Unsteady (COMPLETED)

TWENTY-SEVEN

Now - Michael

My heart sinks when my eyes land on the police car. I drop Ella's wrists and my hands fall to my side, as do hers. I watch as two officers step out of the car, followed by an older lady wearing a suit. My breathing quickens with each step they take towards us and I just know this isn't good. 

My eyes flicker over to Ella and she looks lost. Tears continue to fall and sobs shake her entire body. Her lips are slightly parted in disbelief and her cheeks are tinted red - from the cold or embarrassment, who knows. 

She's breathing hard and I am sure her heart is racing just like mine. I reach a shaky hand to her and she holds mine without thinking. It's cold but clammy and I can feel all over her worry with that simple hold. 

One look at her and you know she's devastated. She's thinking the worse. She has every bad thing that could be happening running through her eyes right now and it's all my fault. Everything is always my fault. 

I grasp onto her hand tightly and squeezes mine back, her eyes never leaving the two men and the lady who get closer and closer to us. 

My gaze snaps back to them when one of the cops clears their throat. 

"What's going on here?" He says, looking between the two of us. I am sure we both look awful with Ella's red, swollen eyes and my dishevelled appearance. 

"Nothing, officer," I speak up when I see Ella doesn't. "Just a little argument between a man and his wife."

The officer raises his eyebrow and looks down at Ella. "Ma'am?" He asks expectantly. 

"We were just having a disagreement. Our neighbours are nosy." She says, her voice shaky. She's never been much of a liar. 

The second officer pulls a notepad out of his pocket and opens it to a certain page. "There have been reports of a violent domestic dispute in the area. A female has been seen pushing and hitting a male." He reads, enunciating the word 'violent'. 

"Everything is fine here. Like I said, we were just having a little argument." I say, trying to defer the attention on Ella.

The older lady in the suit steps forward, eyeing me up and down. I instantly have a distaste for her. 

"Hello. My name is Elena Sanders. I work as a Social Worker for Family Services." She says, her eyes watching us carefully. 

Ella's grip on my hand tightens further and I can hear her breath hitch as soon as the woman states her position. I bring her in closer to me and wrap a protective arm around her. She sinks into me and I can feel her lean all her weight into me. She's losing it even though she looks held together to those around us. 

Mrs Sanders pulls a pair of glasses and a folder out of her large purse. She purses her lips as she opens the folder, eyes searching the paper before her. After a moment, she raises her eyes to us and a frown forms on her lips. "It has come to our attention that there is a child in your care that may not be getting the best of care." She says, her tone condescending as she glares at me. If looks could kill. 

"In the past year," She starts, looking down at her paper. "On October third of last year, your water was shut off for four days. On October seventeenth, your gas was turned off. On November thirteenth, failure to provide adequate clothing. On March twentieth of this year, parent suspected to be intoxicated while the child was in their care." She looks at me accusingly. 

"During the month of June, there were twelve reports of a parent failing to pick up the child from school. And, yesterday." She says as she snaps the folder shut. "Parent arrives intoxicated to pick up the child from school, drove under the influence and caused a commotion in the school parking lot." She continues to glare at me. 

"Oh, and now today. A domestic dispute while the child is left unsupervised in the home." She says, a devilish grin forming on her face. "Anything else?"

"Why are you here?" Ella asks, her voice frail and defeated. 

The woman straightens up before answering. "I'm here with these fine officers to remove said child from the home." She states, gesturing to the two officers. 

"No!" Ella cries out. I watch her fall to her knees with a 'thud' as I take a step back, my head growing dizzy and everything begins to spin around me. "No, you can't do that!"

"I can and I must. It is evident that you are not providing adequate care for the child, Tyler Travers. The child must be removed and placed in a home that can and will provide for him." The woman states, her voice cold. 

"No, please! You can't take him! He is my son! He is my son! I love him. Please, there must be something I can do!" Ella begs, still on her knees in front of me. You can hear the devastation behind her words. It's heartbreaking and I'm terrified. 

"You had opportunities to make this all right, Mrs Travers." Mrs Sanders says. "The time has come for us to step in."

"No, please. Don't do this. He needs me! I'm his mother. Please. He's my everything! Don't take him away!" She wails.

Mrs Sanders nods towards our front door and the cops start walking towards it. 

"Please don't do this. There has to be something we can do." I finally find my words. "I-I'll go to rehab. I'll go to AA. I'll get a job again. I will do anything, anything at all. Just please don't take our son. Please. Especially not from Ella, she is a fantastic mother. She has done everything she can for that boy. Don't take him away from her. 

"I-I'll even leave for good. I will s-stay away from them for good. Just p-please don't do this." I stutter between my own sobs, my cheeks damp with my tears and my throat dry with all of this emotion being spilt. "Please."

"It's too late, Mr Travers."

"Please, the only mistake Ella has ever made was choosing me for a husband," I say as I step towards the Social Worker. "Without me, she won't have any of these problems. I'm begging you, don't do this."

"It's already done." Mrs Sanders states. "Officers, I'll go in and get the boy, you make sure no one follows inside." She eyes the two of us - Ella still on the ground - before entering our home and disappearing inside.

"No!" Ella screams, she stands to her feet and attempts to run after her, but I quickly grab her by the waist and hold her back. "No! Let me go! That's my boy! That's my son! I won't let you take him!"