My phone hadn't stopped ringing since I'd left. Only Mickey at first, but then Ian, Fiona, Lip, Debbie.. every one of them trying to get through to me. Eventually I just turned my phone off.
"You're gonna love Florida Yev, it's fantastic," I cheered as I drove along a sunny road with Yevgeny in the back seat, "nothing but sun and beaches, palm trees and pools. Fucking incredible! Wait shit I should watch my language.. oh shit.. FUCK! I said shit," I went on before just laughing to myself.
I was so excited to get out of Chicago, away from everyone telling me I was sick and psych ward bullshit. I just kept ignoring my phone ringing every few minutes.
"Your uncle Lip.. well kinda best friend uncle showed me some pictures from when he was down here, amazing! This is gonna be great Yev. Just you and me, you and, I guess step mom? Shit I'm a step mom. Me and you against the world Yev. All of our problems are just vanishing right now!" I exclaimed happily, "even though I guess you don't have problems, you're a baby. You might have daddy issues when you grow up though."
I laughed at myself again, watching all the fields fly past us, "NO MORE FUCKING PROBLEMS! You know, your dad and all the damn Gallaghers can shove the psych ward up their asses!"
I kept driving, singing along to the radio and talking to Yev until it reached evening. It was still bright at 10pm.
"The sunset is fucking beautiful!" I screamed as I got out of the car, going around the back to get Yevgeny out of his car seat.
"Hey Yev, come on and dance with your step mom," I giggled as I held him amd ball danced around with him in the middle of nowhere.
"You're having fun right Yev? We make great partners in crime," I laughed, still dancing with him in my arms as the sun slowly set.
***
I woke up to the sound of Yevgeny crying. I looked back and saw he was still safe in his car seat.
"Good morning Illinois!" I shouted as I got out of the car to get him. I danced and sung to him as I changed him.
"What about breakfast huh Yev?," I went on as I drove to the nearest gas station. "pancakes would be fucking amazing right now. Coffee.. maybe eggs! And you can have the same baby food you always have I guess. It sucks you can't have real food yet."
I pulled up to a gas station that served breakfast too thank god. I was fucking starving. I carried Yevgeny inside with me.
After I bought diapers, gas and baby food I went to get breakfast.
"Hey! Gooood morning I'll have a black coffee and a waffles. And drown the fuckers in maple syrup," I giggled to the woman behind the counter.
"Yea ok," she grunted in response.
I sat down with Yevgeny on my lap, waiting for food until a man approached me. He was in his thirties.
"What's a pretty little thing like you doing here on your own?" He smiled.
"On a road trip. We're going to Florida to the sunny beaches," I grinned back.
"You not from around here?"
"Nope, south side of Chicago."
"Ohh, south side trash huh? He yours?" He asked, nodding towards Yevgeny.
"No, no. He's my boyfriends kid. We're gonna have some quality time together," I explained.
"Well you might need some money if both of you are heading to Florida. I could lend you some."
I threw a puzzled look at him, "really?"
"Oh yeah, sure. If you come into the bathroom with me for maybe 10/15 minutes. I can lend you a hundred."
I raised my eyebrows. A hundred dollars could go a long way for my trip, especially since I had no intention of returning soon to be thrown in the loony bin any time soon.
"Two hundred," I said.
"Deal."
***
"I'll be right back buddy okay?" I said as I strapped Yevgeny into the back of the car, before turning around and following the man into the bathroom of the service station.
I did bits with him... gotta do what you can for money when you have a baby to look after, right?
Afterwards he threw the money to me and we both left the bathroom. I was checking the money, putting it into my pocket as I walked out of the gas station when I saw policemen and a stranger standing around the car.
They looked as if they were trying to get the door open. What the literal fuck.
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing!" I shouted at them, running towards the car.
"Ma'm, you can't leave a baby alone in a car on a hot day," one of the officers told me.
I ignored him and opened the doors taking Yevgeny out and holding him in my arms to protect him. We're they trying to hurt him? Or take him? What did they want with him?
"I saw her go back inside the service station with a man after leaving the baby in the car," a strange woman butted in.
"What's wrong with you! You're scaring him!" I spat, trying to comfort a crying Yevgeny.
"We were concerned for the safety of the child," another officer stated.
"You called the cops! Are you fucking insane! I went inside for one goddamn minute! Are you kidding! Fuck you!" I shouted at the woman.
"She did the right thing. Calm down!"
I saw red, and started to grit my teeth, still holding Yevgeny close to me, "Calm down? Fucking calm down! You're trying to steal my damn baby and you're telling me to calm down!"
"Are you on something kid? Some kind of drugs?"
"Are you fucking kidding me? Drugs? You're trying to steal my baby! Fucking baby thieves! Who fucking sent you? Huh? Did Jesus send you! Fucking Jesus sent you to take me baby!" I accused, before taking off running with Yevgeny in my arms.
I ran as fast as I could as I heard cops running behind me, yelling for me to stop. They weren't going to take Yevgeny away from me. Not a chance. They were trying to steal my fucking baby.
Eventually I ran into a grocery store, "Help! They want my baby! They're trying to steal my baby! Help me!" I shouted as I ran in.
They kept chasing me. "Stay back!" I yelled, picking up a can of soup and throwing it at them. "Get away from us!" I cried, I kept throwing random things at them before finally breaking down, crying.
I was meant to protect Yevgeny, and now they were going to steal him from me.
***
Everything went a bit blurry after that.
"Hey! Morgan Gallagher?" I heard a voice call, waking me up from my sleep.
When I opened my eyes I was in a cell, in a cop station. How did I get arrested again.. or was I arrested. I didn't know. I was just tired.
"Where's Yevgeny?" I asked, quickly remembering they were trying to take him.
"He's okay Morgan," the officer told me. She spoke softly and seemed nicer than the men I was dealing with earlier, "you're family's here, Yevgeny with them. Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you home."
She opened the door of the cell, allowing me out to follow her to the front office. I felt ashamed, so I walked with my head down.
When we got to the front, I saw Lip, Debbie and Mickey waiting there for me. They got up immediately and Lip was the first to rush over and hug me in close to him.
I barely had the energy to hug him back, but I felt safe again I guess. My big brother always did.
Next was Debbie, then I felt more ashamed because she was my only little sister and I was meant to be strong for her. She didn't seem to mind though. "I'm glad you're okay mouse," she whispered to me as she hugged me tight.
Then Mickey..
I glanced at him, but quickly looked down again when our eyes met. I ran off with his baby, put him in danger. And all I wanted was to look after the baby.
That's when he walked up to me, put a hand on the side of my face and pulled me in. He squeezed me slightly harder than my siblings and he held the back of my head close to him.
I buried my head into his chest, hugging him back this time. When he pulled away I saw tears in his eyes, which was a seriously rare occasion.
"Come on, let's go mouse," Lip sighed, putting a hand on my shoulder.
In the car, I leaned my head on Mickeys shoulder and closed my eyes. I listened to the cars drive by, eventually falling asleep.
I knew shit was about to get really fucked up now.