His dream, My nightmare

XXXIX

Omniscient
December 7th

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Cassia bit down hard as she wrapped her stomach with the spare first aid kit that she had in the house. She tried to think of other stuff to keep her mind off of the pain, but it wasn't all that easy considering she felt it throughout her entire body.

"My God." She breathed out, finally taping down the gauze on her rib cage perfectly. Looking down at her arms and legs, she could see the visible bruises, but it wasn't as bad as that on her rib cage. The swelling in her face had also went down, but it was still clear that she was hit and hit badly at that, multiple times too.

Hearing light footsteps, she quickly whipped her head in the direction of the kitchen entrance, her heart dropping out of fear. But she let out a breath of relief once she seen it was only Crystal walking in with her stuffed animal and blanket in hand.

"What are you doing up baby?" Cassia spoke softly, as she made her way over toward the little girl. She didn't even like the fact that Crystal was in the house with her and Cepheus, simply because there was no telling if he would one day take his anger out on her. After gaining full custody of her with no visitation rights, Renae fell off of the face of the Earth, and Crystal had permanently been living with them.

Lately, Cassia managed to urge Cepheus to have Jamila keep her for a little bit of time. But he suddenly brought her back 2 days ago, claiming nobody else needed his child because he was fine to take care of her alone. Which they both knew wasn't true considering since she had been back home with them, it was really Cassia taking care of her while Cepheus went out and did God knows what.

"Daddy didn't tell me goodnight, so I couldn't sleep." She spoke softly, walking straight into Cassia's legs with her bright eyes staring up at her. Letting out a small sigh, Cassia reached down to pick her up before starting on her way into the living room.

"You want me to try and call him?" Lazily nodding her head, Crystal snuggled her body up into Cassia's a little more. With her blanket clutched in her small fist, she handed it over to Cassia to gently lay over her body, which she did. Right before giving Crystal a small kiss on her forehead while caressing her wild curls.

"Cassia I have a question." Kicking her feet up to rest on the middle glass table, Cassia grabbed her phone while looking back down at Crystal.

"What's your question beautiful?"

"Are you my new mommy? Because I want you to be since I don't like mommy anymore and daddy doesn't love me-."

"Woah woah woah, your daddy loves you so much, I don't want you ever thinking he doesn't. He's just going through some stuff right now, but he loves you with all his heart. And Crystal, I can't be your mommy if you already have one." Immediately she burst into tears, her face going red as she cried hard into Cassia's chest.

"M- mommy told me she hates me. And she told me she only kept me for daddy, she told me I- I will never see her again. I want you to be my new mommy pleaseeee." Cassia's heart grew heavy, seeing the way Crystal looked up at her after the words she spoke.

After seeing the way Renae started to treat Crystal after she came into the picture, Cassia did begin to have doubts on her true intentions. But she gave the girl the benefit of the doubt, knowing it probably wasn't easy to lose her boyfriend to a woman she was told she had nothing to worry about. But to take it out on an innocent child and blatantly tell her she hated her and would never see her again, it was disgusting.

"Shhhh, stop crying and look at me." Cassia urged as she placed her phone down next to her. Adjusting Crystal so that she straddled her, Cassia fixed the blanket on her so that it rested on Crystal's back as she held her stuffed animal. Wiping her tears with the pads of her fingers, she held the little girl close to her as she rocked them from side to side.