𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫 | 18+ COMPLETED

𝟐𝟕

"M-Mommy—"

"I'm here baby. Mommy's here," Every strength in me holds back my tears, I let out a shaky breath, looking down at her with courage because I didn't want her to see me shattered. "Are you okay, my love?" Asking her, but she gives no response apart from burying herself into me.

"I-It hurt mommy." She whimpers that I knew what was hurting her. Patting her back lightly, I make sure she was covered with my jacket, so she doesn't feel cold, I press my lips on the top of her head and let them rest on her.

"I know baby but you're a strong girl remember," She lifts her head up, and I notice the tears running down her cheek, "It's okay sweetheart. I'm right here with you."

"Mommy, dada said big girls no cwy." My mother told me the exact same thing. Sucking in my breath, I knew where Elijah was coming from, but I learnt that it was okay to cry. Big girls do cry and that was okay.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to tell you something okay," She bobs her head, and it makes me smile the smallest amount, "Big girls can cry, princess because that's what makes them stronger. It's okay to cry when you're older, I sometimes cry too." Her pupils soften, she wasn't expecting me to say that to her and I don't blame her.

She was only a little child. She's still learning stuff and Elijah; he's still learning how to be a father. Elijah is innocent. I don't see any bad him at all, he's soft at heart and it's all because of his daughter. "Mommy you hwrt." I watch her trace her small fingers around my cut and it was just those few words that let the tears fall.

I wanted to scream. Scream for help. I was suffocated—suffocated from all this pain, from being locked up with Dalia and what I thought would make me strong only drove me to suffocation.

"I'm okay baby, it doesn't hurt," Taking her hand into mine, I kiss her knuckles and hold them close to me. "Dada is going to come and save us, okay? Don't be afraid." Though I was reassuring her, deep down I was giving reassurance to myself too—there was hope in me that Elijah would come soon but as minutes go by, my mind thinks of the worse.

"Dada comng." A faint smile grows on her face, I shake my head to agree with her and she quickly buries herself back into my arms.

"Of course, sweetheart, your dada is going to come quickly to get us." Elijah, please do it for Dalia. Find us quickly.

"B-But m-mommy I scwrd. Gwpa is scwy." Breathing in a heavy breath, Dalia knew who kidnapped us which makes everything even more frightening for her. She thought she could be loved by her grandparents, but they broke her. Everyone thinks Elijah would break her, that's what the court thinks but it's all twisted, and the Stanley's are at fault.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to tell you a story. Listen to me carefully, okay?" Looking down at the innocence on her face, she waits for me to continue speaking, my body shaking because I wasn't going to just tell any story. "I know everything is scary for you baby but remember we're strong girls."

"Yes, mommy."

"I knew a girl who was small like you, and she used to be scared of someone too. She used to hide away from him even though she loved him so much. But he was a scary man, and that little girl didn't like it. He didn't like the little girl; he didn't like the little girl's mother." I was talking about my father. One who isn't even worthy to be called dad. My heart shakes, and my body shivers as I replay everything that happened to my mum, to me and it was all because of him.

"M-Mommy why didn't he like her?" Dalia asks me, I see that small little girl in her eyes—I see me in those glossy pupils.

"I don't know sweetheart. He just never did. But even though that little girl was scared of him, she stayed strong in front of him and still loved him." But that love vanished the moment I witnessed what he did to my mother. What I was trying to tell Dalia was that it's okay to be scared because she's strong enough and loving someone that you're scared of only makes you stronger.