Stolen Lullaby

Playing Fair

To be closer to Sophie, Taylor and Joe decided to rent a house in Connecticut rather than go through the hassle of traveling back and forth from Tennessee. Carol and Steve were far from pleased about them being so close by but there was nothing they could do to prevent it. Still very much wanting to keep everything secret from the media they gave in to the Collins's demands but creating a visitation schedule with Carol and Steve in private without legal intervention was not going well. They cancelled several visitation meetings and came up with a dozen other excuses about why they couldn't see Sophie. It was always that they had other plans, she was sick or that she had an activity to go to. There was never any room of negotiation or alternative plans. Taylor and Joe could count the times on one hand that they had been allowed to see Sophie in person in the last month though they had been able to Facetime once in a while but even then it was only for a few minutes.

Sophie still asked about Taylor and Joe everyday much to Steve and Carol's annoyance. Whoever said that three-year-old's have short memories and can easily be distracted obviously had never encountered a child quite like Sophie. All of her arts and crafts projects became childish drawings of the Alwyn's cats or of Taylor and Joe themselves. Whenever she completed a new art work she would declare that she was going to give it to them as a gift next time they played. As a marker of opportunities missed or denied, the stack of artworks began to grow higher and higher on her desk.

"Carol we can't keep putting them off we can't just keep ignoring them hoping they'll go away." Steve said one afternoon after cleaning up after yet another one of Sophie's art projects this time it was a finger painting of Olivia the cat.

"What do you want to do then? roll over to what they want and just hand Sophie over"

"That's not what I said, we just need to have a real conversation and let them know what the situation is going to be going forward instead of just pretending they don't exist." It was true, the back and forth was becoming ridiculous and they needed to put their foot down once and for all. It wasn't fair to either party to be living in some kind of strange suspense, someone was going to have to let go.

"I'll invite them over for dinner next Tuesday and we can talk it over then." Carol sighed going to get her phone. With sweaty palms she dialed the number she had reluctantly programed into her phone.

"Hello?" Taylor's voice came through the line sounding alternately sad and hopeful.

"Hi Taylor, it's Carol I was wondering if you and Joe were available to come over for dinner this coming Tuesday. She said in a matter of fact tone.

"Of course! What time" Taylor replied brightly.

"Who's coming over for dinner, who are you talking to?" Sophie asked. Carol didn't notice her come downstairs and was a bit flustered. She generally avoided talking about Taylor and Joe in front of Sophie at all costs unless she was forced to.

"Taylor and Joe are coming for dinner honey" she whispered trying to shoo her away.

"Is that Tay-Tay and Joe on the phone? I want to talk to them!" Sophie moved to grab the phone from Carol.

"Sophie stop!" Carol tried to hold her at bay but Sophie was too fast and managed to wrench the phone away.

"Hi Tay-Tay and Joe are you coming to play with me!" She yelled into the phone.

"Yes, sweetie we are coming for dinner on Tuesday." Carol could hear Taylor's laughing voice through the phone. Sophie screamed in excitement but became quiet in the next breath.