ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴍ ɪs ᴡʜᴏ? ✔︎

The Talex Baby

| Hope |

I watch silently as Jack identifies the body in front of her, thinking she's too young to go through stuff like this, but she has no other relatives, nobody else to take this responsibility off of her shoulders.

"Y-yeah. That's my m-mom." She says, trying not to sob though it seems the harder she tries, the less it works, and her bottom lip begins to tremble, her body begins to shake as she breaks down. I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her, holding her tight.

"I got you, I got you." Is all I can say. I don't venture near the cliche 'it'll be okay' because I know it won't. Nothing that happened today will be okay, not with Jack, not with Cody. I feel myself tear up as I think of everything these two best friends have been through in one day, it's not right. They're too young to be thrown lifes challenges, they're both so broken, emotionally and physically that they can't comfort each other, which is ironically just what they need. They each need their best friend.

| Tobin |

I sit with Kelley and Kristie, waiting in the hallway of the hospital for Hope to come back with Jack, or Alex to come back with Cody who was getting her examinations - she refused to go in alone, which is understandable. It makes me beyond angry to think of anyone going through what Cody went through but it's worse knowing it's Alex's kid.

"You're thinking about Alex, huh?" I look to see Kelley, she's smirking, she always knows, but she never tells me how she knows.

"I'm thinking about her and Cody"

"I know. It's written all over you face. Just tell her, I've seen the way she looks at you when you're with Cody. I'm just saying, you definitely wouldn't be wasting your breath."

"Not now Kelley. Cody needs her." Is all I have to say before Kel drops the subject, but I know it wont last long before she brings it up again.

"Just think about it, I'd love Cody to be the official Talex baby." She grins. See what I mean?

I'm about to shut her down when I see Hope approaching, carrying a sleeping Jack. They both look heartbroken, which for Jack is understandable.

"This day fucking sucks." Hope states and both Kelley and I nod, knowing she couldn't be more right.

| Alex |

"Okay, we're done now Cody." the doctor says, having finished with the rape kit and other examinations. "We'll leave you alone so that you can change and go home with your mom."

I had hoped that the first time I'd hear that, that it'd be a happy occasion, when my daughter and I would be excited to be together again, I didn't want it to be like this. My broken daughter, my poor baby.

I turn my back to her, letting her get dressed, when she grabs my hand and we walk out of the room. We see Tobin, Kelley and Hope talking while Jack sleeps, slumped against Kristie who has also dozed off.

"Let's get these two, well, three home, and we'll figure the rest out tomorrow, okay?" I ask those still awake and they nod. I lead Cody out to the car, wrapping an arm around her shoulder protectively, while Hope carries Jack, not having it in her heart to wake the poor girl. Kelley having no such problems as she pulls Kristie off the seat by her feet, instantly waking little Mewis, who oddly doesn't say anything in return. She just stands, dusts herself off and follows us, climbing into the van with Kelley, Hope and a still sleeping Jack, buckling in as we drive back to the house to inform the rest of the girls what's happened.