Page 63 of This Reckless Home

“Hey, baby. You’re not alone,” Ant assures me, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead. “We’re here, and we will help.”

“But he’ll be so frightened, Ant. He’s only just stopped wetting the bed and having nightmares eight months after he left them. How can I send him back?”

I know he can’t answer any of those questions, hell even I can’t answer them. But I just wish someone could.

“Fuck, I know, sweetheart,” he replies, running his dust covered hand over his hair and leaving it in disarray. “But we will find a way. I swear. Okay?”

I nod, knowing that he’s wrong. There is no way. No legal way.

STEELE

Ant and I go shower once Blossom has calmed a little, though now she’s like a ghost, and we leave her curled up on one of the couches with Nox. I’d messaged them in our group chat before I got into the truck, telling them to come back home as I talked Blossom out of her panic.

I love that we’re here to help her, can’t imagine how she’d manage all alone like she must have done before. I just wish it weren’t for this reason. Nox is right. It’s bull-fucking-shit that the system which is supposed to care for kids like Noah put him in danger again because of their stupid policies and don’t even ask the kid what he wants. The same fucked up system that looked at Ant's care file and used it as a weapon. The same one that decided our apartment was insufficient and our income unstable and sent Justin to a different home. It takes and takes and calls it policy.

We sit with Blossom when she tells him after they all get back from school, and I watch as the fear creeps over his face, his usual warm umber skin turning ashen as his eyes turned lifeless. He didn’t speak, and I could see it broke something in my Flower to watch as he retreated back into himself.

Fuck!

We stayed in the house with them, Blossom holding Noah as he tossed and turned and cried all night in his sleep. She looks wrecked this morning, eyes rimmed red, skin pale and pasty looking as she helps Noah pack his things and I watch from the doorway, so fucking useless, unable to do a damn thing just like when my dad beat the shit out of my mom for all those years.

The kids are devastated, Henry driving them to school with Tina as Blossom didn’t want to leave Noah’s side. He’s quiet, withdrawn and I hate how I know that feeling. How I recognise it for the survival technique it is.

Soon Marie’s Sedan is coming up the drive, and my teeth grind even though I know it’s not her fault.

“Morning, Noah,” she greets as she gets out, and Noah just stares past her. “Ready?”

“There has to be something you can fucking do?” Nox snarls, and she flinches, taking a step back as he steps forward, but nowhere near her. He scoffs, but I put my hand out, stopping him getting any closer.

“We’ve tried everything. I spoke to the judge, gave my evidence and my concerns were overruled,” Marie replies, looking from Nox to me to Ant warily and I shake my head. Same fucking bullshit as always. We're threats because of what we look like. Never mind that we're the ones who've been here for Noah. Never mind that we'd never hurt a kid. Just three big men, two of them Black, so we must be dangerous.

Blossom ignores us all, crouching down in front of Noah and gaining his attention. I see the strain in the way she’s barely holding it together, but she is trying for him and fuck it makes me love her more.

Yep. I’m in love with her and will be telling her soon, because life has taught me that you can’t waste time.

“I will keep fighting, Noah, darling. Okay?” He nods, his lower lip trembling. “And keep your phone hidden. Call me if you need to. I mean it, Noah. Any time, day or night.”

“Yes, Miss. Blossom,” he replies, the first words he spoken since she told him.

“I love you, darling,” she rasps out, pulling him into a fierce hug that he returns, clinging to her like that will stop him being taken away.

A lump forms in my throat watching them. I wish I’d had someone like her when I was growing up, and here is Noah, losing her because of some shit that is all red tape bullshit and not based on reality.

They reluctantly pull apart, and I can see the tears in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall, giving Noah a small smile instead.

“Any time. Day or night,” she repeats, before standing up, placing a kiss on top of his head and taking his hand.

“We’ll see you soon, Noah,” Ant states, and Noah looks at him, his throat working as he gives a small nod.

No one says anything else as Blossom leads him to Marie’s car, helping him get buckled in, giving him another kiss and shutting the door. She gives Marie a stiff nod, and then steps back as the social worker looks over with a pained expression before getting into the car and driving off.

Blossom wraps her arms around herself, Ant’s already stepping up to her when the car disappears and her legs give out from underneath her, a sob ripping from her throat. Ant catches her, Nox and I taking a step as he picks her up and cradles her to his chest.

I want to reassure her that we’ll find a way. That we will get him back. But I can’t.

I know the system, have lived through it. And so I know there’s not a fucking thing we can do.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO