Stolen Lullaby

Battle Lines

It was almost a surprise how fast Sophie warmed to Taylor and Joe. She took their hands and dragged them all over the playroom going from one activity to another. At one point Joe was wearing a king's crown on his head and Taylor was wearing cat ears.

"Do you like kitties? they're my favorite." Sophie said showing them the cat on her sweatshirt

"I do like kitties, we actually have three two girl kitties named Olivia and Meredith and a boy cat named Benji. Do you want to see a picture?" Taylor asked.

"You have THREE kitties?" Sophie was in total awe. Joe got his phone out to show her a picture of the cats.

"Wow they're beautiful" she said admiring the pictures with her mouth open. Her expression made him almost laugh out loud because it was the exact same face Taylor made whenever she was delighted by something.

"You can come visit them sometime they would love to be friends with you."

"They would?! I'd love to be friends too, I love kitties sooo much!" she squealed jumping up and down in excitement. "Mommy did you hear that, Taylor and Joe have kitties who want me to come over and be friends!" she ran to Carol to tell her the news unable to contain her excitement. While Carol smiled at Sophie's uncontainable joy a twinge of pain formed in the pit of her stomach. So many pieces that made up the person Sophie was were made clear the more she watched her interact with Joe and Taylor. The way she crinkled her nose before as smiled was the same expression Joe made while the way she talked with her hands was undeniably inherited from Taylor. How could two strangers seem to know her child so well even though they just met?

"Mommy did you hear me?!" Sophie tugged on her sleeve.

"Sorry what was that honey?" Carol asked snapping out of her thoughts.

"Taylor and Joe have three kitties that want to be friends. Can I go over and play with them Pleeassee?!" For the first time she willed herself to look up at Taylor and Joe, they shared a gaze filled with a sense of impending unease. When she studied the two people looking back at her she could no longer hide from the truth. She saw so much of her daughter in both of their faces.

"Honey I'm not sure, they live awfully far away..." She started to say hesitantly. Sophie couldn't hide her disappointment.

"But they invited me and I want to make friends with Meredith, Benji and Olivia."

"Maybe some other time..."

"No, I want to play with the kitties you're mean!" Sophie yelled stomping her foot.

"Hey stop that, we don't whine!" Steve snapped.

"Hey... it's okay Lou- I mean Sophie. Meredith, Benji and Olivia will wait for you don't worry" Taylor went to put a comforting hand on her back but Carol pulled her away a bit more roughly than she intended to. As Joe watched from across the room he recognized that battle lines were being drawn.

"It's getting late, I think it's nearly Sophie's bedtime." Steve announced standing up reaching for his jacket.

"Uh uh I'm not tired." Sophie said running back to the dress up trunk near Joe. He looked at his watch, it was 9:00 pm so it was getting late.

"Hey kid I tell you what, when we play next time we can bring more dress up clothes and you can even keep them." Sophie pouted a bit before putting the clothes back in the trunk.

"You promise we'll play again?"

"I promise." He said ruffling her hair.

"I said it's bed time now let's go." Steve said impatiently.

"Hugs for everybody first!" Sophie said running to give Taylor and Joe a good bye hug.

"Enough already we have to go!" Carol snapped pulling on Sophie's arms which were firmly wrapped around Taylor's legs.

"Hey there's no need to be so rough." Taylor interjected as Sophie yelped in surprised at how hard she was being pulled.

"Why don't you mind your own business." Carol said harshly glaring at Taylor with such malice it caught her off guard. Perhaps becoming aware at how abrupt she came across, Carol leveled her tone. "The social worker will be in contact for your next visitation." She said coolly as she and Steve hustled Sophie toward the door. Taylor and Joe followed them out of the room watching them hurry down the hallway. Sophie kept turning to wave at them and they waved back until they couldn't see each other any longer. Joe put a comforting arm around Taylor's shoulders.

"Don't worry love, it's not a good bye this time, she'll be home with us soon."

When they got to the hotel instead of sleeping they lay awake talking. They marveled at how much she resembled both of them.

"She totally got my hair, poor thing I hope she learns to love it more than I did." Taylor laughed.

"She got my big hands too... she's going to be able to create a healthy slap to the boys who break her heart." Joe mused. As they bantered back and forth about what features she shared and which were completely her own an unsettling quiet followed until Taylor said what was on both of their minds.

"Joe I'm scared... what if Carol and Steve won't let her go?"

"It's not up to them, eventually she will be coming home with us. Right now we just have to work on getting to know Sophie so it won't be so scary when she comes to live with us."

"I know but I'm just nervous after seeing how they reacted today. I know it's hard for them too but I was just surprised how rough they were being. I'm still hoping they'll want to meet us half way on this transition."

"Gosh I really hope so too." Joe said swallowing nervously. Though they had only been together for a few hours they were already head over heels in love with their little girl and they couldn't bear the thought of being apart for her any longer than they had to.

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Sophie talked about Taylor and Joe the entire car ride home until she fell asleep. Carol and Steve largely ignored her hoping she would forget about everything by morning. But when she woke up to eat breakfast she was still giddy with excitement at the idea that they were going to play again. Finally they persuaded her to go outside and play in the backyard so they could have a chance to talk.

"I don't think I can do it Steve" Carol said staring out the window watching Sophie playing on her swing set with her stuffed cat. "They don't even know her, how can they just take her away from us?"

"Honey don't worry about it she isn't going anywhere." Steve said.

"How can you be so sure? These are powerful people with money and connections"

"They won't be able to take her from us without a fight, that's for damn sure."

All Carol could do was nod her head in agreement. They had fought so hard to have a child and they were prepared to fight just as hard to keep her.