OK. This is a fast edit to post. In the final. Adam and Lindsay will also be in the room.
Alice woke up that morning, an anxious flutter dancing its way through her body. She looked down at the little girl who lay stirring next to her. Nothing made any sense. The fact that little children were dropping along with the snowflakes on her front lawn only added to her conflicted feelings.
What they all witnessed two days ago was unbelievable. Inexplicable; undeniably a miracle. She thought about taking something for her anxiety and sighed. Just as a drink wouldn't solve this situation, neither would a little blue pill. She looked down at Haley, and gently pulled back little wisps of hair that fell. She smiled when Haley, opened her eyes and stretched, opening her mouth to yawn.
"Mommy, did you like that man we met yesterday?"
"Yes, I did," Alice answered. "How do you know him, Haley?"
She felt Haley's arms wrap around her neck, and she smelled the sweetness of honeysuckle that she had noticed surrounded the little girl since the first day.
"Well..." Haley tried not to lie. "I know him from where I was before I came here!"
Speechless, Alice followed Haley as she bounded off the bed and raced down the stairs. She watched the little girl tiptoe through the kitchen and into the family room, where Ben was mumbling in his sleep.
Alice nodded as she saw Haley's questioning expression.
"Yes, he's ok, "Alice responded, choking back the growing disappointment with her husband. She turned on the TV so Haley could watch Peppa Pig.
"Isn't this the show you liked the other day?"
Haley mimicked in a soft British voice," Hello, daddy. Do you like muddy puddles?"
Setting down the remote, Alice went into the kitchen for coffee. She poured Haley a small glass of milk. She watched as the recliner lowered back into Haley's favorite position. She opened the kitchen door to the porch, enjoying the smell of the early autumn day. She had forgotten all about the plants she had been planting just a few days before, when Haley first arrived. Her mind flashed back to many years ago, when both her boys were helping her dig holes for the bulbs. Adam was digging furtively, while Todd, the age that Haley was now, began to pull up the small plants that were starting to grow.
"Mom, Todd is pulling up all the plants."
Alice blinked back tears as she remembered Adam going to his little brother, stooping down, and patiently explaining the difference between weeds and real plants. She remembered how Todd had leaned over and gave Adam a quick kiss, and Adam pretended to not like it, but smiled anyway.
The chime of the doorbell echoed in the quiet morning. Alice saw Joe peering in the side windows, hands cupped above his eyes. His huge grin made her smile, as she walked to open the door.
Detective Matthews was standing in the center, glancing at Joe in exasperation. Joe popped in front of him, holding his hand towards Alice.
"Good Morning, Alice!" Joe said as he brushed past Alice to allow the detective inside.
"Alice," Matthews nodded, with a slight smile. "Good news and bad news."
She stepped back and bumped into Joe. She turned to him and smiled at the soldier like stance he was making, chin up and eyes straight ahead. When he winked at her, she shook her head, and looked away, hoping she wasn't encouraging his behavior. She was beginning to enjoy his company but didn't want to show it. Not until she understood everything that was going on.
"Do you want something to drink? Coffee?" she offered the detective.
"Oh, yes, thank you." Joe broke his stance long enough to answer.
"Water will be fine," Matthews responded, warily watching the scruffy man with the beard.
Alice led them into the kitchen, Joe continuing to walk like a soldier at attention, protecting this house. She glanced towards the family room, a concerned look on her face. She didn't want to hear either news at all.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the TV switching to the news where two people were being interviewed on a morning news show. She heard a soft whimper coming from the recliner.
"Daddy, don't. I don't want to watch this," Haley was saying to Ben.
"Excuse me a moment," Alice said, as she moved towards the family room, reaching for the remote.
"Ben. She was watching Peppa Pig."
Seeing the look on Haley's face as she watched the TV, Alice dropped the remote and slowly sat down on the edge of the end table.
Transfixed, she watched as a couple were talking, insisting that whoever had taken their little girl should be arrested immediately. A picture of Haley was flashed in the corner of the screen. She had been missing since this past September, and they had never stopped searching for her, even after the police said there was nothing more they could do. They were angry that they became the first and only suspects. They wanted their little girl home. Talking to the camera, they informed the audience that they were consulting a lawyer about the way they were treated by the authorities.
Alice reached for the remote to turn off the TV and turned to the detective in disbelief. She reached down to stroke Haley's hair. She glanced at Ben, who was sitting up, trying to comprehend what was going on. He belched and she could smell his breath from where he was.
She saw Haley's face as the little girl held her hand.
"They're lying. They know they are. Why do they want me back when they were so mean to me!"
Alice looked at the detective and said, "Which part of that is good news?"
Swallowing to ease her growing fear, she put her arm around Haley. With a surprised look, Haley saw they had company. Forgetting the "rules", she said, "Hi, Scribs!"
Alice looked back and forth between Haley and Joe. A faint idea tickled her thoughts as she began to understand what she already knew in her heart. They know each other, somehow. From the moment children began to fall on her front lawn like snowflakes she knew something magical was happening. Since that day, she hadn't spoken about it because it all seemed so surreal. To mention it might break the magical spell that she had been under.
She looked at Ben, who looked at her in a panic. His eyes were wild, and he was afraid for so many reasons.
"What's going on? What was that on the television? "
He stood in the middle of the family room, false bravado as he spoke. "What are you doing here, detective?" Glancing at Joe, he added, "Why are you here?"
Detective Matthews shifted in his stance and set down his glass of water.
"The good news is- you have temporary custody for Haley until this is all sorted out."
Alice noticed he was choosing his words carefully.
"The FBI have been asked to help out, trying to find all the children as well as interviewing the parents."
Joe cleared his throat, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling, impatiently.
Matthews shrugged his shoulders and continued in a low voice.
"The people who claimed to be Haley's parents-they were the number one suspects. They still are."
Alice looked at him, eyes wide, understanding the insinuation. She felt a flutter in her heart that confirmed what she intuitively sensed all along. She had days ago accepted that whoever Haley was, in this moment in time, she was supposed to be here, with her.
Suddenly, Ben cried out, "Do you mean...? "
He looked at Haley, mouth open, eyes wide.
He turned to Alice and she recognized the empty glare. She had seen it so many times before.
"What is going on? What the hell is going on? You mean she's not here? But she is! Is this some trick to get me to think I'm losing my mind, so you can lock me up?" His angry words flooded the room with uncomfortable intensity.
"You're the one that's crazy, Alice! I can't deal with this." He looked around the room, walking desperately to the garage door. "I gotta get out of here. I don't know what is going on. Todd dies, my life is out of control and now you're saying that...this little girl...I need to get out of here." He stumbled backward, as he tried to put on his shoes.
"She's not an alien or anything if that's what you're thinking," Joe called out, trying to ease the tension. "She's someone far greater than that."
Confused eyes glared at Alice.
"I can't take it....this is all too much for me."
Alice looked at her husband, her face flushed. She pushed past all the tolerance she had tried to have over the past several months since their son died. As much as she understood his alcoholism, this was a time when she needed him to be strong, she needed him to believe.
"Don't you dare leave us, Ben." Her voice was strong and willful She was angry and she was tired.
He started to stand and leaned against the wall.
"You don't need me. You use me. I'm a cash cow to you. You are always so high and mighty...miss perfect!" He leaned forward towards her and she did not flinch. "You think you're so much better than everyone else. Oh, Miss Perfect. Oh, I never did drugs or anything else. Oh, no! Well, you are not so perfect, Miss Perfect!"
Alice choked back the tears as her anger over everything that had happened over the several years, when their son had been struggling to get sober, and his dad did not. She didn't understand why Ben didn't try harder then. She sure as hell didn't understand it now."
". Every single time something bad happens, you drink. Go hug your bottle. Go to your first love. You aren't the father you used to be and you sore aren't the man I used to know. So, get out! Go! We don't need you here!"
The moment the words came out, she regretted them. She saw the look of sheer devastation cross his face and her heart felt nothing. She was angry. Deep inside, she wanted him to finally feel the hurt he was causing their family.
"None of this is my fault." She heard Ben's voice call from the laundry room. As he sat to put on his shoes, his eyes were glazed with emotions.
"You did this!" Alice saw his glare. "You turned everyone against me. You don't like me. You think I'm the scum of the earth, and even that little girl doesn't like me. She always goes to you. Both our boys always went to you! I'm not a good person. I don't want to be here! Don't you know I wish I were dead!"
"Don't say that, Daddy!"
The room was quiet as Alice turned to look at Haley, whose eyes were looking up at the counter.
"I don't want to stay here anymore, Todd! I want to go back with you! Those people were mean to me and everything is sad and angry here. Please, take me home with you!"
The little girl with the yellow bouncing curls stood with her arms by her side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her sobs echoed in the morning air.
Alice's heart began to pound, her thoughts racing with the little girl's words. She felt a familiar tug and a warmth of love spread through her as she glanced at the empty counter. She saw a flash of light, a quick reflection of something she instantly recognized, then looked at Joe and Matthews. When she saw the look of amazement on their faces, she turned back towards Haley.
Her jaw dropped as she watched Haley, sobbing uncontrollably, begin to rise, seeming to evaporate until she was barely visible at all.
"Oh, Haley, no! Don't go please don't go." She swallowed the panic that rose and the complete feeling of emptiness that was beginning to burst through her heart...again.
Alice moved towards where Haley stood, tears streaming down her face as she prayed with all of her heart to keep the little girl here.
"Haley, no, don't go!"
Ben had fallen to his knees, reaching out to her in anguish.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or make you think I didn't care. I miss Toddo so much! I couldn't keep him safe. He was here in my own house, and I couldn't keep him safe.
I miss my Toddo." His head dropped to his chest, and his body slumped into one of defeat as sobs of a thousand unspoken pain finally spilled over.
Slowly, Haley began to appear again, a smile returning to her face. Alice thought her face glowed, like that of an angel in so many stories people told.
She heard a grunt and a chuckle and she looked towards Joe, who was walking towards her, a broad smile on his face.
"Geez, you humans." He said, shaking his head. "Everything's going to be all right. We... I have already contacted all the families who have the children. Everyone is on their way here. We are taking them back to where they belong."
Alice saw detective Matthews step by Joe.
"Excuse me," he said. "And just who are you?"
"I'm a friend of the family," Joe replied, easily. "You?"
"I'm Detective Matthews..." Alice noticed the twinkle in Adam's eyes as Joe crossed his arms.
"Why are you here? You see she doesn't want to go home to those crappy parents on TV, who by the way, are responsible for hurting her...."
Alice could hear the grandfather clock ticking in the other room.
She turned to Haley and the little girl ran into her open arms.
"Now I understand how you know Todd," Alice said, quietly believing. "And how you know all these little ones."
She saw Joe roll his eyes up, saying, "Oh, now the cat's out of the bag."
She noticed Joe glance over towards the kitchen window. She saw that flash of light, but it was gone as soon as it came. She saw the late morning sun dance off the fall leaves.
Alice watched as the detective stooped in front of Haley.
"So, Haley. Tell me how you know about the people on TV."
"They are my old mommy and daddy and they were really mean to me." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "They let me die," she said, sadly.
Alice nodded as he looked up at her.
"Well, they never found her," he said quietly to Alice.
"Did anyone really look?"
Alice looked down at Haley, and remembered something Haley had told her days earlier, when she had first appeared.
"The ring, and your bunny and your leg..."
Haley nodded eagerly. "I never go anywhere without my bunny. And my ring was on my finger. And I had a brace on my leg to help me walk. They didn't tell you about that and no one was looking."
Alice felt the sudden sadness that overwhelmed this little girl. No wonder she came looking for me.
Alice heard Joe clear his throat. "Well, I think that just about sums it up for me. Is that enough to consider checking that woodpile again? Maybe find her ring, and her brace and her..." he winked at Haley..."and her bunny?"
Alice looked at Matthews, who was looking at her and everyone else in disbelief.
"To be honest, I don't know how I am going to explain any of this, but I saw what I saw. "
"And there is no poison Kool-Aid," Joe mentioned, kindly. "Except if you consider the foul odor coming from the family room."
Alice saw Ben moving towards the kitchen, towards Adam.
They heard more sounds coming from outside.
"Well, Detective. " Joe said. "Unless you want the world to know when all the children get here, you'd better go handle the vultures outside"
Detective Matthews looked at Alice, shaking his head. "I have no idea what just happened. But I know what I saw. I'll take it from here."
Alice shook his hand. "Thank you for believing in me," she said.
She saw him glance around. "What's not to believe? Children falling like snowflakes, and a little girl...I swear I think I saw her wings." His words seemed as baffling as he was.
Alice walked Matthews to the door, and paused by the counter, laying her hands gently on the cold marble.
Detective Matthews paused to look back at Haley.
She ran to him, hugging his legs.
"You especially, little one. No one's taking you back anywhere. You belong here."
With that, he opened the door, taking one last look at Joe.
"And if you are who I think you are, I hope you will watch out for me."
Alice smiled as she wrapped her arms around Haley.
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I won't be seeing you for a very long time."
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