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Popping a squat on my couch, I leaned over, reaching for my water while Frank lightly swayed a now sleeping Charlie.
“Why are you here, Frank?”
“Promised Bailey I would help you.”
“With what? Gotta be more specific than that, big guy.”
Frank frowned as he moved over to the other side of my couch before slowly taking a seat.
God help me.
Charlie looked so damn small in his hands. But what shocked me the most was that Frank didn’t seem to mind. It looked like the big guy had been born to hold a baby. Which was funny, considering my little bun in the oven.
Nope.
Not going there.
I needed to concentrate on Charlie first, then I’d have a proper meltdown later.
“Bailey said CPS is taking Charlie away. Why?”
Sighing, I leaned my head back on my couch. “Because I’m a single parent who has a demanding job. I work too many hours, and CPS feels I wouldn’t have the time to care for Charlie properly. So, they are giving me one week to cut back on my hours or they will place Charlie with a foster family.”
“They can’t do that,” Frank gasped.
“Oh, those assholes can do whatever they want. They think they know what’s best, and let’s face it, I’m fumbling this big time. They are right. I do have a demanding job that takes up a lot of my time. Maybe Charlie would be better with some Susie homemaker whose life ambition is to raise babies.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No,” I grumbled. “I want to keep him. He’s mine, Frank. I found him first. Finders keepers and all that crap.”
“Then what do you need?”
Snuggling deeper into my couch, I yawned. “I need a few minutes of peace and quiet. Then I’ll be able to think better... just a few minutes.”
The sun was shining brightly when I rolled over in my comfortable bed. Stretching, I happily groaned. I felt rested and perfectly content.
Which lasted all of about two point two seconds before I bolted upright. “Charlie!”
Jumping from my bed, I rushed over to his crib to find it empty.
“Oh no.”
Running from my room, I skidded to a stop, seeing Jessica and Sugar lounging around my living room, chatting a mile a minute with no Charlie in sight.
“What the hell are you two doing here? Where is Charlie?”
“Frank took Charlie for a ride and will be back later. We need to have a talk. Sit,” Jessica stated firmly before pointing at the floor where she expected me to pop a squat like I was some errant child.
Ha! I had news for her.
I didn’t do shit without coffee.
“I need coffee,” I grumbled, ignoring my aggravating friend.
“Sit down, Claudia,” Sugar said firmly, halting my movement.
Turning to face both of them, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
