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“He was pulling up to the house, you should hear him in…” he didn’t need to finish.
The entire house could hear his boots pounding up the stairs, then he burst in the room with Crew in his arms, “What is it?”
I looked at him, then at the letter, and felt tears trailing down my cheeks.
He walked over to me, looked at the letter, and then said to Braydon, “Thanks for calling me, can you take Crew?”
He nodded and went to take Crew, but before he could, Crew asked, “Mommy? Only four things make you cry. The first is if I get hurt. The second is D. And he hasn’t done anything. The third is on Ms. Turner’s birthday. And the fourth….”
Daemon
She nodded, “Yes baby, this is the fourth.”
Crew nodded, then held his arms out to Braydon. I could tell he wanted to ask what was going on but thankfully, he didn’t.
I followed him to the door, and then said quietly, “Don’t let anyone else come up here until you hear me.”
He nodded, then I closed the door and headed to the bed, sat down carefully, pulled her in my arms, and sat there with her, once her tears were under control, I said, “We don’t know what this letter says, but I will be here for both of you, okay?”
At her nod, I asked, “Want me to read it?”
She nodded again.
“Okay, baby.” Then and only then did I take the letter from her, and with her pulled against my chest, I opened the envelope, pulled the letter out, then I wrapped my arm around her protectively, ensuring she and the baby were safe.
Then I started to read, “Dear Ms. Turner. Blah. Blah. Blah. The lawyer you hired has passed on, and his files were incomplete. We tried to find your number but were unable to do so. Then we tried to find your address. Thankfully, we were able to find that. We hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to inform you that Nathan Jones was attacked a week ago, and due to extenuating circumstances, he has passed away. Blah. Blah. Blah. Sincerely, Jacklyn Marks.”
Aliyah was the first one to whisper, “Holy shit.”
I nodded, “Damn.”
I laid there with her in my arms, and when she told me she wanted Crew, I sent a text to Marcus, who came in with him, and handed him over.
An hour later, after Aliyah told Crew that the man had passed away, Crew had shrugged. And that was that.
I tucked Crew into her side and then covered them both up. I knew she was a great mom. It was clear as fucking day. And it was proven even more true when she moved in her sleep, and wrapped her arms around her boy, sighed, and then started snoring lightly.
Crew followed her moments later.
Quietly, I closed the door.
Then I walked down the steps, ignoring the team, who were all asking what happened, walked out to the back deck, down the steps, and then got far enough where it wouldn’t wake them up, and then I looked up at the sky, “Thank you for either claiming that piece of shit or sending him to hell. I hope his soul gets tortured for all time.”
“Brother, what’s going on?” Braydon asked.
Marcus looked down at me, and nodded, saying he agreed with Braydon.
“Is she all right?” Finch asked.
“If you don’t want us to know that’s fine, but is she okay?” Culpepper asked,
“What I’m going to tell you guys, goes no further. She wouldn’t want anyone but the four of you to know,” I told them and then held their eyes so they could see how serious I was about this.
When they all nodded, crossed their arms over their chests, and then gave me their undivided attention, I started, “Aliyah was abandoned as a baby. She bounced from foster home to foster home. She kept getting too old for the families, according to them. It wasn’t until she moved to a home that was grateful for the paycheck and started a certain elementary school in fifth grade that she met a teacher named Karen Turner. Throughout the years, the teacher did whatever she needed to be there in the same school since then so she could be there for her.”
“Aliyah stayed after school with her, because one, she was her ride home, and two, she helped her with papers and such. One day, while Aliyah was doing that, Karen needed something from the car, so she went to do that. She forgot to grab her key to the front door, so she had to walk around the building to get back in. In the time it took for that to happen, Aliyah was beaten, and then raped.” I paused as fury whipped through all of their faces.
And Marcus, well, Marcus had a tear in his eye.
