Forbidden

Unsure

"Was Leanne's father abusive and involve her in anything sexual?" He asks an I frown shaking my head. "No. He was a great dad. Leanne tells me these little stories every now and then about her parents and from the sounds of it they were really loving and careing towards her and from the stories they were really sweet people" I smile slightly, remembering something she told me about them.

"Then you can't blame this on this Maria woman" he says bringing me from my thoughts. "If she's so innocent then where has she been all these years?" I shrug still not sure what to do.

"Well only she can answer that when you go and visit her"

"I never said I'd meet her" I shake my head. "Call up the nursing home and try and see if you can meet with her. Today if possible. You have all these questions, but unless you talk to her you'll never get the answers"

"But what about Leanne? And I'm working and.. "

"Leanne's with Janet she's fine and as for work. I'll cover for you" he cuts me off and I don't say anything for a moment.

"I can't just turn up. What am I supposed to say?" I shrug. "Say whatever you want. If you don't do this now then you'll never do it"

"Maybe I don't want to?" I mumble "why wouldn't you want her to know?" He asks and I don't say anything for a moment.

"I'm scared she'll leave me ok?" I confess and he looks at me confused as I continue. "Leanne hasn't seen her since she was a little kid and from what she told me she was really kind and sweet and loving towards her just like her parents were and I'm scared that once she finds her grandma she'll wanna go straight over there and then more people show up and..."

"Mike, you can't do that to her" he cuts me off "I get you not telling her what really happened to her parents, but to not tell her about her grandma because your scared that she won't just have you in her life anymore is just cruel and..."

"Selfish! I know, but everytime somebody comes into her life they hurt her. Yes I've hurt her too, but not purposely not like the others did and I'm not gonna let anybody else hurt her again. I can give her all the love she could ever need and anything else she wants she can have it. She doesn't need anybody else. When it's just the two of us we're happy. We're so happy and everything's perfect and she'd never hurt me, just like I'd never hurt her. We don't need anybody else and.."

"You both needed me" he cuts me off. "If it wasn't for me encouraging you then you and Leanne wouldn't be where you are today and if I hadn't found her at the bus shelter the night she ran away then who knows what would have happened to her and if it wasn't for the rest of the family then you'd be dead of an overdose by now and you an Leanne never would have met and she'd still be there right now and there's so many more examples I could give you right now and..."

"And I'm truly greatful and thankful for all that" I mumble. "I'm not asking you for thanks. I'm asking you to understand. Just like I understand your fears about other people coming into Leanne's life, but you need to understand that you can't be the only person in that girls life. Sometimes we need help from others and there's nothing wrong with that" he says softly and I don't answer him for a moment.

"What if Leanne doesn't even want to meet the woman again?" I shrug. "Then that's her decision to make not yours" he says and I nod not saying anything. Knowing he's right.

I know I can't just keep Leanne locked away from everybody forever, but the thought of her leaving me or somebody hurting her again terrifies me.

"Why don't you call the nursing home and ask to see Maria? If she is her grandma then Leanne seeing her again could really be good for her" Randy says bringing me from my thoughts. "But what if she's not? What if it turns out she's just like Mary?" I say nervously. "If you genuinely believe this woman could be a danger to Leanne is some way then fair enough don't tell her, but if you meet her and it turns out she's actually a good person then you have to tell her" he says stern yet softly and I don't say anything for a moment then sigh heavily.