Fighting For What's Missing

26.

William

Ponyo is an hour and forty-three minute movie, and despite claiming to be tired, Agnes stayed awake through the whole movie. Not once did she smile or laugh or squeal or cry as she did all those other times we watched Ponyo. It's like she blacked out; she's just lying there, barely blinking. It's honestly scary, and I keep asking myself what the hell happened to turn her into a...a zombie?

"What do you want to watch?" I ask as I take my phone from Agnes.

She shrugs, pulling the covers to her chin. "I don't want to watch anything."

"Are you s-"

"Will!" Gloria shouts from downstairs. I ignore her. Whatever it is it can't be more important than Agnes.

"Agnes, you'll tell me if something's-"

"WILL!" Gloria screams more eagerly.

"Just go," Agnes mumbles. I hate how bleak her voice sounds. It physically hurts.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." I kiss the top of her head before hurrying out of the room. Gloria is anxiously pacing back and forth at the bottom of the steps. "Wha is it?'

"It's her mother."

"What happened to Tisha?"

"No..." she frowns. "Her mother. Agnes' mother."

"W-what?" A hundred questions race through my head, turning it foggy, but only what comes out.

"Outside." My feet move automatically towards the open front door. I join Tisha and Robbie on the porch, then gasp. Agnes' mother-I never catch her name-looks just like Rosalee, my neighbor that Agnes didn't like. Now I see why. SHE and Rosalee could be sisters; they have the same big brown eyes and long light brown hair with big curls. They even have the same bangs. It must've been really painful for Agnes to see someone that looks almost exactly like her mother.

"Where is she?" HER voice trembles. She's waiting at the bottom of the steps, I'm not sure why, but I'm grateful for the space between us.

Tisha turns to me. "I haven't told her anything. I was waiting for you."

"Thank you," I say and mean it. "Go inside, both of you. Robbie, get Gloria." They dart inside, then I turn and face HER again. I can see a little of Agnes in her facial features.

"Who are you?" She narrows her eyes at me. "Where's my daughter?"

Pure hate pulses through me. I've never wanted to hit a female so badly in my life before. Where's my daughter? Where was that energy when she left Agnes with strangers? Technically she left Agnes on the streets.

But then again, I can't truly hate HER. Without her, I would've never gotten Agnes.

My fists uncurl, and I hear hurried footsteps behind me. "Will?" Gloria's at my side. "What do you want me to do?" I hold up my hand, indicating her to wait, as I cross the porch. SHE steps back as I walk down the steps and approach her.

"Where's my daughter?" SHE's scared, I can see it in her eyes, but I don't know of what. "I want to see my daughter!"

"You left her-"

"I only wanted her to sleep in a bed or on a couch for a few days-" Shit, Charlie was right about that part "-I didn't know they would send her away."

I take a deep breath and finish what I was saying before. "You left Agnes with me."

Her eyes widen. "You're Will?" I nod. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Agnes?!"