Scars of the Future (17 page)

I stood and turned to David. “Can you stay with them for a second so I can pack some of their stuff?”

“Yeah, of course,” He replied as he did something on his phone to produce a cartoon. “Go for it. I’ll entertain them.”

I walked into a bedroom that looked like all three kids shared and packed a bag for each of them, mostly clothes, but a few toys for the younger ones as well. When I went back out, David was holding Rachel in his arms and Michael looked on the verge of tears.

“Claire’s a sucker for Netflix on the phone, but apparently she’s in the minority.”

I picked up Michael and cradled him into my arms as I tried to keep all three bags on my shoulder. I gestured to David to follow and he took two steps forward, removing all three bags from my arm with a frown. We walked to the county car Jill and I had driven over and I opened the trunk to grab two of the car seats we kept in there.

“Hey, let me do it,” David said, putting Rachel on the ground next to me. “It’s way easier for me to bend over without the baby belly.”

I grinned and pat David’s washboard stomach with a nod. “Yeah, I’m sure you can do it.”

He just smiled and shook his head. “You girls are all crazy. But really, Am, you shouldn’t be doing all of this heavy lifting.”

After he had the seats in the car, he helped me buckle the kids in and pulled me into a tight hug.

“Call me if you need anything, sweetheart.”

I hugged him back with all my strength and nodded. “Thanks David.”

I settled in the front seat with two whimpering children behind me and headed back to the office.

Chapter Seventeen

Getting the kids up to the eighth floor alone wasn’t easy since they both wanted to be held. In the end, I bribed them both with stickers to get them to just walk next to me while holding my hands. The security guard at the main desk in reception gave me a sympathetic look as I walked through the deserted lobby and I just offered him a smile. When I made it to our office, I gave them both several stickers and set them up with the toys in the playroom we had for moments like this. I sat at my desk where I could see them and started making phone calls. Jill had called to update me on Brittany, informing me she had indeed been sexually abused, and that she’d be in the hospital for a few days.

I was still making phone calls when someone cleared their throat from above me. I looked up and saw Matt standing in front of my desk with two pizza boxes in his hands.

“David called and said you were probably going to be late, so I decided to bring you food. I picked up plain cheese for the little kids, too.” He glanced back into the playroom and a tender look crossed his face.

I stood, taking the pizzas from him and placing them on my desk. I threw my arms around his neck and held him as close as I could.

“Thank you, Matt.”

“Of course, sweets.” He kissed the top of my head before releasing me. “Finish what you’re doing. I’ll take care of the kids.” His hand squeezed mine before he grabbed the boxes and headed towards the play area.

“There are plates and napkins in the cupboard two rooms down,” I called before picking up the receiver.

I finally found them a family about thirty minutes later and sighed in relief. This family was relatively new to the fostering world, but they didn’t have any kids placed with them at the moment. The husband was a firefighter and the wife didn’t work, ensuring that someone would be home constantly. I was sure they’d be a great fit for all three kids. They were also willing to take them that night, and I was happy they would have a secure place to sleep. Putting children, especially ones this young, into group homes made my stomach hurt every time.

I stood up, stretching my arms above my head, and peered into the play area. Matt was on the ground letting the kids pretend to tickle him. Everyone had a huge smile on their face and I felt one flit to my lips, too.

I walked in the room and pulled a piece of cold pizza out of the box, taking a huge bite of it. My stomach rumbled in anticipation and I sat in one of the tiny chairs.

Matt sat up and grinned at me. “Figure it all out?”

I nodded as I swallowed my food. “I need to drive them to Rancho Cordova really quick.”

“Okay.” He stole a bite of my pizza, the grin still on his face. “Can I come?”

“Sure. I just need to take the county car, so I don’t want to hear about you being cramped,” I teased, poking him in the chest with my finger.

He helped me carry the kids down to the car and buckled them in before we set off for the foster family’s house.

Both kids were asleep by the time we pulled up in front of the address I’d been given, and I lifted the little boy while Matt cradled the girl. As we walked up the front steps, he looked over at me and frowned.

“Pretty sure these kids are over your twenty pound weight limit.”

I rolled my eyes and rang the doorbell. “Shush.”

A nice looking lady, who looked to be a few years older than me, opened the door. She had a kind face and her eyes lit up when she saw the kids.

“Hi, I’m Amanda Franklin with CPS. Are you Lisa Parsons?”

She nodded and stepped back so I could move through the doorway. “Yes, please come in.”

I gestured towards Matt and smiled. “This is Matthew Thomas. He’s helping me out tonight.”

A man stepped into the living room and smiled at us. “Hi, I’m Kevin Parsons.”

“Thank you both for taking them on such short notice. Matt has Rachel, and she has a lot of confusing questions about where her parents are. This is Michael and so far he hasn’t really spoken. I know you are willing to take in Brittany, too, but she will be in the hospital for a few days.”

Lisa nodded. “Okay, just tell us what to do and we’ll do it.”

Matt and I laid the children in twin beds that were next to each other as Lisa and Kevin watched. Michael went right back to sleep, but his sister clung to Matt like he was a lifeline. He whispered something I couldn’t hear to her and gestured Kevin over. Soon, the three of them were conversing in quiet conversation and Rachel was smiling at Kevin. Lisa and I watched from the doorway as Rachel finally closed her eyes.

We all moved into the dining room and I went over the procedures with the Parsons. An hour later, Matt and I made our way back to the office.

“Poor kids,” Matt said quietly as we drove through the city. “Rachel is going to cling to Kevin. She needs to feel safe.”

I nodded my head and sighed. “I don’t know if I could do the kid part all of the time. I’m ready to handle adults.”

Matt scoffed. “You’re great at this. You’re great at whatever you do, Amanda. I hope you realize that.”

I almost laughed at how much like my mom he sounded. No wonder the two of them got along so well.

We made it back to the parking lot and I moved to head towards my car, but Matt shook his head. “Leave it. I’ll take you to work tomorrow. Seeing you with a kid on your hip has me all sorts of turned on and I need to get you home now.”

I giggled and let him lead me to his car and once I was in the passenger seat he leaned in to give me a long, passionate kiss.

We broke apart and he grinned before shutting my door. He broke every speed limit home and once we were in the door he pushed me against the wall gently. His lips found my ear lobe and moved down my neck, and I let my hands move up the t-shirt he was wearing. He shivered beneath my touch and his hands tightened on my shoulders. He pulled his mouth away and dragged me back to the bedroom for the rest of the night.

The week went by quickly and, thankfully, with less excitement than Monday. I woke up Friday morning and brushed my teeth before pulling on my running clothes and stretching in the living room. Matt joined me a few minutes later, not quite as awake as me, and we took off down the block.

After we ran the usual five miles, we both showered and Matt drove us to a little hole in the wall café for breakfast. We’d both taken the whole day off even though my appointment was in the late morning. As I ate my pancakes, I watched Matt devour his own stack, several eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and some hash browns. When I put my own fork down and pushed my plate away, I wasn’t surprised when my boyfriend pulled it towards him to finish what I’d left. How he ate so much and still maintained his drool-worthy body I would never know.

“What?” He asked as I shook my head with a smile.

“I’m the pregnant one. You remember, eating for two and all? I’m glad we’re having a girl because I’m not sure there’s enough food in the world for two Thomas men.”

Matt laughed and nudged my foot with his under the table. “I need the fuel to keep up with your overactive sex drive, sweets.”

Heat rose in my cheeks at his loud declaration and I gave him a real kick. The server who walked by us had the decency to try to hide her smile and I just glared at my boyfriend. He gave me a shrug and grinned.

“It’s true.”

After breakfast we drove to the doctor for my monthly appointment. As we sat in the waiting room, Matt looked deep in thought and I nudged him gently with my elbow.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I think you should marry me.” He grinned over at me and I was proud that I was able to hold back my sigh and eye roll.

“Even if I was ready to get married, that’s the worst proposal I have ever heard.” I put a teasing infliction into my tone, but Matt’s smile dropped.

“I don’t understand what your aversion is to us being married. We are in love. We live together. We’re having a baby together. What’s the big deal?” His tone held some frustration and I really didn’t want to fight in the middle of the doctor’s office.

Thankfully, the nurse stepped out and called my name, smiling at me when we stood. She did the same things as last time- weighed me, took my blood pressure, and dropped us off in a room. This one didn’t have the ultrasound machine and I wasn’t required to take my clothes off. We sat in silence until Dr. Eaton rapped on the door gently and stuck his smiling head in.

“Hey guys, how are we doing today?”

I smiled at him and shrugged. “Pretty good, actually. I haven’t thrown up in six days. That’s a new pregnancy record for me.”

Dr. Eaton grinned and nodded his head. “You’re blood pressure looks great, especially compared to last time. Twenty-six weeks and you’ve finally gained five pounds since your last visit. That’s fantastic. Still running?”

“Yeah, although I’m a bit slower than I was.”

“Let’s give it four more weeks and then cool it with the running, okay? That’s the end of November and it will be cold anyway. Your center of gravity is already off, but it’s only going to get worse and we don’t want to worry about falling. Walking is fine, even power walking, but let’s pause the running at thirty weeks.”

I frowned at him but nodded my head, and Matt chuckled. “She’s going to be a joy to be around by then.”

Dr. Eaton laughed and measured my stomach. “I just don’t want you falling, Amanda. And if you do fall, try to land on your side, okay?” He pulled the tape measure back and smiled. “Your stomach is measuring perfectly. Let’s try to find her heartbeat, shall we?”

Some more cold gel hit my stomach, and Dr. Eaton pressed a wand to my stomach that was attached to a little portable machine. He moved it around for a minute and the baby’s heartbeat came through the miniature speaker. Matt grinned and squeezed my hand, the look of wonderment hitting his face again.

“Her heart rate is perfect. Everything seems to be great so far.” Dr. Eaton set the machine on the counter and looked at me. “Let’s start counting your kicks. We want to feel five movements every hour. If she doesn’t kick, try drinking something sugary, like juice, and lay on your side. If that doesn’t do it, call the office immediately. In the meantime, call me if you have any concerns at all, okay? And we’ll see you at thirty weeks.”

Dr. Eaton squeezed my shoulder before shaking Matt’s hand and disappearing from the room.

Matt drove us towards the house and the two of us didn’t speak. We were almost there when I gathered the courage to address the argument from earlier.

“Are you going to stay mad at me?”

He shook his head slightly. “Not mad. Disappointed. I just don’t understand.”

“That makes two of us,” I murmured bitterly. I hated feeling like the villain for this.

Matt pulled into the garage and I followed him inside. We were barely in the door before he had crushed his mouth to mine frantically. He grabbed the backs of my thighs and lifted me until I was sitting on the table with him between my legs.

“I love you,” he said quietly as he placed soft kisses on my neck. “I hate arguing. I just want to love you.”

I let out a little sigh and shook my head. “Please love me then. My body craves you like a drug.”

Matt groaned and pulled my shirt over my head before quickly unhooking my bra. “I feel the same way, sweets.

We made love on the dining room table, our pace fast and frustrated. When we were done, he carried me into the bedroom and made love to me again, this time slowly as we savored every movement.

The topic of marriage didn’t come up again for the rest of the day, and instead we hung pictures, raked leaves, and cuddled on the couch watching TV until I fell asleep spread across his lap.

Saturday morning I was out of bed earlier than normal, and I knew Matt probably wouldn’t be up for at least an hour. I threw on my running clothes, knowing he wouldn’t care he missed the run since he only ran to keep me company, and stretched. I left a note for Matt letting him know I was running and which route I was taking, a requirement he had set a few weeks ago. “If you’re going to run alone you need to tell me where you are.”

“Overprotective man,” I muttered to myself with a smile as I put my ear buds in and took off.

The wind felt perfect on my face, and although my pace was slower than it used to be, I relished the burn of my muscles. Running was my thing. My long legs made me the perfect candidate for running track in high school and I had known that extracurricular activities would look good on my college applications. I had started training my freshman year and quickly realized how much I loved running. It had become an escape once my parents fell ill, an out when the house felt lonely after Dad died, and a stress reliever during the harder moments with Mom. I had become a running addict.

I was two miles from home when I glanced over my shoulder to see a car moving slowly behind me. I moved to the sidewalk and waited for them to pass, but another peek showed they were keeping the same pace. Counting to thirty, I glanced back to see if they were still there and my stomach dropped when I realized they were following me. I reached into my front pocket of my yoga pants and dialed Matt’s number, the sound of the ringing line coming through my ear buds. I didn’t slow down as I waited for him to pick up.

“Amanda?” Matt’s tired voice came across the line sounding confused. My runs were basically sacred to me, and he probably knew something had to be wrong in order for me to interrupt one.

“I think I’m being followed,” I huffed as I picked up my pace. “There’s a car keeping pace behind me for at least the last half mile. Maybe more. A white Honda, I think.”

“Where are you?” I heard him moving quickly and the sound of closing doors told me he was getting in the car.

“Hickory Lane. About a mile and a half out.”

“I’m coming. Don’t hang up.”

I glanced behind me and the car was still there, too far back for me to make out the driver. I jogged for a few more moments before I saw Matt’s Jeep come into view. He parked against the curb on the side of the street I was on, about one hundred feet away. I saw him get out of the car, wearing only his sleep shorts and sneakers without socks. As I ran up, I moved into his arms and turned to watch as the Honda peeled away quickly.

Matt mumbled something and reached into the front seat of his car for a pen, using it to write on his hand.

“I’m going to call Dave with this plate number. Get in the car.”

I did as he said, my heart pounding and my hands shaking as the adrenaline coursed through my body.

“No more running alone, Amanda.” Matt said as he flipped the car around to head back home. “I mean it. Why would someone be following you?”

He didn’t expect me to answer as he pulled back into the garage quickly. He shut off the engine and came around to my door to grab me by the hand. He pulled me to his chest, holding me tightly for a moment before dragging me towards the door.

Once we were inside, Matt locked the door and activated the alarm. He excused himself to the back of the house to call David, and when he reemerged he looked irritated.

“Does the name Rose Wagner sound familiar?”

I grimaced and put down the glass of orange juice I had in my hand. “The kids’ father from the other night is named Michael Wagner.

“Jesus, why would he be following you? No more running outside alone, Manda.” Matt pulled me close and put his hand on the side of my stomach. “It’s not worth the risk to either of you.”

I nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Never apologize, Amanda. I just want you safe. Do you still carry the stun gun I gave you last year?”

I let out a little laugh when I remembered the stun guns he’d given Sydney and me for Christmas after Maddie’s attack. “Yeah, it’s in my purse. I haven’t charged it in a while, though.”