If I Could

{44} - Elizabeth

"Wow. I never expected you two to actually have a story together", Rami exclaimed, with a pillow resting on his lap, staring at the ceiling with a perplexed look because his words were supposed to be taken seriously: he really didn't think Roger and Belle actually had story together. "I thought it was only a crush".

"Well, it wasn't", Belle smirked. "Now, after this bedtime story, I'm ready to sleep. I'm way too tired and I'm not sure why", Belle said as she took a final glance at Alice before covering her face with a pillow.

"Your voice is so soft and it made me sleepy so, good night", Rami turned off the lights. "Or should I say; 'Sleep well until Alice decides to scream her lungs out".

Belle giggled. "Hell, you're right".

The next day

12:30 PM. The time had arrived. Belle entered Garden Lodge holding Alice in her arms. Freddie and Joe were there. She walked past Joe's car, and took a glimpse inside. There was a fentanyl patch on the backseat. She narrowed her eyes. Why was Joe Newton taking such a strong opioid? It made no sense to her.

"Hello, dear!", Freddie beamed when he saw his daughter and granddaughter. "You're so punctual, as alway-

"I need to talk to you", Belle whispered to her father as he pulled him aside, hiding behind a tree. "I found a fentanyl patch inside Joe's car. Is he sick?".

"Not that I know of", Freddie responded, furrowing his eyebrows. "What is it used for?".

"The list is long, but one of its most common uses is for cancer. Are you sure he has been acting normally lately?".

"Yeah", Freddie murmured. "Now I'm worried".

"Don't be, let's find out what's going on first".

10 minutes later

After having a small talk with Joe, Freddie and Belle were ready to execute their plan. Belle brought Alice's pram to her side and carefully put her in it.

"I'm going to take a short stroll with Alice", Belle announced, walking towards the door as she pushed Alice's pram. "I'll be right back".

"Of course, be safe", Freddie smiled, looking somewhat relaxed but he was actually very nervous. He didn't want to be disappointed. He loved Joe.

"I'll go to the bathroom, Freddie", Joe said, heading to such a trivial place but it just made everything more suspicious. Belle looked at Freddie through a window, and he gave her a nervous smile, beckoning her.

Belle quietly entered the house again, praying that Alice wouldn't make any noise.

Freddie got closer to the bathroom door so he could hear what Joe was saying, because he was whispering to someone.

"She's going to be at Holland Park, Sir", Joe murmured, covering his mouth. "Yeah, thank you".

Freddie's neutral expression turned into a forlorn and harrowing one and Belle knew what that meant. Frddie looked into Belle's eyes, and Belle tilted her head, giving him a compassionate look, but suddenly Freddie didn't look forlorn or harrowing anymore. He gathered every bit of courage in himself and opened the door, only to find Joe awkwardly stand in the corner of the bathroom, clutching the phone in his hand, his eyes as big as they could be.

"Who was going to be at Holland Park, Joe?".

"Fre-Freddie, I can-I can explain", Joe stuttered, keeping his head down.

"Explain what? That you deliberately betrayed me and my daughter? How can you be so cynical, Joe?". A terrible big and strong wave of anguish poured over Freddie. His beloved Joe had betrayed him.