Author's Note: Just in case anyone wants the link: here's the story on AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/39861726/chapters/102933513)
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An hour later, Gregory was sleeping in Luis' old playpen he managed to dig up from the basement. Not exactly ideal, but then again, nothing about this situation was ideal.
Ten or so feet away, sitting side-by-side on the loveseat, Vanessa and Luis were laser-focused on their devices' screens. Each conducting their own search: Luis on his computer and Vanessa on her phone.
Luis tapped the down arrow, scrolling through the local news articles. "You'd think someone would have posted something about a missing kid...right?"
"Maybe? Unless he was abandoned?"
"Poor kid," Luis murmured sympathetically.
"Not one post." Frustrated, she tapped her keyboard with way more force than necessary. She stood up and started to pace, eyes still glued to her phone.
"Maybe they lost him, and are too afraid that they'll be judged harshly if they admit they lost him..?" It was weak reasoning at best , but if Luis was good at anything, it was being outwardly optimistic.
"Not an excuse," Vanessa snapped, finally looking up from her phone.
"Didn't say it was..."
She groaned and shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "Sorry. I know it's not your fault. Actually, I should be thanking you right now."
"Aw, don't even worry about it. Just try to remember I'm only here to help. This whole situation will go a lot smoother if we're working on it together." Luis closed his laptop, setting it on the coffee table. "I think we both need some rest." He stood, motioning further down the hall. "I just cleaned the guest room a week ago, so it should be all set up."
Vanessa stared at him.
He faltered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean...unless you want to drive home. But...but it's late. And the roads were already bad. I can't imagine they'd be any better now, and-"
"No, sorry. Long day. It took me a second to process what you were saying. But yeah, I'd like that- uh, sleeping in the guest room."
She started for the hallway but paused, turning back to Luis.
"It's the third room down the hall to the right," he supplied helpfully.
"Yes, thank you. Just, what about Gregory?"
"Oh, well, I figured I would camp out on the couch." He smiled, plopping back down on the couch to emphasize his point.
"No," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "This is your house, and it's only fair that you get a goodnight's sleep without worrying about babysitting."
YOU ARE READING
Of Headaches and Heartaches
FanfictionShe shouldn't have offered to help, shouldn't have stopped, shouldn't have even spared a second glance at the child wrapped pathetically in a thread-worn blanket. But she did, and now Vanessa has to face the consequences that her good deed brings. B...
