Mind's Beautiful Prison (18+)

29 - Princess

"You're saying you want to leave with me, but you don't want to leave without contacting this person?" he replied coolly, though I could sense that he didn't believe me.

"Yes! I swear to you, I just need to find her, and we'll figure things out from there. I can't leave yet."

Stephen sat up from the bed, arms crossed over his chest, the frustration starting to show in his expression. "Honey, I'm sorry, but it's too risky to get in touch with anyone before we leave. I know it's hard, but it's how this needs to be. Nobody is worth your life, and I know, Anna. I know what he did to you! I know how he hurt you...how he still would hurt you. We can't risk it."

I didn't want to tell him the truth, I wasn't even sure know how to process the news myself. I was terrified to speak the words aloud, let alone involve Stephen in my daughter's life, knowing he's become this unhinged. But I needed to buy time to keep us here so I could get my life back, get my daughter back.

And right now, he was my only fucked up version of hope.

"Stephen, he...he has my daughter. I can't leave without her," I whisper, pleading with my eyes. The words bring a fresh batch of tears to my eyes and both a sense of both crushing loss and more fragments of memories to my mind.

I felt her in my arms, saw her lying asleep in the tiny white bassinette beside our bed. I could see her in the soft teal sleepers with little dinosaurs we dressed her in because Milos wanted to raise a 'tough Principessa'. I saw her beautiful blue eyes that had started to change from the generic baby grey blue to a brighter ocean hue, that look just like her Daddy's. And the soft blonde locks that curled against her head, the heart shape of her sweet, chubby jaw that reminded me of my own. I could hear the soft sighs she released while she was napping, dreaming about whatever consumed the minds of little babes.

I remembered our laughter, our little family, laid out together on the living room floor while Lily rolled around kicking her feet and grabbing at the hanging toys on her baby gym with her chubby little ivory fingers. She was the best thing I'd ever done with my life, and my heart broke for the months I'd missed with my little girl. I was angry at my own feeble mind for allowing me to forget my precious girl and furious with Gunnar for the time he'd cost me with my daughter. Our daughter.

Lily was every bit Milos' little girl, and he'd loved her with everything he had from the moment she was born. But she wasn't his blood, she was Gunnar's.

As the joy of remembering the beautiful girl I'd missed rushed over me, the memory of our plans to protect her suddenly unlocked from the prison in my mind.

I'm pacing the floor, hands running through my hair while Lily squeals in her playpen, shaking a small toy in her little fingers. She's getting so big, so strong. She's ready to start crawling any day now, and I'm saddened by how quickly her childhood seems to be getting away from us. We've done so much to protect her, to keep her safe from the monster who would take her away if he knew of her existence.

She is too precious, too innocent to be let near my ex-fiancée. Gunnar is like the child who finds a tiny butterfly to love and plucks off its beautiful wings, not understanding he's destroying the delicate creature. I can imagine the damage he would do to my precious little girl with his furious temper and controlling manipulation. It terrifies me to imagine the 'lessons' he might teach my little girl to instruct her wayward behaviour. I will protect her at any cost, and I don't care what I have to suffer personally, if only she stays safe.

"You know his men are coming. We can't put her at risk, Milos... or you. He doesn't know about us or about her, so you need to pack her up and bring her to Mamma's without me," I plead, gazing at my daughter with tear filled eyes.