The Advocate (The Advocate Series) by Teresa Burrell Page B

fine.”
    “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ve just never done anything like this before. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, and I want everything to be right so I can get my babies home.”
    “You’re doing fine. Just relax. I’m going to look around, take some notes, and I’ll be out of your hair in no time. You’re welcome to stay here or follow along. It doesn’t matter to me.”
    “Thank you,” he said, a little relieved. Marla chuckled. Gaylord thought she acted a little giddy around him. He watched as she looked around the combined living room and the dining area. “I know there isn’t much in here, only the furnishings that came with the apartment, no pictures on the walls, no television or stereo. I didn’t bring much across country with me. I plan to get some pictures to decorate the walls, but I’m waiting for Alexis to help. I don’t see a need for a television, though. People spend too much time in front of the TV. I’d rather we spent our time together as a family.”
    Gaylord followed Marla as she entered the master bedroom. It had the same sparse furnishings with no decorations or wall coverings. Gaylord had cleaned the room before she came and covered the bed with a blanket. He had made Alexis’ room, however, look homier. He’d covered the bed with a pale pink bedspread and propped her floppy, brown, stuffed puppy between two pillows. The many hours of cuddling this once fluffy ball of fur had created mats from head to toe. Marla walked over to the bed and picked him up. The fur was so matted around the eyes just a hint of dark brown came through, but his little black, plastic nose sat prominently on his endearing face. The leather patches on the bottom of his feet indicated his worth. When Marla hugged him he flopped around her neck, appearing to hug back.
    “That’s Dogwog,” Gaylord said. “Alexis has had him since she was about two years old. She saw it in a store one day and fell in love with it. She wouldn’t let go when we tried to put it back on the shelf. She didn’t cry; she just held on real tight, and she looked so cute we didn’t have the heart to tell her no. She has slept with him ever since. I know she misses having him with her now, but she feared losing him at Jordan. The social worker who brought her in told her to leave him behind because sometimes things get lost there.”
    Gaylord watched Marla carry Dogwog with her as she continued around the room, opening and closing doors and drawers. Three little dresses, two pink and one green, with the tags still on them hung in the closet. “Did you just buy these?”
    “I picked them up yesterday afternoon. I thought it would be a nice surprise for her when she came home. Pink is Alexis’ favorite color so I bought her two pink ones. Do you think she’ll like them?”
    “They’re lovely. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”
    Marla opened the chest of drawers containing Alexis’ things: her socks in pairs and hooked together at the top with the tip of one sock folded over the other, four pairs of underwear, and some undershirts carefully folded. Marla picked up a photo from the top of the chest of drawers.
    “That handsome, well-dressed couple are my parents on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They renewed their vows in the white gazebo in our backyard. Alexis loves that photo. She’s very close to her grandparents,” Gaylord said.
    “Nice looking couple. Where are they now?”
    “They’re in Atlanta. They wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
    “They’re not traveling or anything?”
    “No, I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
    “Well, I’ve left them several messages, but I haven’t heard back from them. I thought maybe they were out of town. When did you last speak to them?”
    “Just a couple of days ago.”
    “Do they know what’s going on here?”
    “No, I haven’t told them, and if possible, I’d just as soon they didn’t know. When I know how things are going to work out, I’ll tell