AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, and I’m going to make sure she’s taken out of whatever fucked up situation she’s in. She was never adopted into a loving family, that much is true… but I need to know from you what you want to do if and when we find her.” Lom swallows, and I realize what he’s asking me. He wants to know if we’re going to place her with an actual family or if I want her in my life.
God, what a question. It’s something I never even thought I would ever be faced with, but I am. Then again, I never thought my aunt would be cruel enough to sell my daughter into child trafficking, but here we are.
I’m in a much better place in my life now than when I had her, and because of that, I think I could be a good mother to her. At least I’d be a mother versus whatever she’s been dealing with for so many years. God, all of this is my fault. I should’ve never trusted my aunt. Look what’s happened because of it.
“She’ll come with me. She’s been through enough, and I don’t want her to go through anything else that’s traumatic.” I’m speaking without even consulting Lom on the matter, but if he truly cares as much as he says, then he’ll support me in this.
“All right. At least now I know. I need to know everything you can give me about your daughter, her birth date, of course, and if you remember her features, birthmarks, anything of that sort.”
I give Lom every single detail I can remember about my daughter, from her birthmark to her date of birth and her eye and hair color. Who knows if anything’s changed over the years, but it’s at least something I could give him in the meantime. He ends up telling Ludvik everything, and I realize Ludvik’s been helping him with this whole ordeal. I’m so grateful to both of these men, and I’m thankful that they’ve been working to find my daughter.
Lom and I end up going back to my apartment to get more things packed, and by the time we’re back at the hotel suite, we’re both tuckered out. We order some Chinese food, watch a movie on the couch, and end up falling asleep cuddled up next to each other.
***
In less than fifteen minutes, I’m going to reveal something to my parents that I’ve been hiding for many years. Something that I know they’re not going to take well, simply based on the way I was raised in their house and the values they tried to instill in me.
Lom’s been kind enough to drive us out to my parents’ farmhouse, and as we pass the fields and other farms in the county, my stomach begins to turn in knots. The brutal reality is that I never wanted to tell them about my daughter in the first place because I never believed they needed to know. I thought she was off in a better place, living the best life possible… but she wasn’t. I sadly don’t know what my daughter’s been subjected to, but after we find her, I’m sure I’ll know at some point. I say after we find her because I’m going to find my daughter. There’s no way in hell that I’m ever going to give up on searching for her, and I know Lom won’t, either.
“Is this it?” Lom questions because the GPS told him it was the first left, but the GPS was wrong. There’s a neighboring farm, and that’s where the GPS tried to take us.
“Yeah, this is it,” I say as my parents’ red farmhouse comes into view. The barn and cattle are off to the right, and I’m counting the cattle as we ride down their dirt driveway. There has to be four or five hundred at least, and I know my father has to be taking some to the auction soon. He’s never had this many before.
Lom pulls the car up to where my mother’s Ford Ranger is and parks beside it. I take in a deep breath, and Lom grabs my hand. “Whatever happens in there, you’re not alone.”
His words should have a better effect on me, but they do little to calm me down. It’s probably because I know how intense my family is, and I know this is going to be the biggest blowup I’ve ever experienced from them.
We both get out of the vehicle and head for the small porch. I don’t bother knocking because my parents always told me I never needed to knock when I was coming back home, so I opened the storm door and walked right inside.
“Emily’s home!” Mom exclaims, seeming tickled to death to see me. She comes right up and wraps me up in a tight hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much. Tell me, how are things in the big city?”
I release my mother from the hug and fill her in a little bit, “They’re going great, but there’s someone I want you to meet. This is Lom, my boyfriend.”
Mom looks over at Lom and smiles widely. “Well, I didn’t know we would have more company over for dinner. I’ll have to get another place setting out for you.”
“I’m sorry if I’m intruding. It is lovely to meet you.” Lom has impeccable manners, especially since my mom’s been a bit rude already.
“Oh, it’s no bother. I just would’ve appreciated a little bit of a heads-up. I made plenty of food, so don’t you worry about that. Actually, Emily, if you could get another place setting out for Tom, that would be great.”
“It’s Lom,” I correct my mother because this seems pretty fucking shitty of her so far.
“That’s what I said. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” My mom walks off into the kitchen, and I take Lom into the dining room. She’s already pissing me off so badly, and I know things are just about to get worse.
For the next five minutes, I find another place setting and put it next to my seat. Meanwhile, I make introductions between Lom and my brother, Will, who seems to have a huge stick up his ass.
Eventually, my father makes it out from his den and takes a seat at the head of the table, calling Lom Tom, just like Mom has been. We all pass the dishes around and grab food, and for the first part of dinner, my dad talks about farming and tries to get to know a bit more about Lom but still calls him Tom. After a while, I’m starting to think they’re just doing this to piss me off, and I don’t think I’m wrong.
Out of nowhere, my mom stands up and delicately hits her fork against her glass. “I’d love to make a toast, and I think it’s about high time I did it. I want to toast to our beautiful granddaughter, whom we never even knew we had until my sister called me up a couple of weeks ago. I really want to say how grand of you it was to give her away to complete strangers without even considering that your father and I would’ve taken her.”
“I… I was faced with an impossible decision,” I state, but they don’t care.
“You were not! You were acting like a little jezebel and couldn’t deal with the consequences of your actions, so you justgave her away to hide your secrets,” Mom quips, and my father shakes his head.
“Calling her a jezebel is kind, Mom. Emily’s a slut. She always has been, and she always will be,” Will grits out, then looks at Lom. “Now, I don’t know how long you’ve known my sister, but she isn’t anything special, and you look like the kind of man who wants a woman who hasn’t been touched by everyone in town. My sister is used goods, man.”
Lom rises from his seat and leans over the table, and before any of us realize what’s going on, Lom’s fist collides with Will’s nose. There’s a crackling sound that rings out in the dining room, and my mom screams while my father reaches for his rifle that’s over the entryway. “Your sister is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And you,” Lom looks at my mother, “you should be ashamed of yourself. Have you ever thought for one second about why Emily felt like she couldn’t come to you about this? You should be furious with Lucy because she’s the one who gave that baby away to God knows who, and we’re still trying to find her. Your sister was the monster in this scenario, not your daughter… but you’re so blind that you can’t even see it,” Lom roars from the top of his lungs.
My mom takes a step back and clutches her chest, but it doesn’t faze me one bit. I should’ve known things would be like this. Like, honestly… I should’ve known.
