The family's baby

Chapter 31

*Grace's P.O.V*

"Let me go! I can't be in this room. I'm going to get in trouble! Can't you just let me be already!? Why do you keep doing this to me!? This is so unfair! If I get in trouble it's going to be all your fault, you big meanie!!" I say to this woman finally after the 3rd, 4th, and 5th time trying and failing to escape.

"Why?" She finally asks me, making me pause.

"Why what?" I ask in return, earning a smirk. I don't like that smirk.. It feels like I fell for her trap.

"Why can't you be in this room, child?" She asks, clarifying her question for me.

"Because I'm not allowed. I just said that and I'm not a child!!" I tell her, getting pulled back onto her lap once again! See, I knew it was a trap. This time she even pulls me close and I have to struggle just to wiggle around in her hold. The harder I fight, the less motion she allows me too.

"You tricked me!" I proclaim, trying to peel her hands off me but failing miserably.

"Are you done?" She asks, in a tone that stops me in my tracks. I've heard that tone too many times before and it's never good.

"Good." She says, positioning me so I'm more comfortable and not confined in her arms anymore. I look at the door I can escape out of if only I could reach it but this woman won't let me! Why won't she let me leave!? She isn't even here for me!! Why am I even here... oh, yeah. I almost got caught following her around by the staff so I tried to run past her unnoticed.

When I look back at the woman, the look she is giving me tells me all I need to know about what would happen if I tried to escape again. Do I listen to that warning though? Nope.

I make another dash for it and make it an entire 2 steps before I hear a sigh. Another 2 steps later and I feel myself lifted off the ground again. This time I keep rising and rising. While I'm raising, I'm spun to face her in the air and finally sat down. I realize she is now standing and I'm on her hip. She actually put me on her hip! Deciding it's still worth a shot, I try to slip out of her hold and earn a hard slap to my bottom. Like really hard. Like left a handprint hard. I can't help but get teary eyed because it hurt so much.

Might I be exaggerating slightly and getting teary eyed just to try to get some sympathy... maybe. But she doesn't need to know that and if she checks for the handprint, it faded! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

"Enough, child. If you make me drop you, I don't care what the rules say, you will find yourself just as quickly back across my lap learning how easy I went on you with that one slap." She tells me, making me gulp despite the tears. I really don't want to test her anymore after getting spanked. Most people give up by now and let me be. Why can't she just be like most people and just let me go! I already got spanked... isn't that enough punishment for one night?

"Why aren't you allowed in here, child?" She asks again, wiping the tears from my eyes as I get myself comfortable on her hip.

"I'm not a child... I'm almost 13! And because we are only allowed to be in this room if we are meeting someone for a potential adoption." I tell her, earning a suspicious glance up and down my body.

"Don't lie to me, child... I don't care about your age enough for you to lie about." She says with a warning glare.

"I'm not lying! I am nearly 13! Why would I lie about that?" I ask, returning her glare.

"Whatever... this isn't worth the argument. Why is an almost 13 year old in clothes meant for a kindergartener and why are you so light?" She asks, bouncing me to make her point and making me wince from it. That slap still really hurts.

"Sorry... I hit you pretty hard, huh?" she asks and it actually sounds like she is really sorry and not just saying it.

Instead of waiting for a response, she forces my head down onto her shoulder before getting my hair out of the way, then sliding her hand down to massage my back. I instinctually wrap my arms around her neck and relax into her as we begin to sway and walk in small circles around the room. For the first time in a very long time, I actually feel... safe? Is that what I'm feeling? My thought are interrupted by someone barging into my moment of peace.

"Mrs. Fami Santini, the... Mrs. Santini? Grace? Why are... You aren't supposed to be in here and you know that! Stop bothering Mrs. Santini and come here! I'm so sorry, Mrs. Santini... I'll take her from you now and make sure she is thoroughly reprimanded after bothering you like this." I hear as I hide in the woman's neck. It feels safe there and I don't want to be in anymore trouble. I told her I was going to get in trouble! What was her name again? Santini? That's a nice name...

"Excuse me?" I hear said as I feel her pull me tighter into her embrace. Peaking out, I see she is standing so the woman has to go through her before she can get to me. Is she protecting me?

"Mrs. Santini... please hand me Grace. She really shouldn't be in here. Elena is waiting and I doubt you want..." I hear said before the mean lady is cut off. I flinch when I feel unexpected hands on me before I'm spun away.

"You will not touch her... is that clear? Try to take a child from my arms again and you will be looking for a new career once I'm done with you! She is exactly where she belongs and I don't appreciate you telling her she isn't allowed around me... I can speak for myself and make my own decisions. If I find out anything happened to her because she was in here with me, you will be answering to me. Now bring me her file... and it better be her full file. She will be with me for my sit down with Elena and then after until I'm satisfied with the answers I'm given... what are you waiting on? I said bring me her file! It isn't going to bring itself!" The woman snaps, making even me flinch. I assume the woman leaves because I feel my back start being massaged again as she starts walking circles around the room again, swaying me.

"I'm sorry about that. Your name is Grace, baby?" She asks, calm and gentle.

"Yes... and not a baby." I tell her, not sure why that detail felt important to point out.

"Of course... you're such a big 13 year old, aren't you? That's a very cute name, Grace. Does it have any meaning?" She asks me.

"Yes, I am. I'm a big girl... not a baby! And it's just a name. No meaning..." I tell her.

"Of course you are Grace... you are mo...mmy's big... girl..." she tells me, trailing off at the end for some reason.

"Yes! Mommy's... big... girl..." I tell her with a big yawn before I snuggle further into her neck and fall deep asleep with heavy eyes.