Fate's Redemption (4 page)

Once he’s shown his adoration to them, I’m
released and moved on all fours, facing the foot of the bed. He
tunnels in again on a hard thrust, and I give a soft cry and clench
against him. “Look baby.”

I look up at the soft command, and see our
reflection in the dresser mirror.

“From that first lick on my damn foot you
gave me the perfect view of this ass. So good.” He squeezes my ass
and I watch him focused on where we’re joined.

The image is so erotic I feel myself about to
unravel. “Danny,” I whimper.

“That’s right, Kinley. Take it,” he grunts,
moving a hand around my stomach to circle his fingers around my
clit. I come with a muffled scream, forcing my arms to unlock so
that I can smother the sound in the mattress. Seconds later, Danny
loses his rhythm and I feel his hand on my back, hot as he pulses
inside of me.

When he pulls out my muscles clench to keep
him with me. Danny’s lips start at the base of my spine and move up
to the nape of my neck, making goose bumps spread over my entire
body. I shiver as he settles beside me, sliding the hair from my
face. “I love you, Kinley.”

“More than the moon and the stars,” I whisper
as I slide into sleep.

“I need you to get me out. I can’t sleep
there again.”

I look into the haunted eyes of this child
and squeeze her hand tight. “Alright. Is there anything you need
from your house?”

She shakes her head as her face crumbles. I
catch her against me before she can topple to the floor and smile
slightly at the barista looking on in concern.

Bending my head, I whisper, “it’s okay.
Everything is going to be just fine.”

With one hand I pull out my cell phone and
text my organization’s law team. They would get the ball rolling
with the police and Child Protective Services. The first thing we
would have to do is get her into the system so that we could get
her checked out by a physician.

After I wipe Dominique’s eyes with a napkin,
we detour through the department store to grab her a jacket. The
closer it came to Christmas, the colder it was getting in the
foothills and I had yet to see her in anything but hoodies.

Once we’re in the car, she asks tentatively,
“where are we going?”

On the drive I explain to her the laws in
place to protect her, but because she’s a minor we have to go
straight to the hospital to file a report so that her parents
couldn’t force her to leave with them.

Three hours later I’m talking with the social
worker and police outside of Dominique’s curtained off room.

“We have enough evidence to place her in
state custody, the only thing is she doesn’t want to go,” Rachel
says with a helpless shrug.

“What do you mean? She knew that was the only
option,” I say, stepping forward.

Rachel looks at me with tired eyes. “She says
she wants to talk to you. I’m going to file this.” She nods to the
police officer and walks down the hall. I thank the man, and leave
him to talk to Dominique.

“Hey, I heard you wanted to talk to me.”

Her chin trembles as she twists her hands,
the light blue gown tenting over her big stomach. “If you put me
somewhere I just know he’ll find me. He said if I ever told anyone
he would get me and it would be worse. I can’t go back anymore,
please.”

“Alright. What if I had a place that was
gated with a guard? Protected so that no one could ever get to you.
Would you go there?” I ask, my heart in my throat.

She nods, looking scared. “What is that
place? It sounds like a prison.”

I laugh, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms
in the cold sterile room. “My house. When I adopted my son I had to
become a foster parent first. Legally you can stay with me, but
only if that’s what you want.”

“Yes. I trust you.”

The worry and doubt of taking this child into
my home disintegrates with her words. I know how hard it is to
trust anyone, and that this girl would give me that gift left me no
alternative. She was coming home.

“Momma!”

I catch the bundle flying toward me midleap
and spin him around. His laugh launches my own. Bringing him down
to my hip, I kiss his cheek. “You’re lucky I have good reflexes,
you could have went splat on the floor.”

“Uh huh. Ollie go splat,” he smiles, eyes
twinkling. Boys. I put him down and turn to the timid girl behind
me.

“Ollie, this is Dominique. She’s going to
stay with us for a little while.”

“Okay. She stay in my room?” he asks
eagerly.

I shake my head and pull them both down the
hall. “No. She’ll stay in the guest bedroom.”

“Donny stay with me.” Ollie pulls away from
me to hold her hand. The girl looks scared to death, and keeps
glancing around like the house will swallow her up any second. I
smile encouragingly and walk ahead, leaving them to trail behind
me. When I get to the kitchen, Rosa is banging a spoon on a
pot.

“Ah, Mija. I know you like to cook, but you
have such a long day, and is so cold I make you dinner.” She shakes
her head and waves a hand through the air. “No, no Kinley. I tell
you, I make you my famous chili and you say nothing but thank you,
si?”

I smile and nod obediently. “Thank you,
Rosa.” I bend to kiss her cheek and she hugs my shoulders. “Rosa, I
want you to meet Dominique. This is Rosa, she’s our right arm
around here.”

Dominique jerkily pulls out a hand and shakes
Rosa’s. Rosa eyes the girl up in a glance, immediately taking her
to the table and pouring a glass of milk for her. Ollie climbs up
to the table and shows Dominique his toys, trying to get her to
play with him.

Rosa meets my eyes and her’s lift after she
takes the corn bread out of the oven. I shrug. What was I supposed
to do? Rosa puts sour cream in the chili and melted cheese on the
corn bread. “Are you trying to fatten her up?” I ask quietly.

Rosa’s mouth gets tight and she swats me
lightly with a kitchen towel. “That girl is eating for two, you
nitwit!” she whisper shouts to me.

I gasp quietly, putting my hands over my
mouth. “I had no idea.”

Rosa gives me a droll look and walks out with
Dominique’s food, leaving me chuckling behind her. Rosa and I have
always gotten along. She’s really the rock of this hodpodge family.
I follow behind her with Ollie’s bowl and we eat to the tune of a
toddler’s ramblings. When the door slams open everyone jumps, but
Dominique the highest.

“Ho ho ho! Let it be Christmas!” Danny yells
through the house. Ollie is long gone to launch himself at his dad,
but when I turn the corner it’s clear he wont be jumping since
Danny is pulling the hugest tree I’ve ever seen into the house.

“Where did you get that thing?”

“Oh at the liquor store, baby,” he shoots
back immediately. I giggle as he gives me a dry look and a smirk.
“Where do you think I got it?”

“Okay, you got me. It’s huge, though.” I tilt
my head for a kiss, and get my bottom lip bit before pulling
away.

“That’s what you tell me,” he whispers before
straightening and looking behind me. He says out of the side of his
mouth, “Um, Kinley? Don’t look now but there’s a nesting doll
behind you.”

“What?” I ask.

“You know. A child inside of a child.” He
shrugs. “Nesting dolls.”

I turn and wave Dominique forward as Ollie
climbs Danny. Danny lets go of the tree finally to pick up the
toddler.

“Dominique, this is my husband, Danny. Danny,
Dominique is going to stay with us for a bit.”

“William and Mary right? Virginia is
beautiful, have you been?” Danny asks as he holds his hand out. We
can all tell she doesn’t want to take it, but he keeps his hand
steady as I hold my breath. Finally she touches his hand with hers,
quickly letting it go.

“No. Not yet, but maybe one day,” she says
quietly.

I move to her side and put a hand around her
should. “Of course you will.”

She puts her hands on her round stomach, and
Danny and I make eye contact. He sets Ollie down and pulls the tree
through the French doors and into the living room. I make hot
chocolate for the kids as Danny wrestles the tree into a stand.

Once they’re settled I make a call.

“Wassup girlfriend?”

“Hey, Ali. I was wondering if you had any
maternity clothes still?”

“Holy shit, did Danny water your seed
finally?”

I roll my eyes and laugh. “Shut up. I have a
seventeen year old at my house that’s about to pop. She can’t go
back to her house and she can’t really leave the neighborhood until
her birthday in a few weeks. I can give her Danny’s t-shirts to
wear for tonight and go out tomorrow, but you and I both know
you’re itching to go shopping for new stuff.”

“You got that right. I was going to take them
to Goodwill so that I could prove I didn’t have anything that fit
anymore. You’re saving me here, Kinley.”

“Ha. Yeah right. Bring it over when you can,
and we’ll make due. Thanks, Ali!”

“No, thank you! I’ll be over in the
morning.”

“See ya.” I hang up, and make my way into the
living room, where Danny is hooking his phone up to the
entertainment center.

“What are we doing?”

Danny turns and smiles, flashing pearly
whites and dimples. “Decorating. Will you start that fire, babe?
Wait, that’s the man thing. Can you make hot chocolate?”

I point to the kids with a grin. “Already
did.”

Danny gives me a dark scowl. “You’re messing
up my flow, woman. Go open the back door then.”

“Why?”

Danny raises his arms and lets them fall in
exasperation. “Because I’m lighting a fire, and it’s going to get
hot. If you open the door, it’ll get cool.”

I shake my head, catching Dominique’s eyes as
she tries to hide a smile and open the door. I also turn the heat
down in the house.

Danny brings up boxes from the basement,
giving Dominique the first ornament to hang on the tree. It’s a
cameo of a child, with a dark purple background and velvet ribbon.
A clothing designer made them for after I wore a prototype to an
award show. They symbolize domestic violence awareness and are the
figurehead for my company.

Dominique takes the ornament softly, rocking
from side to side to get to the end of the couch so that she can
stand. We watch silently as she puts it right in the middle of the
ten foot tree and steps back. Danny and I share a smile. Ollie
moves to her side to place his ornament as close to Dominique’s as
he can. The tree requires a ladder to get the top, and I about have
a heart attack when Danny takes Ollie to the top to place the
angel.

Before bed Ollie stands at the rails on the
second story and wave to the angel. “Night, Lulu.”

My body breaks out in goosebumps as Danny
silently takes Ollie to bed, and I direct Dominique down to the end
of the hall and into the master bedroom. Lu is Danny’s sister that
passed away before Ollie was born. She is the one that brought us
all together and holds a significant place in our hearts.

I take a deep breath and move around the
room. “This is yours for as long as you want to stay with us. I’ll
get you some sleep shirts and we’ll work out your school work in
the morning. Feel free to lock your door.” Dominique looks around
the room, looking lost. “Dominique.” I wait for her to bring her
eyes to mine. “You’re safe here.”

She nods silently.

Once everyone is in bed, Danny meets me in
the bathroom as I’m brushing my teeth. He leans against the counter
and I get distracted with watching his arms flex when he grabs the
lip of the marble with his hands.

“Babe, eyes up here.”

Bringing my eyes back to his face, I mumble,
“Sorry,” and spit the toothpaste out. “What’s up?”

His eyebrows raise. “Well, when we were
talking about Ollie asking for a friend to stay at his house, I
didn’t think you would be so literal.”

“I didn’t have a choice. I’m sorry I couldn’t
talk to you first, she had just went through an extensive doctor’s
check up and talked to the police to press charges against her
stepdad. She said she didn’t feel safe at a foster home. This is
the safest place I know.”

“I’m glad, baby.” Danny reels me into his
chest. He kisses my neck, moving the hair out of his way as he
kisses up my throat. “I always want this to be a safe place, for
whoever comes here. I just don’t want you to get attached. She’s
going to go off to college.”

“I know,” I sigh. “Maybe she’ll become a
lawyer or social worker and come work for me.”

“We’ll do whatever we can for her. She won’t
have to want for anything, you know that,” he reassures me, pulling
my shirt over my head. I nod, pulling his shirt off and running my
fingers lightly over the lilies tattooed over his ribs.

“Did you hear what Ollie said?” I ask.

“Yeah. Lu’s all around us. I wonder if she
brought this girl here.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” I admit.

“I miss that girl,” Danny rumbles. I put my
head on his chest and hug him tight.

“Me too.”

The weeks fly by with the activity of the
holidays, mixed in with two children that need vastly different
things. Danny is gone for days at a time as he does appearances and
various performances and award shows. My days are more hectic than
usual as I work from home as much as possible. Dominique gradually
gets more comfortable with her surroundings, often walking in the
woods and down to the barn. She’s always quiet, but the councilor
that we have her seeing says that she’s coping far better than if
she didn’t have the environment and people that know what she’s
going through.

She rarely needs help with homework, and when
she does I have to look up what exactly she’s doing. I’ve forgotten
how hard Calculus is. Dominique decides that she wants to be called
Nicky after a few sessions with the therapist. She does research on
changing her name, and I get the lawyers on making that possible
for her as soon as she graduates.