Between Land and Sea

Little Things

"Yes ma'am." Shays replies nodding.

"Okay. Elizabeth Walker. Birth mother of Emmi Lauren Butler. Yes?" She says.

"Yes ma'am. " I reply. She nods.

"Mr and Mrs.Butler, please explain to me what Emmi is like. Please be detailed." Jenny says.

"Oh. Well for starters, Emmi is a sweet, kind little girl. She's always smiling when she's with us and usually pretty shy and will usually hide from new people. Emmi never does what she's not to do. She's got bad anxiety, but for the most part it's much better than when we first got her. She has many nightmares and sleeps with one of us. But of course Emmi is mute. She hasn't said a word to us since we've had her, and according to her caretaker she hasn't said anything to anyone since she was taken into the system." They explain. I look down, knowing I had to have caused some of this.

Jenny finishes writing and looks at me.
"Miss Walker, please explain to me what your daughter was like when you had her. "

"Oh. Emmi was always smiling. She was always laughing and having fun. Always joyful and a barrel of laughter." I smile at the thoughts of little Emmi running around the house with pants on her head. When he wasn't home of course.

"She was just a bundle of joy. Almost never cried and loved life. She was, is perfect." I say. She stood taking notes.

"Now Miss Walker, according to her record, Emmi was abused by her father and found alone crying from her neighbor. She looked as if she had been starved and beaten." My heary stops stops. He just left her. Just elft her. You did too, Elizabeth. Don't lie. Jenny pauses and looks more serious than ever.

"Now Miss Walker, it is very important you are truthful. Do you understand that?"

"Very much ma'am." I reply.

"Good. Did you have any part of hurting Emmi Butler?" She asks. I look at her.

"No ma'am." I say. I didn't. I never set a hurting finger on my precious daughter.

"Are you sure Miss Walker? You must speak up now. It is important you do so." Jenny says. I sense Shay send Colette's eyes on me. I nod.

"Yes I am completely sure. I would never hurt Emmi." I say truthfully.

"Okay. Do you know any ideas of how or what your husband, Rivan Walker hurt Emmi Butler?"

"Yes." I reply in a hoarse whisper.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Yes." I reply again.

"How so?"

"I dint know how I will be able to say it."

"Miss Walker we need you to say so. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Emmi. Get her the justice she deserves." Jenny says. I take a deep breath and look up.

My throat feeling scratchy and my head hurting I tell her about the painful memories.

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Still Elizabeth

I wake up in the same cramped hospital chair from last night. The painful memories smack me in the face. I do my best to move past it and get up. Shay and Colette are talking. Their children, Emmi's siblings, are at their cousins I believe. Expect for their daughter, Ava I think is her name, and Gavin I think. They're both still asleep on sleeping bags, since the hospital is unable to get us actual beds. Colette notices me.