“Do you hear that sound?” Eliza stopped abruptly in her tracks and wheeled around. The squeaking sound continued for a moment longer, then also ceased.

Brian Connelly looked up from his cell phone. “I didn't hear anything.”

“It was a squeaky sound, like a grate or something being pushed open.”

“The Harrisons' sliding door probably needs oiling again.” Brian got up from his seat at the kitchen table. A peek out the window didn't reveal anything suspicious. “Or maybe your ears are playing tricks on you, Babe.”

“Oh, please,” Eliza waved her ringed hand in her husband's face.

“Just saying,” Brian shrugged.

Eliza fastened the top button of her cream and shamrock jacket and tightened her matching scarf more securely about her neck. She then continued in her path towards the hall. In just a few seconds, she left through the front door and a familiar click was heard as her key turned in the lock.

Brian chuckled to himself. Her leaving without saying goodbye was something he had been getting used to. What was it she had said a few weeks ago? 'You already know what my plans are, so when I walk out the door it is safe to assume I'm going where I already told you I was planning to go.' Interesting concept, but then, Eliza was chock-full of interesting concepts.

After a simple dinner of ravioli and salad, Brian brushed his teeth and headed to the bedroom for an early night's rest. Eliza was out for a night on the town with her girlfriends, so he wasn't sure when she'd be home. Nevertheless, it was Friday, so neither of them needed to be up early the next day. He took great care to make certain the alarm was set to OFF, then closed his eyes and fell asleep within seconds.

An hour later, small footsteps padded almost silently into the room. They paused in hesitant uncertainty for several moments, then made their decision. A light indentation was made in the mattress beside Brian, but he never twitched.

“Really?”

Light and sarcasm flooded Brian's eyes and ears. He turned to face his wife's voice and jumped back, startled, when his knee brushed against another's.

“Now, I just know, you're going to tell me you have no idea who she is. Or that it 'isn't what it looks like'.” Eliza dropped her marble clutch onto the nearby bureau. Her fists found themselves comfortably planted on her hips.

“But... I have... no idea,” Brian's eyes grew wider as a tousled brown head popped up, “who she... is.”

“How old is she, like, ten?” A more-than-disgusted, a revolted, look appeared on Eliza's blemish-free face. Her heavily lined eyelids lowered with contempt. “That's putrid, Brian, just putrid.”

“Babe-”

“No, no,” Eliza shrieked. “Don't 'Babe' me!”

Brian stood and grabbed for a shirt that was close by. “Listen, Eliza-”

“I can't believe that I married you.” She pulled her glittering wedding ring off and held it up in his face. “I was gone for one night. One night! You couldn't even find a woman your age to have your fun with? You have a little girl in your bed! That. Is... abuse, molestation, rape... what would you like to call it? Human trafficking?

“Don't think I won't tell the authorities about this, because I will. I refuse to keep quiet on this, this utterly detestable occurrence!” With that statement, Eliza's arm snapped back and she violently threw her wedding ring onto the bed. Although it didn't make a sound, both husband and wife turned to it instantly.

Then, it registered. “Where did she go?” Brian lifted the blanket, as if the body of a girl would be hidden underneath.

“How should I know?” Eliza snapped. “I don't even know where she came from in the first place.”

“Neither do I!” Brian exclaimed, but Eliza simply raised her hand as if to silence him. She then quietly collected a few belongings and departed. Nary a goodbye.

Brian sank down onto the carpeted floor. What had just happened? The recurring image in his mind was of that all too familiar, brown head. He hadn't been lying when he told Eliza that he had no idea who that girl was. But now he wasn't so sure.

What to do? What to do? Brian decided to go about his usual Saturday morning routine and give Eliza a chance to cool down. Then, he'd go find her and sort this whole mess out.

He set about picking up the clothes he had left around the room this past week. After only a few minutes of working silently, the stillness began to creep into his soul. It was strange to be working on a Saturday without hearing the vacuum going in another room or Eliza brushing against his arm to grab something for the laundry. Even hearing another album of Adele's would be better than this empty feeling.

Brian stopped and released an audible sigh. Then, he placed a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre over his ears and let Linkin Park share his worries.

The house was guest-worthy and smelled (not too strongly) of Mistolin. There were a couple of omelettes on the stove- in case Eliza was hungry when they returned. And how he hoped it would be a 'they' returning.

It didn't take but fifteen minutes to find her. Brian first circled Eliza's favorite block of clothing stores and her most-frequented coffee shop, A Spoonful Of Sugar. When he didn't see her cerulean Bentley, he knew there could be only one more place to look. If she wasn't there, he didn't know where else she could be.

Brian pulled into the parking lot of Up & Down. Upon entering, he tossed a ten-dollar-bill to the  young woman manning the carousel.  It only cost a dollar per ride, but he really didn't know how long it would take to convince Eliza to come home.

One quick perusal with his eyes and Brian located the dancing seal- Eliza's favorite animal.
Within the minute, Brian was seated on the seal behind Eliza, his arms around her abdomen. “Hey,” was all he said.

She stiffened noticeably beneath him. Her voice was a calm growl when she spoke. “You have five seconds to move from me. Five seconds or I will scream. Don't think I won't.”

Brian's hands moved from Eliza's stomach, but he remained seated. “I have no doubt that you will scream.”

“Then you need to relocate.”

“Seriously, Eliza,” Brian's tone changed into a more serious note. “Why did you marry me?”

He didn't need to see the tears swirling in Eliza's olive green eyes to know she was trying not to cry. He didn't know if she would answer, but then she whispered, “Because I love you.”

Bonus points! Brian immediately noted that she had used love in the present tense, as in she still loved him. This gave him courage to push forward. “And what was a big part of our relationship before I asked you to marry me? The big thing you said we needed more of before you could say those three words.”

“Trust,” Eliza's voice cracked. “I trusted you enough to let myself love you.”

“Exactly,” Brian's voice dropped lower. “So I'm asking you to trust me again.” When she didn't answer, he slowly wrapped his arms around her once more. “Honey, trust me.”

“Alright,” Eliza sniffed and relaxed against her husband's chest.

“Hey, don't get comfortable,” he said, jokingly, “These things make me so dizzy. Can we get off now?”

Eliza laughed a little. “Only after “Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush” is over.”

When they arrived home together- albeit in separate vehicles- Eliza's tears had stopped.  As Brian unlocked and opened the door, he glimpsed the hall closet's door shutting. He turned around to see if Eliza had noticed, but she was busily re-applying her mascara.

Once in the kitchen, Brian pulled out a chair for his wife to sit on. He, however, remained upright. From where he was standing, he could see that the counter he had just wiped down, less than an hour ago, was now hosting a small army of crumbs. They lay there, as pure evidence, for the world to see.

“Honey,” he began with a short sigh, “This is going to be more like a visual explanation.”

“Oh?” She leaned back in her chair and kept her eyes trained on him.

Taking a deep breath, Brian continued by turning toward the closet and saying, very clearly, “Roxy.” Without looking back to see the expression on Eliza's face, he walked to the closet and threw the door open. “Roxanne,” he spoke to the little brown head that appeared to be hiding between Eliza's Mongolian Lamb coat and his own motorcycle jacket.

When the head scrunched down further, Brian reached in and pulled her out. “Honey, we can see you.”

Eliza uttered a small gasp. The same little girl from earlier had been hiding in the closet? She was a skinny child, with knobby knees and pointy elbows. She wore a pair of blue jean shorts and a New York Knicks t-shirt. Her head was lowered so greatly that Eliza couldn't see much of her face at all.

Brian bent down and gathered the young girl into his arms. He lifted her until their faces were adjacent. With a tender look of love and sadness, he carefully smoothed the brown tangles from her downcast eyes. Then, he said softly, to his wife, “Can you see the resemblance?”

Slowly, Eliza's hands moved upward to cover her mouth. The little girl's pointed ears and big, dark eyes were so familiar to her. “Is that your little sister?” She questioned, but it really was not a question. “Brian, she looks just like you!”

“Yeah,” Brian snuggled his little sister closer to his heart. “That she does.”

The girl's arms snaked out and wrapped around Brian's neck. She hid her face in his neck and collarbone. It was only a second before Brian felt a warm wetness form on his skin.

“Why are you crying, Roxy?” He lifted her face and used his thumb to brush the tears from her eyes.

“I didn't get to hug you for a while,” she said.

Brian's heart twisted like a Rubik's Cube. He kissed her nose and then brought her closer to the table. “Hey, Rox, you see this beautiful lady?”

Roxanne turned and faced Eliza. “Yeah.”

“This beautiful lady is my wife. And you nearly made a dent in our relationship.”

“How?” Roxanne looked puzzled for a moment, then a flush began to creep up the back of her neck. “Oh.”

“Mmm hmm,” Brian said. “You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady.” He tried to look stern, but the tears still swirling in his sister's eyes tugged at his heartstrings. “Hey,” he rubbed her cheek, “Start with what you're doing here.” Roxanne turned her face into his neck again, but this time he didn't let that soften him. “Roxanne, seriously.” He set her down. “Go sit on that chair over there.”

Roxanne slowly walked around the table, giving Eliza a wide berth as she did so. Brian waited until she was seated in the straight-backed chair to take a seat across from her. She looked down at the table, away from his questioning gaze.

“Roxy.” He said after they all sat together in tense silence for a few moments. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Babe...” Eliza laid a hand on his arm.

Brian lowered his head and breathed a gust of steam out of his mouth. No, he shouldn't have just said that to his younger sister. He needed to keep his anger in check.

“I came to find you,” Roxanne said angrily. Her eyebrows were veering to form a v below her forehead.

“How do you even know where I am!” Brian exclaimed.

“It's not that hard to find,” Roxanne narrowed her eyes at him. “Google, duh. You're an architect, (idiot). You have a website.”

A tiny smile edged up Eliza's face, but Brian ignored it. This wasn't funny, at all. “Do Mommy and Dad even know where you are? How did you get here?”

“I took a train.”

“A train! Roxanne Elise Connelly, you are too young to be taking public transportation alone.” He pretended he didn't see her eye roll. “Where did you get money from?”

“Dad's coat pocket.” She at least had the decency to look ashamed at that point. “While he was asleep.”

Brian stifled a groan. “How much?”

“Five hundred.”

“Alright, I'll send money home with you to replace it. Now you need to call Mom and Dad and let them know where you are.” He extended his cell phone to her, but she didn't take it. “Roxanne, take the phone. Call Mommy.”

“She doesn't have a phone,” Roxanne's eyes flashed. “Dad doesn't let her talk on the phone. He doesn't let her leave the house- she hasn't left it in a year.”

“What? Why?”

“He's scared she will tell someone that he hits her. He's scared somebody will find out and come investigate. So she doesn't get to use the phone or the internet. And you had to run off to your new, beautiful life and leave me behind. I bet you don't even know how old I am anymore.”

“I do.” Brian squeezed his eyes shut, then re-opened them. “You're eleven. You had a birthday two weeks ago.”

“And you didn't even call me!” Roxanne was yelling now, standing up with her hands on the table. “You never even called. You never even cared. You just left.”

“Roxy, you know I didn't have a choice.” Brian glanced at Eliza, whose lips were firmly planted together. “And there was never any answer when I called Mom and Dad.”

“I know. Dad blocked your number from his phone and mine.  But you could have taken me with you. You didn't have to leave me.” Roxanne's accusations were getting weaker. She sat back down and folded her arms across her chest.

“Look, I'm sorry. I was eighteen. I didn't have a job or a place to live. There was no way I was going to bring my six-year-old sister to live on the streets with me. I'm sorry I had to leave you, but I had to, okay?”

“Yeah, I know,” was the quiet response from Roxanne.

Brian looked at Eliza again. He knew this was just the sort of thing she didn't care for. 'No drama', she had told him many times. She didn't want to deal with drama. And what was this, if not, drama? Her face wasn't letting anything show, so he continued. “That's not the most important thing right now, Rox. You need to tell me about Mom.”

“What about?”

“You said he hits her? And he doesn't let her have a phone because he's afraid she'll tell someone?”

Roxanne looked positively white. She gripped the edge of her chair with both hands. “Yeah.”

“So why do you have a phone? He isn't afraid you'll tell someone?”

“No.”

There was more than a single syllable in Roxanne's answer. The simple word she spoke had paragraphs and passages written beneath it.

“Roxanne,” Brian hadn't seen his little sister in five years, but he wasn't stupid. Something was terribly wrong. “Why not?”
He watched as his little sister's hand reached up and pushed her t-shirt off of her shoulder. Her hand lingered a moment, then moved to reveal the truth. A dark bruise adorned Roxanne's shoulder and the space beneath her collarbone. “That's why.”
Eliza gasped again and tears dripped like raindrops from her eyes. She got up from her seat with a muttered “Excuse me” and hurried up the stairs.

Brian was horrified. “He hits you so that you won't tell?”

“Yeah,” Roxanne re-adjusted her shirt to hide the bruise once more. “He said that if I tell, he'll hurt me worse than this. That's why I'm here. Because you promised me that you would never let anyone hurt me.”

Brian didn't need a reminder. He clearly remembered that promise. “I'm sorry, Rox.”

She merely shrugged. “Mom found out that Dad was having a 'relationship' with a girl from his job. They started fighting and she said she was going to leave. Then, Dad said that she wouldn't dare because he would get custody of me. That's when he started hitting her and took her phone away.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Like a year,” Roxanne said. “And I know you didn't just leave me. He made you go.”

“For the same reason Mom wanted to leave. I found out and I was going to tell her. He said I had an hour to get my things and get out.” Brian rubbed his temples. “Still, I'm sorry you had to deal with this on your own. I'm sorry this is happening.”

“But you're gonna fix it, right?” Roxanne's eyes held his gaze and pleaded with him. “You're not going to make me go back?”

“How long have you been here, Roxy?”

“Two days. I was staying in the backyard until yesterday when she went out. I'm sorry, Brian. I just wanted to see your face up close. Then, you were sleeping and I was only going to lay next to you for a minute, but I fell asleep.” She looked distraught and ready to cry all over again. “I didn't mean to dent your relationship.”

“Roxy...” Brian wanted to punch himself. “You didn't, honey. You didn't dent my relationship. And it's okay. I know you missed me. Like I missed you.”

Roxanne then launched herself across the table and into his arms. She let loose a strangled cry and buried her head deep into his chest. Brian didn't have any words at that moment. He wanted to take a few glass bowls and heave them to the ground- to glory in the sound of wreckage. Instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around Roxanne and simply held her.

A long while later, Brian bent down and kissed his little sister's forehead. She looked up and smiled at him. Rubbing his thumb along the side of her nose, he got up and set her down onto the seat he had vacated.

“I've got to go talk to Eliza for a minute, okay? Stay right there and wait for me.”

Nodding her head slightly, Roxanne nodded until he turned away. Then, she lay her head down on the table and closed her eyes.

Brian took the stairs two at a time. He found Eliza curled up on their bed with one of his hoodies around her. She wasn't asleep, though, because every few seconds she sniffed and reached for another Kleenex.

“Hey,” Brian lowered himself onto the side of the bed and pulled her into his embrace. “I told you I had a pretty good explanation.” She didn't answer and he began to rub her back in small circles. “What are the tears for?”

“Well, it's been a hard day, for one,” Eliza finally answered.

“I know, Babe,” Brian pulled the clips from her hair and started running his fingers through it. “You know I can't send her back to Ohio.”

Eliza jerked back very fast, causing her hair to rip out of Brian's hands. “What do you mean, you can't send her back to Ohio? There are still trains running this evening. Harrisburg to Cincinnati. She'll be there in a day.”

“Eliza, I am not going to send my little sister back to a place where she is being abused!” Brian's voice grew louder than he meant it to be. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I'm serious,” Eliza moved away from her husband. “What happened to our 'no drama' mantra? I told you when I married you that I didn't want to deal with any drama! No kids, no drama.”

“My little sister isn't some kid. She's my charge. I made a promise to protect her and by George, I'm going to keep it.”

“That's not your job, Brian. You want to do the right thing? Call the police and let them deal with it. Then, you've kept your promise.”

“I'm not letting them take my little sister to a state home,” Brian narrowed his eyes and got off of the bed. “Seriously, Eliza. What's your damage? I feel like I don't even know you anymore. This is my little sister we're talking about, not some random child.”

“No drama,” Eliza snapped. “It's either me or her. Make a choice.”

“Easy,” Brian stalked to the door. “Her.” He left the room, then turned back and poked his head in. “And it was never our mantra. It was only yours.”

Pounding down the steps, Brian made his way back to the kitchen. He stopped cold by the table, turning around and around. He looked out the window into the backyard, checked the closet, and all with no sight of Roxanne. Back in the kitchen, however, he noticed the words scrawled onto the refrigerator's magnetic eraser board.

'Your attic window is broken; that's how I got in.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be drama.'

Brian groaned and hit himself in the head, lightly. He stood there for a minute, thoughts scrambling over one another in his mind.  First off, he had to find Roxanne. There was no way he was going to let her wander all over Harrisburg alone, as he was positive she hadn't headed for home. Grabbing his keys, Brian prepared to leave. He would work things out with Eliza later.

Her words stopped him in his tracks. “Brian, I was wrong.”

“We'll talk later, Eliza,” Brian knew his voice sounded cold, so he tried to melt them a little. “I've got to find Roxanne.”

“She's gone?” Eliza came all the way down the steps and stood beside him. She was now dressed in an old pair of jeans and his favorite plaid button-down. Her mouth, now free of lipstick, formed a small 'o' as she read Roxanne's message.

“Yeah,” Brian took a few steps away from her. He tried to hide the fact that he blamed her for this disappearance. “I need to find her before it gets dark.”

“Wait...” Eliza reached out and caught his arm, but dropped it when there was no physical response. Tears filled her green eyes. She looked towards the ground for a moment and when her head rose, the tears were gone. “I want to come with you,” was all she said.

“Well, come on then,” Brian strode towards the door. He didn't wait to hear her footsteps before he got in his black Altima and gunned the engine.

After several minutes passed, Eliza hurried down the front steps and into the passenger side of the car. Her eyes were a tell-tale red. “Baby,” she said.

It wasn't until Brian backed out of the driveway and onto the street that he answered. “Yeah.”

“I was wrong,” she breathed. “When we first started dating, I told you that I wanted to start from scratch. Reinvent myself. I didn't want to speak of the past and I didn't want... any drama.” She paused, but Brian didn't say a word. “I never gave you a chance to speak of the past because I didn't want anything but here and now. A fresh life, with each other. That was wrong.“I'm realizing now that in order to really know who you are, I need to know about the past. And I'm sorry, Brian, for never letting you share it with me. I feel horrible that it's only today I'm finding out why you had to leave your parents' home.”

“And for you to know who I really am, to know what makes me who I am, you have to know about my past.”

Brian clenched his jaw a few times and then released. “Okay. Tell me about your past.”

“I was just like her,” A fresh spurt of tears came to Eliza's eyes. “Except I didn't have an older brother to run to. I stayed quiet because I was too afraid to speak. It went on for six years, until I graduated high school and went to college. I haven't seen my parents since then.”

All anger whooshed out of Brian like helium from a balloon. He reached across the console and took Eliza's hand. “I'm sorry that happened to you.”

“And that whole episode about Roxanne? It was just me being jealous, Brian. I'm sorry. It's sweet of you to take care of your little sister. She's a wonderful little girl, not 'drama' at all.”

“I don't really know her anymore,” Brian admitted. “She's very different than the six-year-old I last remember, but she is wonderful and I will do my best to care for her.”

“I know it's my fault she left,” Eliza's face wore guilt like a mask. “She heard me saying that I didn't want her here.”
Brian didn't answer. The sun was lowering and they still hadn't seen any sign of Roxanne. She couldn't have gotten that far on foot, but he didn't know which direction she had taken. It would tear Brian to pieces if he couldn't find her by nightfall. He didn't want her to be cold or injured. The streets were not a safe place for an eleven-year-old girl.

“And,” Eliza couldn't stop talking. She couldn't stand the silence. “If you want her to come live with us, that would be okay with me.”

“One step at a time,” Brian smiled at her. “I still need to find the little rascal.”

“Do you remember anything that used to comfort her when she was little?” Eliza suddenly asked. “Any place she used to go when she was sad?”

After scratching his cheek, Brian repeated slowly, “Any place she used to go when she was sad... We lived across the street from an abandoned playground. She would go there and swing for hours.”

Brian did a sharp U-turn and headed for the closest playground: Laney Fields. Lo and behold, looking desolate on a swing, was his little sister. Her head rested on the chain of the swing and she was barely moving her feet. As the sound of the car's engine shut off, her head jerked up, eyes wide with fear. Seeing that it was only him, she resumed her slumped position.

“Babe,” Eliza said as he opened the car door. “Let me go.”

A long stare into her eyes and he nodded. “Alright.”

Before the word was out his mouth, Eliza jumped out of the car and was catapulting over the chain link fence. Brian grinned. He had never seen Eliza do anything 'unladylike' before. She was the queen of finesse and elegance. This showed him another side of her, one he hoped he would see again.

He watched as Eliza took the swing beside Roxanne's. Her dark tresses blew in the wind next to Roxanne's brown tangles. The two moved in the same rhythm, ever so slightly. He couldn't hear a word they were saying, but felt compelled to snap a picture with his phone. His two favorite girls.

Fifteen minutes later, something began to change. Both swingers began to pump harder and harder. In, out. In, out. Eliza was pretty high, but Roxanne was literally soaring. She looked as if she could sprout wings and fly away forever. For some strange, unknown reason, this brought the sting of tears to Brian's eyes.

Then Roxanne did the unthinkable. She jumped.

Before Brian could get out of his car, she was falling. Falling fast. Spinning through the air like Frisbees at the park. He ran to the fence, but by the time he got there, she was landing safe on her feet. His heart hammered in his chest as he had just been envisioning skulls cracked open on the... rubber surface.

His anxiety calmed a little as he realized the playground was padded enough that the only injury she'd receive might be a little floor burn.

Brian was shocked when you-can-never-be-too-careful Eliza yelled out a countdown (“Three, two, one!”) and also jumped. She didn't fall as easily as Roxanne had, but landed on her backside, laughing out loud. Brian's breath caught in his chest when Roxanne tackled Eliza and the two wrestled on the ground for a minute.

Then, Roxanne's arms went about Eliza's waist. Eliza sat up and held her and a tortured sob came ripping out of one of them. The sound clawed at Brian's heart, but he willed himself to stand still. He wouldn't go to them. Not now.

It was a while before the crying stopped and silence ensued. The darkness of the block was only penetrated by a few streetlights. The cold nipped at his neck, but Brian stood, waiting, until, through the shadows, he saw them coming to him. Arms around each other, they looked happier than he'd seen them all day.

“Hey,” Brian said as they headed straight for his arms. He took them both, wrapping his arms around them and squeezing like his future depended on it.

“Hi,” Eliza whispered in his ear. It was the first time he had ever heard her say 'hi' and not 'hello'.

Roxanne burrowed into him. “I'm freezing.”

“'Course you are,” he noted her lack of sleeves and pant legs. She was definitely freezing. “Come on, let's get you ladies home.” Brian opened car doors and closed them behind his loved ones. He hopped in himself and cranked up the heat.

“Yeah,” Roxanne said. “I'm staying in your home. Eliza said I'm allowed to 'dramatize' your lives.”

Brian hid a grin and kept his eyes on the road. “That so?”
 

It was 9:00 when they reached home. Roxanne's eyes were bleary with sleep and as much as Brian would have loved to call it a night, they had big problems to work out. He put Roxanne to rest on the futon underneath a blanket while Eliza cooked up some supper and he made a phone call.

As soon as Brian explained the situation to Sergeant Reynolds- a retired cop- the kind man assured him that he would be over in a jiffy. He was.

“That's her,” Brian whispered, pointing out a sleeping Roxanne.

“You say she's got a bruise?” Sergeant Reynolds asked.

“Yes,” Brian gently and carefully moved Roxanne's shirt to showcase the blatant display of mistreatment. It looked worse closer up.

“Cincinnati, you said?” The cop pulled out his cellphone. “I'm going to call in to the force down there. Give me a minute.” He trailed off to another part of the house, as he was a frequent and welcomed guest in their home.

Brian backed up until he was just in the doorway of the living room. He didn't want to wake her unnecessarily. Eliza walked up behind him and fitted her chin into the crook between his shoulder and neck. He reached backward for her arms and draped them around his hips.

“Hi,” she said. That word again.

“To what do we owe tribute for this sudden appearance of the new Eliza?” He smiled in her direction.

“It's like,” she grinned at Brian's obvious surprise at her new vocabulary, “for a long time I've tried to be so perfect. I didn't want my father to find any faults with me, so I strove for stiff perfection in everything. But there's always been a little Liza inside of me. She's gotten pretty tired of trying to be perfect all the time- especially when she hasn't even come close.”

“You've always been perfect to me,” Brian took Eliza into his arms. “And you never let me call you Liza.”

“Doesn't sound like a perfect name, now does it?” She laughed.
“It does,” Brian said seriously. “Everything about you is perfect for me.”

“That's sweet,” Eliza smiled softly.

“And, Eliza, I'm sorry for being angry earlier. For yelling at you.”
Eliza rested her head against him. “I'm sorry for being jealous and immature. For forcing you to make a choice.” She breathed in the smell of him. It was comparable to safety and home.

“I think we need to talk more,” he suggested. “Really talk. About the things we're feeling, about both of our pasts. We don't really know that much about each other, regardless of the fact that we've been married for four months and dating for as many years.”

“We'll make amends,” Eliza promised, “as soon as we fix this problem.” She nodded her head toward Roxanne.

At that time, Sergeant Reynolds tapped Brian on the shoulder and drew the couple into the hall. “So I made the call,” he said, rubbing his hands over the stubble on his jaw. “As of seven o' clock this evening, the Cincinnati Police Department has had a Derrick Connelly in custody. He was arrested on account of wife battery. His wife, Hope Connelly, was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital.”

Brian clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to hit something, anything. It was then that soft fingers wrapped around his hands and slowly pulled his fingers apart so they no longer fisted. Eliza held both his hands in hers, disallowing him to do anything but hold on tight. And, boy, did he squeeze.

Roxanne came into the hall a few minutes later, trailing the blanket behind her.

“Hey, Roxy,” Brian said softly. “This is Mr. Reynolds, a friend of ours.”

“Hi,” Roxanne said shyly and rocked from side to side, her gaze on the ground.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady,” Sergeant Reynolds smiled, not offering his hand for a shake. Brian and Eliza both noticed this. Roxanne was deathly afraid, and Brian hated their father for making her that way. He was happy she didn't show any fear around him and also grateful to their dear Sergeant for being considerate of the facts.

As the retired cop took his leave, Eliza scooped dumplings and chicken into three bowls. They then settled together onto the large couch in the living room. Brian sat in the middle, Eliza flanked on his left side, feet drawn up, leaning on his arm, Roxanne laying on her back on his right, her head resting comfortably on his thigh.

“This is good,” Roxanne said through a mouthful of dumpling. “I can feel you looking at me, you know.”

“Sorry,” Brian laughed. “You're a lot different than when you were six.” He peered down into her face. “ You've grown up so much, Roxy.”

She stilled next to him, “What do you think?”

“You're beautiful and wonderful.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment,” Roxanne grinned, “but I was asking what you think about the food Eliza made, you ignoramus.”

“Is that your new nickname?” Eliza snorted beside him, a sound that would have never been allowed to leave her being yesterday, but one he was completely loving today.

“I'd say it's an upgrade from Rye Rye,” Brian smiled at the memory. “But, Rox, we have to talk.”

“And what are we doing now?”

She was a sassy little lady and he loved it. “Talking. Rox, listen up.”

“Yes sir,” she said with exaggerated sarcasm.

“Mom is in the hospital, Dad's been arrested.” Facts, simply thrown up. “One of the neighbors heard sounds, louder than usual, not just yelling. They called the police. No-one answered the door, so the cops forced their way in. Dad was in the process of trying to hide Mom's body. She was hurt pretty bad.”

“Is she gonna die?” Roxanne asked quietly.

“They don't think so. She's going to take a while healing, though. She was unconscious when they found her, but she's awake now.”

“He's never hit her that bad before,” Roxanne said, “that she went unconscious. That's never happened before.” The room was quiet. Roxanne set her bowl on the nearby coffee table and turned to face Brian and Eliza. “Tell me. Whatever it is, I'm old enough to deal with it. And strong enough.”

“She is,” Eliza nodded her agreement.

“The cops had to wrestle him to the ground, he was fighting so much. He was yelling a lot of different things, but then he said 'If she had just opened her mouth and told me where my daughter was, this never would have happened.'”

“No, she didn't know,” Roxanne frowned. “I didn't tell her I was leaving so that he couldn't try to drag the information out of her.”

“Well, I guess he just assumed that she knew.” Brian put his arm around his little sister. “It's not your fault, though. You did the right thing.”

“I was scared to leave; I knew he'd know I was going to tell, but we couldn't keep living that way. I just didn't dream he would do that to her. I thought he'd come after me. Not her.”

Eliza reached over and rubbed Roxanne's arm. “It's not your fault, sweetie. You did the right thing.”

“I trusted you,” Roxanne looked up into her brother's eyes. “You kept your promise. You took care of me.”

“I do my best to keep those,” Brian said. He kissed Roxanne on the forehead and Eliza on the cheek, before rising. He collected their used dishes and left the room. Soon, the sound of running water could be heard.

“Always get a man who washes dishes,” Eliza leaned over and whispered. “Always.”

Roxanne giggled, but stifled it when Brian re-entered the room. He settled back in between them and snuggled them close to him.

“We can sleep like this tonight,” Eliza murmured.

“Ouch. Neck cramp,” he murmured back.

Desecrating the still silence of the moment, Roxanne said, rather loudly, “As much as I want to stay here, please can I go back to Ohio tomorrow? I really have to make sure Mom is doing okay. I need to be with her.”

“Yeah, I was thinking we could fly out there tomorrow,” Brian turned to Eliza. “That okay with you, sweetie?”

“Yeah,” Eliza said. She grinned sheepishly at her use of 'yeah' instead of the usual 'yes'. “Let me call into the salon and tell the girls I'll be gone.”

“Salon?!” Roxanne jerked upright and yanked at her tangled, brown hair. “Help me!”

Both adults chuckled. Eliza said, “Alright, if 'Rye Rye' here agrees to pack both of our bags, then I will give you a makeover.”

“On two conditions,” Brian said. “One, you both quit calling me that ridiculous nickname. Two... no makeup.”

Roxanne waited at the red light with Eliza and Brian, her hair newly trimmed and blown-out. Courtesy of Eliza, Bachelor of Arts in cosmetology. Brian kept sneaking looks at her.

“What?” She finally said.

“Are you sure you aren't wearing makeup?” He traced one of her eyebrows. “Like one of those things to make your eyebrows look darker and thinner?”

“No, I promise,” Roxanne smiled.

“You should trust me,” Eliza fake pouted. “I wouldn't put makeup on an eleven-year-old, regardless of her level of maturity.”

“It's not makeup, Rye Rye,” Roxanne assured him. “But I'm not telling you what she did. It's a beauty secret.”

Brian rolled his eyes. The light changed. Roxanne held her brother and Eliza's hands as they walked safely in the crosswalk. Cincinnati's Good Samaritan Hospital loomed ahead of them, holding Brian and Roxanne's mother in its clutches.

“I'm nervous,” Eliza admitted.

“Babe, she's gonna love you,” Brian promised.

“Yeah,” Roxanne agreed, “I mean, I love you and I'm a vixen. My mom's an angel. She loves everybody. Though I'm still mad I didn't get to be the flower girl in your wedding.”

“We didn't have a wedding. We got married in the town hall.”

Brian looked over Roxy's head to smile at Eliza. “But maybe now we will.”
 

The nurse led them down the hall and around the corner. Before she pushed open the door, she looked at the trio. “I'd rather one of you visit at a time.” Catching their saddened demeanors, the nurse sighed. “Alright,” she said. “Quickly. Ten minutes.”

Brian stepped into the room where his mother lay. She had aged since he had last seen her, her hair streaked with gray. Her eyelids were thin and bruises marred as much skin as he could see. It tore him up to see his mom this way. She didn't deserve to be in pain.

“Mom?” He said faintly.

Hope Connelly's eyes fluttered open. The vitals machine hooked to her began to beep louder. She raised a hand to the bed rail and sat up slowly, a painful thing to watch. “Am I dreaming?” She asked, more to herself.

“No, Mom, I'm here.” Tears flooded Brian's eyes and he couldn't stand any longer. He rushed to her side and lowered himself to the floor.

“Brian, my sweet, sweet boy,” Hope framed his face with her hands.

“Mom,” he let the tears spill over. “I didn't want to leave you. I never wanted to leave you. Never.” His voice shook a little.

“I know, baby, I know,” Her voice was weaker than Brian remembered and he did not like it one bit. “But you're here now. You're here.”

“Yes, Momma,” he said, but her gaze had focused elsewhere. Brian turned and saw Eliza behind him, elegant as ever in a white jacket. He reached out his hand for her. “Mom, this is Eliza. She's my wife.”

“Oh, I know,” Hope smiled, finally. “I've seen her in my dreams. I've seen the both of you in my dreams.”

Brian grinned and squeezed Eliza's hand.

“But where is my baby girl? I know she's with you. She talks about you constantly. She wouldn't go anywhere else but to you.”

Brian felt an aching tenderness growing in his heart. He had truly missed his family. He would never let them out of his sight again.

“I'm here, Mom,” Roxanne crawled into the bed with Hope, sneakers and all. “I'm sorry that he hurt you because of me. I just wanted to help us.”

“You did, baby girl,” Hope winked at Brian and Eliza, already looking stronger, “You did the right thing.”