Saving Zola

5

Olivia's phone rang around 6am. Rolling over, she sighed as she took a look at her sleeping daughter, stroking her cheek. She slept so peacefully, her mouth slightly open. Faint snores could be heard if she was quiet enough. She missed the days when it was just her and Zola. She wasn't a defying, hormonal teenager and Olivia wasn't so burdened down with work. Olivia wished everyday that she could go back to the times when Zola needed her, depended on her and loved her unconditionally. "If it's important they'll call back," Olivia whispered. The phone stopped ringing and she closed her eyes.

Ring.

Olivia swung her arm over and answered. "Benson," she said angrily.

It was Captain Cragen. "Liv, we caught a case. I need you."

"Now? It's Sunday."

"Well definitely not tomorrow. Of course now. Big sex trafficking ring. We got a body. Place is swarming with DNA. We got a lead."

"On the ring we've been following for months?"

"Yes."

Olivia sighed. She had to go in. They'd been waiting for months to finally get enough evidence to go after them and this was too big to miss. "Yeah, Cap. Be there in twenty."

Olivia eased out of bed trying to be careful not to wake Zola. She wanted nothing more but to stay in bed and spend another day with her baby girl. She knew Zola would be upset when she woke up, but this was nothing new for either one of them. Zola would understand.

After showering, she wrote a note and sat it on the kitchen counter.

Zola's eyes fluttered open and her eye caught the clock. It was almost eleven o'clock. She was a late sleeper and had always slept in whenever she could. The teenager almost never woke up on her own. She depended on her phone alarm or her mother to wake her.

"Mom," she called, throwing her legs across the side of the bed. She stretched and drug herself to the kitchen. She had felt refreshed after yesterday. Sometimes a girl just needs her mom. "Hey mom, I was thinking we could go to the skating rink and-"

Her eyes scanned the small apartment. Olivia wasn't there. She placed her hand on the coffee pot. It was cold meaning her mom had been gone a long time. Her eyes found the note on the counter.

Caught a case. Come to the precinct when you wake. There's bus money on your dresser. Promise I'll make it up to you. -Mom

"So much for 'even if it rings.'" Zola mumbled.

*
"School called and told me you haven't been to gym class in three days and I pay way too much money to that private school for you to even skip bathroom breaks! Care to explain?"

"I-I got my period."

Olivia laughed to herself appalled that her daughter, who has a detective for a mother, would actually think she'd believe that load of crap. "You are such a freaking liar. You're seeing him again, aren't you?"

Zola looked down at the floor.

"Answer me!"

"He's my boyfriend!"

"You're not dating him, Zola!" yelled Olivia snatching Zola's phone out of her hand.

"I love him and he loves me!"

"He's twenty one. You're sixteen! You have no clue what love is and Miguel doesn't love you! You're a child under him. An inexperienced, spoiled, air headed child who will believe anything he says. Oh and believe me, he's telling ten other girls the same thing."

"You can never just be happy for me! I'm almost an adult!"

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "And you'll never get there if you don't lower your tone." Zola backed down and crossed her arms over her chest. "So you've been sneaking around, ditching school to see that guy, hmm?"

"It's not like that."

"Oh, yeah? Then tell me."

"I..." she stood there her mouth fixed to say something but nothing would come out. Of course she knew better.

"You two had sex?"

"No!" She lied. Of course she knew he was too old but she didn't care. She knew if he'd so much as touched her the wrong way, Olivia wouldn't hesitate to put him behind bars.

"Zola," warned the angry mother. She shook her head and scoffed. She knew she'd had sex. She saw the change in her attitude, the way she walked around with a smirk on her face, the chip on her shoulder. It was obvious but truth be told she didn't want to believe it and she didn't want to drag her already insolent daughter through a trial to put the prick in jail. "God, I wish I could believe you."

"No, okay? I swear."

"You're not getting this phone back." Olivia pointed to her daughter closing the space between them. "He has a rap sheet. He's been in the precinct more times than I'd like to count and not to mention it but news flash, he's twenty one! He's nothing but trouble and you're not to see him anymore, do you understand?"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Zola paused not believing the words that had come out of her mouth. "I... I said no," she stammered but surprised that she was able to muster up enough courage to defy her mother. "The legal age of consent is sixteen."

"Oh, so you've done your homework, have you?"

"I'm a young adult and I can do what I want."

Olivia placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to one leg. She couldn't believe the scene unfolding in front of her eyes. She barely recognized her own daughter. "You? You can do what you want?" Olivia held up her index finger. "You wait right here."

Zola folded her arms across her stomach and tapped her bare foot against the cold tile of the kitchen floor. She didn't know exactly what her mother was doing but whatever it was wasn't good. She knew Miguel had gotten into trouble once or twice but he bought her nice things, called her sweet names, treated her like a queen, and made her feel special. She'd never been treated that way, especially not by a guy and she wasn't going to let him go. He had a nice car, nice condo, lots of cash and jewelry. She didn't know exactly what he did but whatever it was, was good enough for her. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Olivia came back with a packed suitcase and tossed it on the floor in front of her.

"What?"

"You're grown? You get out."

"But-"

"Miguel will let you stay with him, yeah? He loves you so much. You love him. May as well move in together." Olivia shrugged and silently cringed inside hoping her daughter would give in. Truthfully it was all a bluff and she didn't want Zola to go anywhere but she had to lay down the law. "This is my place and under my roof, you follow my rules and when you get too grown to obey them, you get out."

Olivia's heart fell when Zola pursed her lips and grabbed the bag.

"Fine. Bye mom."

Zola closed the door behind her and bowed her head allowing a few tears to escape. She never meant for any of that to happen but everything escalated so quickly and both were stubborn individuals. No one wanted to back down. With no phone, no money, and no nothing but a a heavy suitcase and the clothes on her back, she hailed a cab and gave him the address to Miguel's house.