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“What’s the passcode?” she asked.
I frowned, trying to remember just what exactly she used to ask me to say, then I smiled as I finally remembered. “You’re beautiful, and you’re going to have a great ass forever.”
She yanked open the door and glared. “That’s not the password.”
I shrugged and pushed inside, freezing when I saw the utter chaos of the room. It looked like a massacre had taken place.
“What…” The words that were coming out of my mouth froze on the tip of my tongue as I took in the infant laying on Georgia’s t-shirt in the middle of the bed.
I looked at her again and realized that she was only in what she used as a bra and her jeans.
Not that she didn’t look good in it, but she would flash any man or woman that concentrated on her breasts for more than a glance.
“Did you have a baby while you were at work?” I asked in fascination as I walked up to the bed and stared down at the baby.
It was cute.
Small…really small, but cute.
“This is a young teen’s baby who I’ve been counseling about adoption this last week. I met her at the youth center. She called me this afternoon in a panic, and when I got here she left, saying she’d sign the rights away as soon as she worked up the nerve,” Georgia blurted.
I frowned. “Okay,” I hesitated on what I was about to say next. “She broke the law, though. You’re not a public safety officer. According to the Moses Law, she needed to give her child to someone such as a police officer, firefighter, or EMS worker. She won’t ever be able to get this child back. She could still face charges for abandonment or neglect.”
I hated to say it, but it needed to be put out into the open. I knew she knew it, too.
I saw it in her face. The way her shoulders slumped as I spoke.
“Fuck,” she said, wilting.
I saw how much this meant to her but I’d taken oaths just as much as she had.
She stayed silent for long moments, thinking and staring at the baby.
I could practically hear her mind whirling. Could see her thinking about ways for this not to end the way she knew it was going to.
“I’m going to have to call this in,” I said finally.
She hung her head and nodded.
“What’ll happen next on your end?” She asked.
I closed my eyes and gathered her into my arms. “I’ll let the supervisor on duty know. We’ll get EMS here, and they’ll take the baby to the hospital. The detective will gather all the information from us, and he’ll file charges on the girl.”
A tear slipped out of her eye, and I felt like I’d beaten a frightened dog, but I’d never give her less than the truth. She deserved that much.
She sniffled and then nodded. “Okay. Do what you have to do.”
And fuck me, but it was one of the hardest calls I’d ever had to make.***Later that night, I was sitting in the living room watching TV by myself.
Georgia had gone home, refusing to talk to me.
It’d hurt.
Like a fucking bitch.
I’d been sitting here for hours now, just waiting for her to call. But she never had.
My phone on the table started to vibrate, and my heart leapt in my chest.
I dove forward, scooping it up in my hand and putting it to my ear without even looking at the read out.
“Georgia?” I asked.
“Sorry buddy, just me,” Luke said, dashing my excitement with four little words.
I sighed and leaned back against the couch. “It’s okay.”
He grunted. “She’s still not talking to you?”
I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “Nope.”
“Fuck me,” he sighed. “I hate to do this to you, because it’s not going to help you with her…but the girl. The one who gave up the kid…she’s dead. Killed herself in her bedroom by wrapping some paracord around her neck and around the ceiling fan.”
My fist came down hard on the couch, and I wanted to fucking scream.
“Goddammit,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “It wasn’t pretty. The parents are freaking out about their ‘good catholic girl’ being defiled and then committing the ultimate sin. It wasn’t good.”
I didn’t believe it would be. In fact, I imagined it hit pretty close to home for Georgia since she could’ve been that ‘catholic girl’ after I’d nearly done the same exact thing to her nearly eight years ago.
Astringent forces had taken over the reins of our lives that one sunny afternoon, and forever altered the course of our lives.
And not for the better.
I still remembered that night and the day following like it was yesterday.
We hadn’t had sex, but we’d done everything but. We hadn’t slept the entire night, talking about our hopes and dreams. Our wants and likes. We spoke about our lives together, marriage, and her going to college while I was deployed.
It’d been the best night of my life, having her in my arms like that.
Then I’d woken up to her already on her way back to her house and I’d gone about my day. I felt better knowing she’d be back after they were done working the cattle.
Except she’d never come back, and my life had irrevocably changed.
“Alright, man. Well, she’s been ignoring my calls and texts. I don’t think I’ll be calling and leaving this on the voicemail. I’ll tell her the next time she wants to talk to me. Thanks for keeping me informed,” I sighed.
After a few more pleasantries, I decided that a long jog might be just the thing I needed.
I changed into running shorts and tennis shoes and walked out my door, making sure to arm my alarm behind me.
The night was cooler than most Texas summer nights.
Low eighties, it was the perfect weather for a run.
I started out running at my usual pace, but when I could still feel my demons pounding away at my head, I ran faster.
I made my first four miles without any incidence.
