennis shoes.
"How do I look?"
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Holding out her hand to reveal a black ponytail holder, she asked, "Do you think you could put my hair up into a ponytail like yours?" I had pulled my hair up in a little bit higher ponytail this time so it stayed out of my face while I was working.
"I can definitely try. Got a brush?" She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a bright orange hairbrush before turning around so I could fix her hair. "How are you feeling about today?"
"Not great. I woke up a couple of times. My stomach was kind of hurting." She admitted, touching her hand lightly to her stomach, then dropping her hand by her side.
"Your stomach, huh?" I asked with slight concern as I brushed her hair back. "You still worried about school?"
"A little. I don't think I have everything I need for school."
"It's been a while since I've been in elementary school, but I think your teacher will give you a list of things you need for their class. Anything else you're worried about?"
"And if she doesn't?" She shrugged her shoulders at my question like she didn't really want to answer, or maybe she didn't know. My gut was telling me she did have more to say about that but maybe she didn't feel comfortable discussing it with me.
"That's when you ask your teacher nicely. If she does give you a list, maybe we can look over it when we get home tonight."
"I guess. You're picking me up, right?"
"That's the plan." Pulling her hair through the ponytail holder, I pulled the two strands so it was a little tighter. "Remember you have your after school program, so don't go outside and wait for me. I'll find you when I'm ready to pick you up."
"You promise you won't forget?" She looked at me with a worried glance as she felt out her surroundings. Could she trust or not trust me? Would I get so wrapped up in my job that I would forget her?
"I promise I won't forget. How's that?" I inquired about her hair as I set her brush back on the counter.
"It feels good."
"Why don't you go look in the mirror to make sure and then we need to eat breakfast."
"Okay." Vanishing down the hall, I pulled some bowls from the cabinet. She returned just as I was pulling the spoons from the drawer. "Looks good to me."Do I have to eat something if I'm not very hungry?" She looked at the bowl and spoon hesitantly as she rocked back and forth on her knees.
"Your stomach still bothering you?"
"A little."
"I get it. My stomach is kind of doing the same thing."
"Why?" She asked quizzically, moving the bowl slowly towards her body. "You think someone is going to hurt you?"
"Not exactly." Grabbing some scissors from the drawer, I cut a small tear in the plastic so we could pour out the cereal. I'm planning on telling my boss about you before he finds out from somebody else."
"You think Jay will tell him?"
"Jay isn't like that. However, sometimes things have a way of coming out, even when you don't think they will."
"Oh."
"Tell you what." I pushed the box towards her before pulling the carton of milk from the fridge. "Why don't we both try to eat something so we're not starving, and so we both have the energy and courage to do what we have to get through today."
"And if it doesn't give me courage?"
"I probably won't be able to pick you up, but you can go to the office and ask them if you can call me. They have my number."
"Okay." Picking up the cereal apprehensively, she carefully poured a tiny bit into her bowl. "I guess I can eat a little." I smiled as she passed the box back over to me. I wasn't really a cereal person. Not even one who ate breakfast until later on. Maybe it would be good to start. What kind of example would I be setting for my daughter if I didn't?
We ate in silence, eating slowly and carefully. I was doing my best to keep a straight face when all I wanted to go to the bathroom and throw it all up. I wasn't really having headaches anymore. My bruises and cuts were still there but fading. My body wasn't protesting as much as it had been from the pull of the job. However, I still wasn't up to speed physically or mentally, yet I knew I couldn't hide at home forever. I had to own up to Voight. I had seen it many times before when his team wasn't being honest with him and he was not a happy person when that happened. In fact, I still wasn't sure he would be with what I was about to tell him, but it had to be done.