Thirty-Five | Dom
Thirty-Five
Dom
After Jo was released from the hospital, I booked us a room at a hotel in Timber Falls.
There was no way we would be able to make it back up the mountain to the cabin, and part of me felt better about being so close to the hospital in case something happened.
Watching Jo take a turn for the worse and almost die had been enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life, and I wasn’t willing to take any more chances.
The room was nice, with a king-sized bed and a couch tucked into the corner.
Jo was currently sleeping while I sat in the dark, looking at the newest text message I had gotten from Lauren.
It had come from Tray’s phone, which meant that he could easily track us to Timber Falls since he was texting me.
Keith and I had talked for a while at the hospital while Dr. Foster got Jo discharged. There wasn’t a safe place to take Jo without risking that Tray would find us. We knew the original plan had already been compromised and that we would have to abandon it while we figured out something else.
I had a few guns on me and some ammunition, but it didn’t feel like enough when I thought about what Tray and his men were capable of.
Keith and Ashley were staying at the same hotel, just down the hall from us.
Thankfully, Tray wasn’t aware that I was working with Keith or that there was a whole team on their way to Timber Falls to intercept Tray if he decided to show up. Or at least I hoped he wasn’t.
I leaned back against the firm back of the couch and let out a heavy breath as I set my phone down and closed my eyes. Things had gotten so out of hand in such a short time that I had no idea how to fix them.
“Stressing about Lauren isn’t going to do anything to help her,” Jo said softly, lying on her side as she looked at me. “Come to bed. You need sleep.”
I nodded and got up, feeling the exhaustion in my bones as I climbed in beside her, careful not to hurt her.
“We can sit down and figure out a plan in the morning,” she continued, rubbing her thumb lightly across my jaw. “But right now, we need sleep. No one is getting inside this room without us hearing them.”
I glanced at the door where I had pushed a chair in front of it, wedging it under the handle so it was impossible to open. In addition, one of the nightstands was also pushed against the door, making it heavier to open. If anyone tried to get in, we would hear them.
Jo curled up against my chest, her eyelashes fluttering against my skin as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Knowing that Jo was safe and where she was meant to be allowed me to relax enough to get the rest I so desperately needed.
***************************
The next morning, I woke up to Jo sniffling beside me.
I looked down, studying her face as I realized she was still asleep.
“Baby,” I said softly as I gently rubbed her back. “You’re okay. It’s just a dream.”
Tears stained her cheeks as she frowned, her body shaking as she sucked in a ragged breath.
“No, please,” she cried, still trapped in whatever nightmare was taking hold of her. “Don’t take my baby. Please...”
My heart slammed in my chest as thunder echoed in my ears as I stared at her. She was visibly upset as she begged, her sobs becoming uncontrollable as I shifted my focus to getting her to wake up.
“Jo,” I said more firmly with a hint of bass in my voice. “Wake up, baby. You’re okay. Just wake up.”
She sucked in a breath as her eyes flew open and she stared at me. Her body continued to tremble as I pulled her into my arms and held her.
“It’s okay, baby. It was just a dream,” I assured her as I kissed the top of her head.
Her lip continued to tremble as she fought tears back.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure who I was trying to comfort at that point. Knowing Jo was so upset about her dream left me with a nagging gut feeling that maybe it wasn’t just a dream.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly as she pulled away and looked up at me. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Baby, you can wake me up anytime. I’m sorry that you had such a bad dream.”
I slowly released the breath I had been holding and studied her as she clutched the blanket in between her fingers and stared down at the bed.
“It wasn’t just a dream. It’s a nightmare that I have never been able to escape.”
I nodded, keeping my face expressionless with the hope that she would continue to open up to me.
“Shortly before my dad died, I started seeing this guy, Sean. He was really sweet and treated me well. We were in love.” She shrugged as a soft smile played at her lips.
“We wanted to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. But when I moved in with my uncle, everything changed. He refused to let me see Sean, so that was the end of our relationship.”
Jo took a deep breath and blew it out.
“A few months later, I found out that I was pregnant. I kept the pregnancy hidden from my uncle because I knew he would make me terminate it. I thought that if I could find a way to get out of my uncle’s grasp, I could find Sean, and we could raise the baby together.”
I tried to force my shoulders down as I listened, already knowing that I was going to hate where this story went.
“I was able to keep the pregnancy hidden for a long time. Thankfully, I didn’t gain much weight, and the weight I did gain, my uncle attributed to me being depressed because my dad died.
I hid my body beneath loose clothes, and no one had any idea that I was pregnant until I went into early labor when I was about eight months pregnant. ”
I swallowed hard as I watched the tears fill her eyes.
“I knew the baby was in trouble when I started having contractions, only back then, I didn’t know what they were. I snuck out in the middle of the night and hitched a ride with an older couple that was heading to the next town. I found a clinic and went in, hoping they would help me.”
She shook her head as the tears fell.
“Because I was a minor, they insisted on contacting my uncle. I refused to give them his information and tried to leave. The baby came before I could. They helped deliver the baby, but kept insisting that they needed to contact my parent or guardian.”
I reached out and held her hand, feeling her pain as she continued telling the story.
“I still remember holding my baby. I remember how beautiful her eyes were and how dark her hair was. She looked just like how I looked in my baby pictures.”
“I bet she was the most beautiful baby,” I said quietly.
Jo nodded, taking in a shuddered breath.
“She was. She was perfect in every way.”
“What happened to her?”
Jo swallowed hard and wiped the tears from her face.
“I knew that because I was a minor, they were not going to let me leave with her. But I also knew that my uncle wouldn’t take care of her.
I didn’t want her to be involved in the kind of life I was stuck in.
I wanted more for her, even if I wasn’t the one who gave it to her.
So, when they weren’t looking, I snuck out of the clinic and never looked back. ”
She tried to smile, but it fell flat, her face filled with sadness.
“I dream of her often,” Jo continued. “Every single dream, I try to keep her, but they won’t let me. They punish me for all of the things I’ve done wrong in life. But I never stop trying to get her back, and then I wake up remembering the day I walked away from her.”
“You did what you had to,” I said softly. “No one can blame you for doing what you had to do to protect yourself as well as your baby. You’re an incredible person, Jo. It was an impossible choice, and you did the right thing by putting your needs aside to do what was best for your child.”
“I think about her all the time. I wonder who she is and what she looks like. I pray that she is loved dearly and that she’s had a great life.
And even though it’s stupid, I constantly hold onto the hope that someday I’ll find her and that I’ll have the chance to tell her what happened.
That I’ll be able to tell her that she was always wanted and that if I would have had any other options, I would have never walked away from her. ”
“Have you tried looking her up?” I asked, even though I knew her luck with that would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head.
“I don’t know where I would even start. It was fifteen years ago, and so much has changed, especially with record-keeping.
Besides, even if I did find her, it’s not like she’s going to want anything to do with the woman who abandoned her as a baby.
The only thing I ever gave her was a piece of paper I found in the room and scribbled a note that said, "Sweet Kaitlyn, I will love you forever.” I’m sure whoever found it threw it away, so it’s not like she even has that anymore. ”
“You did what you had to,” I reminded her, squeezing her hand gently. “I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that was for you.”
“It’s what made me want to be a nurse. I remember the kindness that I was given when they helped me deliver my baby, even though I refused to give them any information about who I was.
They didn’t judge me for being a teen mom; they just helped me.
And deep down, sometimes I wonder if my doctor looked the other way when I left.
It seemed almost too easy, and there was an abnormally long window when they were all busy on the other side of the clinic, leaving my room unattended.
I made sure the baby was okay before I left and prayed that they would be back soon to look after her. ”
“It sounds like someone was looking out for you, even if you didn’t see it then.”
“I agree. It’s why I do what I do. I love working at the clinic with Dr. Foster because I have the opportunity to help where it’s needed without always having to follow the rules.
Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.
I would rather be a safe space for someone who needs medical help than to abide by what society thinks I should do. ”
“That’s why you’re such an incredible person,” I said, pulling her into my side and hugging her. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“Thank you for listening and not judging me.” She looked up at me with a softness in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in a while.
“I’ll never judge you, Jo. You’re safe with me.”