Desire

(43) Daughter

"So you could be out soon?" Kimberly spoke in excitement.

"Now now, poppet. Calm down." Dale spoke. "I'm just saying we're a step closer, don't get your hopes up, okay?" Elijah had kept chiselling away at Dale's case and due to his work, Dale was closer and closer to winning each and every day.

"That is still a good thing though Dale, I think Kimberly is right to be excited." Caiden spoke up from behind her. Of course the two men joined her for the visit once again — not that she minded.

Dale nodded. "Yes but this can still take a few years so I don't want-"

"What?" It was as if Kim's heart shattered. Years?

Dale offered a slightly confused look. "Yes, sweetheart, didn't you know that?"

"I-uh no. I thought it would be a few more weeks or a couple of months longer, not a few years." She wanted to throw up. She began to tear up. Why hasn't anyone said this to me?

Dale reached for her hand in attempts of calming her down. "Poppet, regular cases take at least a year, these people already believe I did it, they have a case built against me on why I supposedly did it. This is going to take a little while longer."

"No one told me that! I've been trying to keep positive but I have no idea what's going on! I can't - Dad I can't lose you for all this time." Kimberly almost never raised her voice at her father, but her head was so scattered, her world was crumbling around her. She only ever had her father and now he was being taken away from her? All for something he never even did.

"Kimberly, please, I thought you'd have known that." Robert was silent almost the whole time. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling, what on earth could he do? Caiden on the other hand wanted to jump in and be the saviour, but he hardly knew how.

Kim stood from her seat. "I can't right now. Please, I can't, I just need time to process this. Please." She shook her head, backing away from the table slightly.

"Poppet I'm so sorry!" Dale also stood to his feet. He felt awful. He did everything he could to take care of Kimberly and now this?

Caiden wrapped his arms around Kimberly to calm her down, but it only caused her to swing her fists at his chest. "Get off of me! God!" Robert watched the whole thing, he felt terrible for Dale too, he looked like a broken man. No one deserved that. "Robert, take me home." She connected eye contact with her man.

"Of course." He grabbed her coat that was on the back of her seat and wished Dale a goodbye, before placing his hand on Kimberly's back and escorting her out, something Dale gratefully didn't see as odd at all.

Robert made Caiden drive the car home so he could sit in the back and comfort Kimberly. That wasn't without slapping the back of his head for touching the girl. He still hadn't forgiven the boy but of course they had to act all happy for Dale's view. No need to stress him out more. He sat in the back seat of his own car with Kimberly's sobbing head in his lap.

Her tears made it look as if he had peed himself, but he wasn't going to tell her that now, was he?

She didn't want to talk so he didn't make her, instead he smoothed his fingers through her hair, shushing her almost to sleep. Robert's voice could put Kim to sleep, and it would have if they didn't arrive at the estate so quick.

Robert insisted on carrying her all the way up the staircase that lead to the house and in the front door. Her tears had stopped pouring but she still stood with a pout on her face. Robert kissed away her tears and smoothed down her hair, cupping her cheeks, calming her completely. "I have to do some work, would you like to sit in my office with Daddy, or do you want to lay in your bed for a little?"