Fighting For What's Missing

5.

It's a long drive to William's work. I spent the whole ride staring out the window. He works out of the city and I like watching the forest fly by, it looks like I'm flying or running super fast. William switches through the channels on the radio, it seems like he hates every song. After a while, I started singing until I got frustrated at forgetting the lyrics.

When we arrived, I frowned at all the cut-down trees. Then I saw the men smoking in the parking lot, they see me and smile, and I smile back at them. William parks. "Wait there," he says, turning off the car. He climbs out of his pick-up truck, and one of the guys yell something as he jogs around the car. I unbuckle my seatbelt when he opens my door. "Ready?"

I nod. He carries me out of the backseat. I tighten my arms around his neck as he carries me across the parking lot.

"You got a kid?" A man from the small group chuckles. William walks around them to avoid the cigarette smoke.

"She's not mine," Willaim says.

"She's got your eyes."

William ignores them and opens one of the doors to the mini, one-floor building. We step inside a small waiting room. The man behind the front desk smiles when he sees us. "Agnes, this is my boss, Charlie," William tells me. I nod once at Charlie. "She's quiet."

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Chalie asks William.

"Yeah."

Charlie moves from behind the desk, walks past us, and steps outside. "Should I have said something?" I ask William.

"It's not you." He walks behind the desk and settles me into the spinning chair. "Wait here. Don't touch anything."

I nod.

"I'll be right back."

I nod again, then watch as he walks outside.

William

I glance back through the glass door to check on her, but due to the computer screen and her size, I can't see her. I anxiously crack my knuckles then fold my arms over my chest. "What did the cops say?" Charlie asks.

"Um..." I look at him. "They said because Agnes' mother left her in our care, we can technically watch her for a bit, but if she doesn't come back for Agnes by tomorrow morning, then I have to turn her in. If they can't find her mother then they're sending her to a foster home." I shake my head. "Her mother's not coming back, Charlie. Her father left a few weeks ago and they were living in a car ever since. She abandoned Agnes."

"You don't know that."

"She left the money with Agnes, if she was coming back, she would've given me the money herself." I step back to get a better look, but I still can't see her.

"You don't want her to leave," he notes.

I shake my head and look at him again. "I just don't understand why they're so quick to throw her into strangers' hands. She's only seven and barely talks."

"I'm sure they'll find her mother."

"Then what?" I snap. "She abandoned her child!"

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding." I'm starting to hate how forgiving and open minding he is. "If she is living in her car, maybe she wanted Agnes to sleep in a bed for a few days."

I groan. Shit, he might be right. And it's not like I'm going to take in Agnes. I'm not ready to raise a kid. "Imma check on her then punch in." He nods as I push open the door. Agnes' head sticks out from behind the computer screen. I smile at her. "You alright?" I ask her, leaning onto the desk.

"I like the chair." She spins around. "Do we have to stay for long?"

"Yeah, it's only a few hours, though. You can watch Avatar on the computer." She fixes her already fixed bangs. "What's wrong?" I ask, and her eyes slightly widen. I smile. I bet she thought I wouldn't notice. She shrugs, and I sigh. "Well, when you're ready to tell me, I'll be right out there," I point behind me at the double doors.

She presses her lips together, scrunching her nose and arching her eyebrow.

I turn around and-

"William, wait!" She shrieks.

I face her and lean into the counter again. "Will's fine."

"Okay...Will..." she runs her fingers through her bangs, fixing them again. "I leave today, right?"

"Yeah...?" I sort of ask because I know she's going to continue.

"I dunno," she shrugs. "I thought we would have time to play games or watch movies." She knows I won't see her again, I wish she wasn't so smart. I walk around the desk and kneel in front of her. She's frowning now. "Will, you have to work."

I sigh. She's right. I don't even know what I was going to say.

Agnes
Three hours later...

Every now and then, I would get up from my seat and check out the window for Will, like I'm doing now. I'm going to miss him. I sigh deeply, turning back towards the desk when a guy emerges from the hallway. "Hi," he smiles, and I automatically recognize him from when we first arrived. He called me Will's kid. I wave at him. "Can I get through?" He points at the doors behind me. Before I could move, the doors open.

"Agnes," Will says then turns me around and picks me up, placing me on his side. "You okay?"

I nod.

He looks at the man. "Everyone agreed to go through the back entrance."

The man shrugs. "I was heading to my car and I didn't want to walk around the entire building. This way's faster."

Will holds me closer. "Mmhmm," he hums angrily. The man leaves through the double glass doors. "Did he say something to you?"

I shake my head.

"We're leaving, go put on your coat." He puts me down, and I run behind the desk to get my coat. "Hey, darling, what's your last name?"

"Hensdela."

"What about your momma? What's her name?" I shrug. When my coat's on, He picks me up and carries me outside and across the parking lot. "I know I forgot to put Avatar on the computer, sorry, but it wasn't that bad, was it?"

I shake my head. He buckles me into my seat, muttering that he would feel a lot better if he had a car seat. "Will?"

"Yeah, darling?"

"Where are we going?"

His face hardens, and he glances back at something. "We're gonna talk to some people about your folks. Imma tell you this now and when we get there; Agnes, you tell them everything you know about your momma and daddy, you hear me?" His accent gets thicker. I nod. "Alright, are you good?" He gently tugs at the seatbelt, and I nod again.