Dream

Baby Steps

    She quivered in my arms for a solid minute with no intention to move, and I gladly held her in place. After a longer while, I gently leaned back, her face red and smeared in tears. She huffed breathlessly; filled to the brim with never ending emotions while her panicked eyes wandered cautiously. I cupped her face.

    "Suriah," I gently said, "What happened? Did he hurt you?".

    Suriah's eyebrows furrowed even harder once I spoke. She shut her eyes tight and lowered her head.

    "Suriah..?"

    She gasped out breathlessly.

    "It's okay," I soothed, "Just take a deep breath. I'll warm water for a bath,".

    As I tried to stand up Suriah cried out and clinged to my clothes.

    "No, you said you wouldn't leave," She whispered through her tears.

    "I'm not leaving, I'm just going to the bathroom," I tell her.

    She gulped and her hands slowly dropped to her lap. I stood up, making sure she didn't react before heading to the bathroom in the hall to prepare some warm water for her to calm down. Once it was ready, I went back to the room and approached the closet where Suriah sat hugging her legs with her face hidden. I'd be lying if I said she didn't look adorable so defenseless.

    "Come on," I said. Her head snapped up with dried tears traced on her face.

    I knelt down and let out a hand for her to grab. Suriah stared at my hand in an effort to understand what just happened. Her puffy eyes dripped confusion, almost as if she were slowly getting lost. Of course she was also overwhelmed.

She crawled forward and let her shaky hand take a hold of my own. Like an animal finally letting their guard down. I helped her up and walked her to the bathroom. She stood tensely next to the tub.

    I hung a towel on the hook next to the tub and made my way towards the door.

    "You'll still be here?" She sputtered out.

    I turned around, "Yes, I'll be right outside if you need me,".

    She gulped, looked away and nodded her head. I waited one more second before walking back to the room. Everything had been tossed around and thrown aside. I sighed and began to pick up the room piece by piece until everything was back to normal. Lucky enough, nothing was broken. I plopped down at the end of the bed and ran a hand through my hair.

    Carrow. You piece of shit.

    I took my phone out of my pocket dialing my assistance's line.

    "Yes Mr. Knight?" He said.

    "Cancel Carrow, permanently," I ordered.

    "Of course," He answered and quickly hung up.

    Canceling Carrow could mean a lot of things but in this certain situation, he'd be gone for good and his replacement would soon come crawling from the shadows. Carrow would be exposed for all the illegal trafficking he's contributed to, tax fraud, harassment, murders, and more. Everything I had filed on him would be sent out to the press, police and news reporters under an anonymous name. I'd get a shit ton from his people but it's not like I couldn't handle them either.

    I went to the closet and grabbed Suriah a pair of clean clothes. I sat down next to the closed bathroom door and leaned my head against the wall.

    "Better?" I asked.

    "Yeah," She answered after a while.

    "I used to take baths when I was younger. It always made me feel better, being wrapped around by water," I said to her, "My maid, she was so sweet, made baths for me when I'd come crying to her. Brush my hair. Tell me stories. She did anything to keep me distracted from the bullshit at home,".