Safe Arms "ON HOLD"

Prologue

Prologue 

Jonah 

"No.please daddy, no.stop hitting him!"  I was startled awake at the loud sobbing beside me.   Leelee had rolled over to the other side of the bed, his eyes were tightly shut and his arms were up in a defensive position protecting his head.  My heart ached every time I saw him like this; he hadn't had a nightmare in a while, but I think with the big move to our new apartment yesterday, he was feeling a little nervous about a different environment, a new neighbourhood and just change in general.  "No" his voice turned more shrill and he shrunk into himself, his knees shot up and his arms wrapped around them rolling over on his side and whimpering into his pillow.   

I knew most of what he and Brett went through with their abusive father, but I sometimes had the feeling that some details were kept from me, or maybe the boys just weren't able to talk about them.  They both knew that Aiden and I would never judge them; maybe they would talk about it someday, until then we would just keep giving them our love and support.  They knew that would never change. 

"Leelee, baby, wake up," I soothed, carefully petting his arm, "it's Jonah, baby.  You're safe with me.  I'm here Leelee, I love you baby."  Leaning over him as his curled up back was facing me, I placed small feather kisses on his head while I brushed the hair out of his face. 

"I'm not a baby," he whimpered, finally starting to wake up. 

"I know Leelee, I'm sorry bakiddo."  I rolled him over until he was facing me, his body relaxing so I could pull him into my arms and hold him tightly against my chest.  "You had a nightmare, but you're safe.  I'm here with you and I won't let anyone hurt you, ever." 

"Jonah" he trailed in waking recognition as he nuzzled into my bare chest, his small arms snaking around my waist. 

I rocked him slightly in my arms as he calmed down and the tears dried.  "It's okay my little flower," I whispered.  He didn't like that so much either, but I couldn't help it.  He was beautiful like a little flower, small and delicate.  He needed to be nurtured and cared for and he would bloom into something amazing, more incredible than Brett, Aiden and myself put together.  We knew it and we made it our mission to care for him above anyone elseespecially me.  Leelee had always been special and I loved him from the minute we met.  He was absolutely tiny then and so cute.  I didn't have any siblings so when the little six year old with his pale skin, dark hair and radiant blue eyes came in and stole my heart; right away I knew that he was mine to look after.  Even if he had his big brother Brett and Aiden already, there was no doubt in my mind that he was mine. 

Liam had always been shy and scared of new people; especially men.  The fear was his father's fault.  He'd beaten his mother since the boys could remember and then started on Brett when he was old enough to start trying to defend Lynette, following with Liam who even at his tiny size tried to help them both.  When it got bad, Lynette sent them down to either Aiden and his grandparents apartment or eventually after we moved in and she got to know us, to my family as well.  We were so young, but later I often wondered if my parents or Aiden's grandparents had tried to do something sooner, would anything have changed?  Their excuse was that Lynette begged them not to interfere and frankly, I think everyone was afraid of Brett and Liam's father. 

It wasn't until he had beaten Lynette so badly that she was hospitalized that it couldn't be overlooked any longer.  He was arrested and sent to jail much to everyone's relief.  Lynette, who was already working one job, took on another; she was a personal support worker and took care of a handicapped man during the day and did the overnight shift for an elderly man at night, so she was rarely home.  The only time we ever saw her was Saturday mornings until Sunday afternoon.