Stealing Grace (39 page)

“Well, I’m glad you’ve got an appetite” Amy said, thinking Elena was still under the influence of morphine.

“Yeah, doctor says we’re just fine. Yep, yep. We are just fine.” Elena trying to push the hints, Alex trying to not laugh.

“That’s great.”

“Yep. Doctor says
we
are fine.
We
sure are fine.”

“Alex, is she ok? How much morphine are they giving her?” Amy whispered to him and looked worried so Elena started rubbing her belly like a pregnant lady would. “Wait. When you say ‘we’?” Elena just smiled, realizing her sweet friend had finally come around. “What? You’re pregnant! Oh my!”

Even Roger, who hadn’t come to the conclusion any faster than Amy was wide eyed now. They both congratulated them and Elena and Alex explained everything. Elena didn’t however tell either one about her visitor because in the bustle for this new development, she herself no longer thought of it. Who was it and what did he want?

She would be released tomorrow and tomorrow would tell.

After the release papers were signed and to Elena’s dismay and embarrassment, she was carted through the halls in a wheelchair from the hospital room to the truck, they headed home. It was then that Elena remembered her mystery visitor to the flower shop.

She remembered telling Alex, but had he believed her? He never got a chance to bring it up again. The hospital was busy busy and so was their minds. She decided to bring it up now.

“Alex, do you remember me telling you about the man yesterday? The man that came into the shop?”

“Yeah, I do. I forgot about that. I thought you were dreaming or sleep talking or something.”

“No Alex, I wasn’t dreaming. All that really happened. We gotta move again. We can’t stay here. I already quit my job too.”

“You what?” He looked at her questioningly. “Why did you do that? You didn’t even talk to me first?”

“I didn’t think I had to talk to you about that. He was real, and right there in front of me, threatening me.”

“Baby,” he crooned, “I’m not saying that weren’t justified. I’m just saying we need to talk about these things, ok,” Alex said apologetically as they pulled into the driveway now. “Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from Agent Wright in weeks. He said he’d keep us posted. I think I’ll call him.”

He picked her up from the seat and carried her inside amid her protest. Elena finally let him because it
did
hurt to walk.

The new long couch that had arrived while she was hospitalized was so inviting and he let her rest there for a bit, while he inquired to Agent Wright about the ins and outs of the trial and the whole case. To their dismay, there was no knew news really. Traffickers knew they were on their tale and kept moving.

The women were doing well and most had been released as well as the children and adjusting well to the outside world, some in halfway houses and group homes and such. Some found programs and other abused women to live with as roommates to help support each other. The amount of networking that went along with the processes of reentering women into functioning society was incredible.

It seemed to be working out nicely and Alex conveyed all the details about the girls to Elena. Agent Wright was thrilled about the baby news and congratulated them profusely.

That caused another thirty minute conversation on nothing but fatherhood and newborns between the two men. Elena giggled at the one sided conversation she could hear, glad to see Alex’s interest in doing things right.

The next couple of weeks were slow and nice. Alex had taken a couple weeks off work, his new boss understood since his wife had passed out in front of all his coworkers, it was a pretty good alibi. Elena no longer worked at the flower shop and took it easy, recuperated.

They relaxed and talked about baby stuff, boy and girl names, places to live, should they stay? They hadn’t heard nor seen anyone else lurking around. Elena wasn’t sure what to think of that.

Alex had chalked it up to someone trying to scare them into leaving town, maybe someone from the community or a trafficker, but if that were true why not just kill her then? Why leave and not come back for all this time? That eased Elena’s nerves a bit.

They were just extra careful about going out and checking into things. The alarm on the house was armed every single time they went through the door.

* * *

It was amazing to Elena how much she had grown in a few weeks. The doctor had concluded that on the day she was released from the hospital she was 7 weeks pregnant. Now she was 11 weeks and definitely showing a bump.

Alex was crazy ecstatic.

He loved rubbing her belly and leaving his hand on it when they watched television or lay in bed. He loved everything about the pregnancy. He thought it hilarious the moods and the crying and most of all - the eating. Elena could eat almost as much as him these days. So far, her favorite craving food was Funyuns, which amused Alex to no end, because she’d never had Funyuns before that.

But she worked it off because she couldn’t sit still for very long and she was incredibly wanting of Alex every minute of every day. She would clean or do laundry for a while then have to go sit and rest but even then she fidgeted restlessly.

Elena’s favorite thing to do these days was sit in the Adirondack chairs Alex had bought for her and placed on the wide front porch, out of the sun but in perfect line with the cool shaded floral breeze. If they could stay, this place was perfect for them.

There was honeysuckle planted on the fence to the side of the yard and it blew with the wind perfectly in the spring and summer. And they were in full bloom and smelled heavenly.

Elena sat in her cushioned Adirondack with her feet in Alex’s lap across from her, eyes closed, smelling the breeze. They had two glasses of iced sweet tea next to them and they had planned a barbeque for tonight with Roger and Amy. This was the perfect day.

Alex fell asleep in his chair, chin on his fist, still holding her feet. She loved watching him sleep. He deserved to rest putting up with her mood swings all day. It was making her tired so it must be him too, though he thought it was funny, it wasn’t to her.

She didn’t like feeling out of control of bodily functions let alone her ideas and actions.

The night came quickly after their afternoon nap on the porch. Elena thought she hadn’t felt so rested in a very long time, but she was, of course, starving and urged Alex to please get started since there were now two pregnant ladies present.

He laughed as she whispered her plea in his ear trying not to be rude for interrupting his and Roger’s conversation.

“Of course,” he leaned down to kiss her quickly, “what was I thinking.”

He laughed again as he went to fire up the grill.

Elena lit the citronella candles and her and Amy sat in the big white Adirondacks while Roger and Alex stood by the fire, like typical men. Amy was getting bigger by the day and looking slightly uncomfortable even though she was only four months along now.

But Roger was very attentive to her. He was always reassuringly touching her shoulder or twiddling her fingers with his, guiding her along with his hand on the small of her back. It reminded her of Alex’s behavior towards her and was happy that things had turned out so good for Amy.

Elena, in her starvation, couldn’t help but think that those were the absolute best burgers she had ever eaten in her life. And the potato salad that Amy made was divine.

Stuffed and now miserable in a different way but better than hungry, she sauntered over to the pallet that Alex had pulled out for them all.

There was supposed to be a meteor shower and they weren’t the only ones coming out of the works to gaze at the clear sky. The whole street was lounged, chaired, seated, laid out, standing, something, in yards and in the street.

The sky was pitch black and the stars were everywhere, the city had even turned the street lamps off for the event.

Alex and Elena laid on one blanket with Roger and Amy on the other to the side of the front yard. Alex, one arm behind his head and Elena laying on his stomach for a pillow, he had her hand in his, rubbing circles in her palm.

And then the first bright light shot across the sky swiftly and the gasps began, then the ‘wow’s and the ‘oh look’s. The meteors came quickly now, a crescendo of sparks and the sky was n o longer black.

You could see the lights on the faces as they stared in wonderment. Flames in their eyes. As the four friends sat in perfect harmony with each other and everything around them, Elena hoped this feeling would stay, hoped that her little family could stay this way.

Once the shower of sparks and lights was over, they all packed up their stuff and headed inside to clean up from dinner. Elena was rolling up the blanket with everyone else already inside or heading there when she heard her name across the yard.

“Mrs. Elena! Hey.”

She turned to see the neighbor boy she’d met earlier jogging to the white fence that separated their yards.

“Hey, Mack. Did you see the meteor shower?”

“Yeah, I watched it from my balcony. I saw you down here and wanted to come see how you were doing. We heard about what happened to you.”

“Oh, you did?”

“It’s a small town, Mrs. Elena, you can’t keep anything secret ‘round here,” he said sardonically.

“So I’m finding out. Well, I’m fine. See?” She lifted her hands and the blanket to her sides. “Just fine.”

“Are you-” he stopped and looked awkward.

“Pregnant?” She laughed at his face, not wanting to suggest it if it wasn’t true. “Yes.”

“Ok, good. I was afraid to ask just in case you got fat from being sick and in the hospital or something.”

She laughed at him again and his bluntness.

“Nope, just pregnant.”

“So...did you quit your job? I haven’t seen you leave your house in a while,” he said, picking paint chips from the fence slats.

“Yeah, I did. It was...too much for me right now.”

Not really a lie.

“I bet Mr. Pete was pis- I mean, upset. He’s a real groucho. He substitute teaches at the school sometimes.”

“Oh really? I didn’t know that. Yes, he’s a groucho, for sure. He wasn’t real happy with me, but I don’t blame him.”

“He can be a real Nazi about things sometimes so don’t worry about him,” he said making her laugh again.

“Thanks for the tip.”

“So, he didn’t fire you did he?”

“No, I quit.”

“That’s ok, don’t worry about him. You were a little too young to be working there anyway,” he said with haughtiness. “How old are you?”
“Twenty three.”

“Huh. I just turned nineteen. Not too much older than me, are you?”

“I guess not.”

“So, are you sure you quit?”

She laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. Why?”

“I wasn’t sure if I got you in trouble the other day and you just didn’t want to make me feel bad. See, this guy came here looking for you, for your husband actually.”

Elena’s heart stopped as she realized what was coming. He was telling her he’d sent the mystery guy there to look for her not knowing he was a psycho. She tried to contain herself as he continued.

“He said he was his brother and since you just moved he couldn’t remember your house number so I told him and then he asked about you. I told him you were working at the flower shop but I didn’t know about your husband’s job. So anyway, I felt bad when I realized you didn’t work there any more. I thought I’d gotten you in trouble.”

“Uh.” She swallowed.
Do not freak out on this kid and scare him to death
. “No, no. You didn’t, I promise. Listen, uh, if anyone, even Alex’s brother comes looking for us again, will you just tell them you don’t know anything about us? We had uh...we’re having uh...”

She felt faint. She started to sway but Mack caught her by the upper arms from over the fence.

“Are you alright Mrs. Elena?”

“Yes.” She steadied herself with his arm. “Yes, I’m ok. Please just don’t speak to anyone about us, ok? I don’t want you to get hurt and-” realizing she was saying too much again, “never mind.”

“Are you sure you’re alright? Do you want me to go get your husband?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you, Mack. I’ll see you later, ok?”

“Yeah, ok,” he replied sounding entirely too concerned for a teenager.

He released her arm reluctantly and she walked up to the porch right as Alex came out.

“I was just coming to see what was taking so long. Are you ok?”

“Yes.” She looked back and waved to Mack, still watching her from the fence with a worried frown. “I was talking to our neighbor, Mack. I met him the other day. We need to talk, Alex, with Roger and Amy.”

“Ok. Come inside and sit down. You look pale.” He practically lifted her up the porch stairs and into the house, waving politely at Mack before shutting the door.

She explained everything Mack had told her while Alex made her sit and got her a glass of orange juice. They contended back and forth. They knew they had to leave but it wasn’t that simple to just pack up and leave anymore. They thought they’d be here for a little while anyway. They had jobs, people counting on them. But this was their lives they were putting on the line.