Against the Odds (Fighting to Survive #2)(57)
The judge speaks, but I don’t listen. That’s what I pay Bruce for. I reach for Leah’s hand and she doesn’t respond. I try to intertwine out fingers and she’s limp. I look down at her and she is staring straight ahead. She has a steady stream of tears but doesn’t make a sound. “Robert?” Bruce says. “They want to continue this next week when you and Drake calm down.”
“Yeah, fine, whatever.” I’m not calm now and I won’t be then either.
Bruce walks Leah and me out to our car. She doesn’t say bye to Bruce and she doesn’t say anything on the ride home. I’m afraid her depression has come back. I’m afraid of what this will do to her. “Gracie will be hungry when we get home,” I say, trying to get her mind on something other than Jamie and Madison.
“I’m tired, will you feed her?”
I look at her and she is expressionless. “I will, Baby, you just rest.” I call Sue to give her a head's up of what happened. When we get home Sue, Tim, and I help Leah into bed. She doesn’t say anything other than she’s tired. Sue cries and Tim looks fearful. I know she is back into her depressive state. I asked her did she want to see Gracie and she doesn’t. “I just need to sleep.”
Once Leah is in bed, I close the bedroom door so she can rest. I call her doctor to see if he’ll make a house call. For the right amount of money, anyone will do almost anything. He’ll be over tomorrow.
I warm a bottle up for Gracie and feed her as I tell Dad, Mom, Tim, and Sue everything that happened in court. When I tell them about Jamie, Mom and Sue cry. The thought of someone exhuming her body, makes me sick.
“What are you going to do?” Tim asks and everyone looks at me.
“I have to talk to Leah. I can’t let them move Jamie. I can’t lose her again.”
That night everyone stays at the house. It’s like mourning Jamie all over again. Leah doesn’t eat and she doesn’t get out of bed, either. I tend the Gracie’s needs although Mom and Sue offer. I try to get Leah involved in her feeding but she sleeps.
The next morning when I walk downstairs, no one is around. I smell coffee and the television is on Bay News 9. Two good things: local news and hot coffee. I walk to the coffee pot and fill an extra-large mug to the brim with black coffee. I look outside and the grandparents are on the deck with Gracie. I smile when I see how many people love her. There is breaking news about a six-year-girl who was abducted from her bedroom during the early morning hours. There are some sick bastards in the world. I look at the television and the headlines flashes, Amber Alert for Madison Sinclair.