perched on the couch beside eliana, i observed her enjoying a bowl of mac and cheese. checking the time, i anticipated scarlett's arrival any moment now, knowing she had finished work 15 minutes ago.
a knock at the door made eliana flinch, so i reassured her it was just scarlett. walking over, i welcomed scarlett inside, leading her to the living room where eliana sat.
"um, lizzie, who's this? did you kidnap her?" scarlett asked, her tone half-joking.
"what? no, of course not!" i replied defensively, feeling a mix of amusement and annoyance.
"it's a long story," i added with a sigh, bracing myself for the inevitable explanation.
"okay, so what's going on?" scarlett asked.
"lia, is it okay if i tell her?" i directed my question to eliana.
"yeah, okay," eliana replied reluctantly.
"but i don't want to hear what she has to say," eliana added firmly.
"that's fine. scarlett, let's talk in the kitchen," i suggested, turning to scarlett.
she nodded in agreement, and we headed to the kitchen, settling at the countertop.
"okay, what's happening, lizzie?" scarlett inquired with concern.
"as you know, that's eliana. as i usually do before work, i went for a walk in the forest. i heard soft cries, so i followed the sound and found eliana sitting against a tree, tears streaming down her face. she told me her parents left her, and she's only three. when i asked why, she shrugged. later, she confided that they hated her, abusing her physically and emotionally every day. her mother called her worthless, and her father said she'd be better off dead. i discussed adoption with her, and she seemed happy when i suggested becoming like her mom. i'm calling my lawyer tomorrow," i explained.
"look at you, mama lizzie, didn't know you had it in you," scarlett teased, nudging my shoulder.
"she's so little, though. how can her parents hurt her like that?" scarlett's voice softened with empathy.
"i know, it breaks my heart," i admitted, my own heart heavy with sadness.
"indeed, her safety is paramount. so, lizzie?" scarlett began.
"yes?" i responded.
"what's your plan for work tomorrow? the russo brothers are wondering if you'll be back, and i told them i wasn't sure," scarlett informed me.
"um, i'm not sure. i guess i'll have to discuss it with lia," i replied, uncertain about my return to work.
"understandable. the actors raised questions since you rarely fall ill. so, it was a bit unexpected," she informed me.
"got it. i'm planning to see if lia wants to catch a movie. would you like to join?" i offered.
"absolutely, i'd love to. i'll text colin to let him know," she smiled.
"sure thing. i'll go talk to lia," i said. heading back into the living room, i asked lia if she was up for a movie, and she agreed.
i mentioned that scarlett would be joining us, and lia seemed delighted by the idea. scarlett returned shortly after, and we all settled on the couch, browsing through disney+.
"can we watch that?" lia's eyes lit up as she pointed to the screen.
"finding dory? sure thing," i confirmed with a smile.
"if that's not what you want, it's okay. you two decide," she shrugged, trying to be accommodating.
"no, that's perfect. we'll watch finding dory," i reassured her.
as the movie played, eliana gradually drifted off to sleep, resting her head on my chest and holding onto scarlett's hand. it was heartwarming to see how innocent and trusting she was.
it made me realize how precious childhood is and how some children are robbed of it too soon because of their circumstances. midway through the film, i decided to switch it off, and scarlett and i delved into conversation.
"are you planning to call your lawyer tomorrow?" scarlett's concern was evident in her voice.
"yeah, i'll touch base with her about scheduling a court date and everything for the adoption process. i already have an adoption license, so it should streamline things," i explained.
"eliana needs you. you'll be an incredible mother to her. it's going to be tough, especially for a three year old," scarlett's tone softened with empathy.
"i know. she shouldn't have had to endure any of it. no child should," i murmured solemnly, feeling the weight of the injustice.
** time skip to the next morning **
i awoke to the sensation of someone beside me, not to the sound of my alarm. it took a moment to register, but then i remembered eliana was here.
glancing at my phone on the bedside table, the time read 5:45 am. with only 15 minutes until i needed to get up anyway, i debated whether to wake lia, but opted to get ready first.
by 6:30am, i was ready, so i gently roused eliana. yesterday, she had woken up around the same time in the afternoon, and when i mentioned bringing her to work with me, she eagerly agreed.
we departed the house at 7:00 am. before leaving, i lent lia some of rose's clothes and she enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes. i handed her a spare toothbrush before we headed out.
later, when i had some free time, i resolved to call my lawyer to discuss the adoption process. i also reminded myself mentally to go shopping for lia's necessities.
authors note:
word count: 898
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lost little one
Fanfictionlizzie is on a walk through the forest when she hears crying and she follows the sound of the cries. she sees a little girl who looks no older than 3 years old. will lizzie change the girls life forever? ⚠️verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual ass...
