Finding Me

Chapter 30

"Yes, I think we do," I reply. "How do you know anything about my father or that he would try to call me?"

Emma looks back at me. "Don't be angry, Maya. Your uncle informed me that your father has been trying to contact you for quite awhile. He apparently expects to be released from prison after he has his trial. But, I guess he told you that when you talked to him."

I shake my head as I bitterly laugh. "All this time I thought you and my uncle cared about me."

Emma rises from her chair and kneels in front of me. "Maya, we do. We were just trying to protect you. You're uncle thought that it wouldn't be good for you to know about him. He said that if you found out about what he was trying to do, you might have a panic attack or forget about how far you've come in these last few months."

With my old sarcasm, I snap, "So, you both thought that I would just go back to my old self. Thank you for having faith in me."

I stand up and lean forward against the balcony railing with my eyes closed and my face feeling warm. Emma places her hand on my back and softly tells me, "Maya, you need to understand that we were just trying to do the right thing. We do have faith in the new chapter you've started, but how were we supposed to know how you would react?"

I sigh and look down at my hands. "He wants me to go to New York for the trial."

"You're not even thinking about going? Are you, Maya?" she asks me.

I take a step away from her and turn to face her. "You don't understand. He's threatened to hurt Uncle Sam, and he'll probably threaten more people once he knows about you and Alli. I can't let him do this."

Emma sighs. "Maya, you're uncle is in New York because of this. He's making the case against your father."

I squeeze my eyes shut and then open them again. "He has no case without me as a witness. I have to go, but I can't go alone. Please go with me."

Emma shakes her head. "It won't be safe."

I shake my head back at her and softly tell her, "It's not safe if I go alone. It's safe when someone comes with me. Emma, please. I can't let him win or get away with what I know he'll try to do. He has more evil in him than you can imagine."

Emma closes her eyes and then opens them again with a deep breath. "If he's so evil, then how can you even consider going to that trial? He could do more horrible things to you if you show up. I will not allow you to get hurt."

"Don't you see?" I plead, "I have to do this! I can't break free from him if I don't put him back inside that prison. I won't be able to ever sleep peacefully if I don't go. He has something up his sleeve if his case has somehow been reopened."

"Maya," Emma sighs again.

"Please. My uncle doesn't have a good enough case without me as a witness. I am the only one who was there. I am the only one who actually knows the extent of my father's cruelty. Nobody lived with him besides my mother and me, and she's not here to send him back inside those prison walls. I have to do this for her," I explain with a pleading voice.

Emma takes a deep breath and heads for the door as she carefully replies, "I'll get the tickets. We'll leave after the festival tomorrow. Don't think this means that I'm happy about this or agree with you."

"Thank you. Thank you so, so much. I'm so grateful," I respond, knowing that she's doing something extremely kind for me.

Emma stops and turns around to look at me. She gives me a small, soft smile. "Go to bed."

I smile back. "Will do."

She shakes her head and walks out of my room. I take a deep breath and walk back inside, turning the balcony lights off as I go. I walk back to my bed and slip underneath the covers. I lie down and close my eyes, but I soon open them again because my thoughts are still racing.