Collide in Plain Sight

Chapter 31

Four Years Later...

Harlow

The loud crack of thunder startles me out of sleep. I sit up in bed, breathing hard as a flash of lightning rings through the room. I look over at Pierce, but he's still sleeping soundly. I smile a little at him, reaching over to run my hand down his back. He moves slightly, but resettles quickly. I yawn and go to nestle back into the sheets when my phone rings on the nightstand next to me. I look at the screen and answer it quickly. 

"Hello?" 

"Mrs. Arnoult?" Becca asks. 

"Yes, Becca. What do you have for us?" I ask. We've had nearly sixty placements over the last few years, I know the drill. I hear Becca start crying on the other line and I sit up a little straighter, not used to her show of emotion. 

"Fuck, Harlow. I don't know if I can do this anymore." she says. We've known her for years, but she rarely breaks the professional boundaries like this. 

It must be bad. 

"What happened, sweetie?" I ask. She sighs and sniffles before she continues. 

"It's a brother and sister. The boy is six and the girl is three. Murder suicide. Their dad killed their mom then turned the gun on himself." she says, her voice quivering with emotion. 

"Oh my God." I say, reaching over to nudge Pierce awake. "Please tell me those kids didn't see it." I say as Pierce rustles next to me, sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes. 

"They didn't. Thank God. The boy took the sister when the fighting started and ran next door to the neighbors house. She's a sweet old lady. She heard the gunshots and called the police. I saw it, Harlow. It was a fucking blood bath." she says. 

"Where are they now?" I ask. 

"Getting checked out at the hospital. You guys aren't the closest and I know you just had one..." she says. 

"She was reunited with her family a few days ago." I say, the ache of them leaving is always smaller than the joy of seeing a positive outcome. 

"But when I saw them, I just thought of you. You would be perfect for them. And they need you." she says, her quiet admission causing tears to prick my eyes. 

"Bring them. We'll be ready." I say, ending the call to get the house prepared. 

"What is it, love? I've never seen that look on your face." Pierce says, his voice still clouded with sleep. 

"It's bad." I say. I tell him the story and watch as his heart breaks for these kids. 

"Fuck, Harlow. Whatever they want while they're here, they get it." he says. I laugh through my tears and hug his neck. I knew Pierce would be amazing, but the way he so easily opens his heart to every new child we bring into our home never ceases to impress me. "I'll get the lights and the gate." he says, standing out of bed and getting dressed before heading downstairs. 

I walk down the hallway to the girl room we have set up. I put new sheets on the bed and find new clothes for her to wear. I always like to give them a new outfit their first night here, one with the tags still on them. I decide to add pajamas too, since I'm not sure when they'll arrive. Then I walk to the boy room where Pierce is putting fresh sheets on the bed. I grab an outfit and pajamas in the boys' size and lay them on the bed. 

Then I head to the craft room and grab two stuffed animals from the closet. I learned awhile ago that crocheting is much easier than knitting. Now every child who enters our home leaves with a hand made stuffed animal. I grab a puppy for the boy and a bumblebee for the girl, putting them on their beds. We make some hot chocolate for them just as the doorbell rings. We hurry to the foyer and I open the door where Becca is standing with an umbrella and two precious children. The backdrop of the raging storm the perfect metaphor for what they've been through. I smile at them both and usher them inside.