me to throw the clothes away and watch her. If it is still heavy I need to call Samantha. I don’t need to call Samantha so I’m relieved. Once she’s clean and dressed I turn to leave and Marty’s standing at the door. Aubrey stands behind me. I sign, ‘it’s slowed down.’ She nods with tears in her eyes.
“Let’s show your mom your new room,” I tell her taking her hand but she won’t move.
Marty moves out of the doorway and I walk her to the room. I need to find out how to get her to look at her mother. This must be fuckin’ hell for Marty. I’m a total stranger and I’m putting fuckin’ pads on her kid. Harley is waiting with a smile for Half Pint. They go in the room and Harley tells her all about it. Aubrey is amazed. Hell, I’m fuckin’ amazed. They took all the furniture out and put Ally’s tree house together in here. They even have the swing up. I stand at the door and watch them. I feel Marty on the side of me and slide around her so she can watch.
“She ran on the beach today and put her feet in the water. She laughed the whole time. I took them to the Cone and she dropped the first one not knowing how to hold it. She looked like her world just ended.” I laugh remembering. “She likes vanilla. She doesn’t know any other flavors. She’s never had it or doesn’t remember. It was a good day for her.”
She looks at me with a question in her eyes but signs, ‘Thank you for telling me.’
“Because she doesn’t know who you are, doesn’t mean I don’t. You need to know. She’ll need more Tylenol in an hour. I told her we’d bring her to the play area after dinner. She may need it for that.”
She nods. ‘Again, thank you.’ She signs but it’s like the little kids.
“Where did you learn to sign?”
‘The computer.’ She signs. She looks like she’s thinking. ‘The doctor can’t help me. They made sure I’d never talk again.’ I see the tears in her eyes. Fuck. Never is a fuckin’ long time. A tear falls and I pull her to my chest. As soon as I do she breaks.
“Colt you got the girls?”
“Yeah Brother,” he says making me smile.
“I’m in my office right next door.” The little badass throws me chin. Fuckin’ kids.
I lift her and carry her to the office. When I sit with her on my lap she makes a noise. She’s signing, ‘sorry no trouble.’
“We’re good. Life hasn’t been easy for you. Let the Brothers and old ladies help.”
She signs, ‘Yes, I need help to get her back.’
“Where is her father?” I probably shouldn’t ask now but it’s bugging the fuck out of me.
‘He died before she was born. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until after the funeral. It helped me get through losing him before I even really had him.’ She’s signing but spelling almost everything.
I need to get her into classes. “What do you mean before you had him?”
‘He wasn’t divorced yet. His wife cheated on him but he had kids. He started sleeping at his office and had just told his kids about the divorce, then a week later he was dead. It was a horrible accident. But I had Aubrey to care for. I guess I’ll never know what would have happened, but she got me through the doubt.’
She went through having a baby alone? “Do you have family we need to notify?”
‘It was just me and my mom, she threw me out when I told her I was pregnant. She drinks.’ A tear slides down her face. Fuck. I know what that’s like. At least she would have had a roof over her head while she was pregnant.
“We have you and Aubrey now. We’ll get you straight. The Brothers and Little Brothers will make sure you’re not alone again.”
She signs, ‘thank you’ and puts her head on my chest. Jesus she’s had a hard life.
“Geek we need to eat if we’re going to have time to play at the playground,” Colt says from the door.
Marty jumps up. “Thanks Little Brother.”
‘I’ll go wash my face. There is food from someone in the kitchen. I’ll get it set up
“Let’s show your mom your new room,” I tell her taking her hand but she won’t move.
Marty moves out of the doorway and I walk her to the room. I need to find out how to get her to look at her mother. This must be fuckin’ hell for Marty. I’m a total stranger and I’m putting fuckin’ pads on her kid. Harley is waiting with a smile for Half Pint. They go in the room and Harley tells her all about it. Aubrey is amazed. Hell, I’m fuckin’ amazed. They took all the furniture out and put Ally’s tree house together in here. They even have the swing up. I stand at the door and watch them. I feel Marty on the side of me and slide around her so she can watch.
“She ran on the beach today and put her feet in the water. She laughed the whole time. I took them to the Cone and she dropped the first one not knowing how to hold it. She looked like her world just ended.” I laugh remembering. “She likes vanilla. She doesn’t know any other flavors. She’s never had it or doesn’t remember. It was a good day for her.”
She looks at me with a question in her eyes but signs, ‘Thank you for telling me.’
“Because she doesn’t know who you are, doesn’t mean I don’t. You need to know. She’ll need more Tylenol in an hour. I told her we’d bring her to the play area after dinner. She may need it for that.”
She nods. ‘Again, thank you.’ She signs but it’s like the little kids.
“Where did you learn to sign?”
‘The computer.’ She signs. She looks like she’s thinking. ‘The doctor can’t help me. They made sure I’d never talk again.’ I see the tears in her eyes. Fuck. Never is a fuckin’ long time. A tear falls and I pull her to my chest. As soon as I do she breaks.
“Colt you got the girls?”
“Yeah Brother,” he says making me smile.
“I’m in my office right next door.” The little badass throws me chin. Fuckin’ kids.
I lift her and carry her to the office. When I sit with her on my lap she makes a noise. She’s signing, ‘sorry no trouble.’
“We’re good. Life hasn’t been easy for you. Let the Brothers and old ladies help.”
She signs, ‘Yes, I need help to get her back.’
“Where is her father?” I probably shouldn’t ask now but it’s bugging the fuck out of me.
‘He died before she was born. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until after the funeral. It helped me get through losing him before I even really had him.’ She’s signing but spelling almost everything.
I need to get her into classes. “What do you mean before you had him?”
‘He wasn’t divorced yet. His wife cheated on him but he had kids. He started sleeping at his office and had just told his kids about the divorce, then a week later he was dead. It was a horrible accident. But I had Aubrey to care for. I guess I’ll never know what would have happened, but she got me through the doubt.’
She went through having a baby alone? “Do you have family we need to notify?”
‘It was just me and my mom, she threw me out when I told her I was pregnant. She drinks.’ A tear slides down her face. Fuck. I know what that’s like. At least she would have had a roof over her head while she was pregnant.
“We have you and Aubrey now. We’ll get you straight. The Brothers and Little Brothers will make sure you’re not alone again.”
She signs, ‘thank you’ and puts her head on my chest. Jesus she’s had a hard life.
“Geek we need to eat if we’re going to have time to play at the playground,” Colt says from the door.
Marty jumps up. “Thanks Little Brother.”
‘I’ll go wash my face. There is food from someone in the kitchen. I’ll get it set up
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