willing

eleven

Luke.

After having a small meeting a catching the guys up on all the details of this case, we were all in agreement- we were more than willing to let them spend the night.

"So she just- won't leave?" Michael asked me calmly.

"Yep- refuses that anything is happening at all, although we have more than enough hospital charts that says otherwise." I confirmed.

"We'll keep Lily entertained for a while tonight, you can talk to her." He spoke to me, making me quietly thank him.

As we walked into the house, I kept my arm around Tate, lifting most of her weight for her, making sure to not touch her stitches.

As we got to the stairs- we both paused- Tate exhaling deeply.

"Can I carry you?" I asked her quietly.

"Please" she surprisingly responded, making me
immediately carefully lift her bridal style.

"Mommy is a baby" I heard Lily laugh, referring to how I was carrying her.

"Mommy is actually a queen" I corrected, hearing Tate quietly laugh towards me.

I got her into my room, setting her on my bed.

"Thank you." I heard her quietly say.

"I'll grab you some clothes" I spoke, noticing that she was still in a hospital gown due to us cutting her shirt off of her.

As I took out clothes, I heard her clear her throat.

"I-I'm sorry" I heard her say, making me face her again.

"For what?" I asked her quietly.

She blinked as she looked into my eyes, I saw tears swelling.

"Being a burden" she whispered.

"You're not a burden." I immediately spoke.

After a few seconds of sitting in silence, her letting me gently hold her hand, she spoke again.

"Do you think Lily will hate me when she gets older?" She asked me quietly.

I exhaled.

"Hate you for what?" I asked.

Please tell me.

Let me help you.

Her knee bounced, the tears in her eyes never going away.

"I'm not a bad mom." Her voice cracked.

"I know you aren't-" "I just- we can't do this right now" she let the tears go.

"Three more years and I'll be done with school and I'll be making really good money" she cried out, myself never letting go of her hands.

"And I swear he doesn't touch her- he doesn't hurt her. I know you all think he does- but he has never hurt her." She cried to me, telling me everything without saying the words.

"We know that no one hurts her." I told her truthfully.

Liliana was perfectly healthy, never having a single bruise on her.
The biggest reason we were concerned about her was that she was watching her mother get beat and have near death experiences almost weekly.

Her head hit my shoulder as she cried.

"Let me take care of you." I spoke to her.

"No." She instantly spoke back, not moving from my shoulder.

"I'm serious- you can live here with me, I'll pay for everything, I'm a doctor- I make plenty of money to provide for you and Lily- please, let me." I told her calmly.

"Luke" I heard her laugh, catching me off guard as I felt her sit up, her tear stained face looking
to me.

"I appreciate everything you're offering me right now, but no. I couldn't"

From that point on, she continued to even dismiss the conversation.

"Do you want to shower?" I asked her slowly.

"I literally don't think I could stand-" "I could help you?" I spoke slowly.

"I mean- I am a doctor, I see bodies all the time- only in a professional way- but I mean if you don't want" she stopped my stuttering with a small laugh, something that instantly made me smile.

I wanted to hear that more.

"If you're okay with it, you can help me." She spoke quietly.

Her and I went back and forth as we tried to figure this out, myself being told to look away more times than I can count, just helping her stand in anyway I could without looking, hearing her laugh throughout the process.

"I think you might as well have showered, you're quiet wet" she laughed lightly, referring to how somehow- even my hair was wet.

Without looking- I helped her set out, handing her a towel, which she wrapped her body in before giving me a small "okay".

"Everything okay?" I asked, moving her clothes to somewhere easier for her to grab as I prepared to step out so she could change.

"Everything is okay." She confirmed back to me.

Tate.

He sent me a cute smile before stepping out.

I quickly changed, stepping into his overwhelmingly large clothes, holding the counter as my assistance to get to the door.

As I walked out, I heard Lily's loud laughter.

"Luke" she screamed as he lifted her in the air before bringing her back down, making her laugh loudly.

I leaned against the doorframe, catching her attention.

"Mommy" she breathed out, making me smile.

"We should come play here more often."