The Fight for Faith (Hard Time Series Book 6)

A Confirmation

LENA POV

After Stef and I spent three hours trying to get Faith to sleep, I felt pretty tired, and I knew Stef was exhausted as well.

Faith, had been so overstimulated, more then we realized by the party, that we had to calm her down with a bath, turn all the lights off in our room and read stories to her very quietly.

Even the sounds of some of the occasional passing sirens caused her to start to cry with a screetch, and we would need to start the process all over again of calming our little baby down.

Nights like this, it was very hard not to be furious with Callie. I myself would be filled with rage because Faith didn't deserve this. Not one bit. Even if the drugs were out of her system, the effects were coming out from time to time, and I could see by Stef's face how angry she was, too. She'd hold Faith for hours and try to comfort her the best she could. Both of us.

Faith was such a happy baby, very, and the painful withdrawl she went through for most of her life had been so heartbreaking to watch, and we just didn't know the full extent of what it would do to her the older she got.

It would be possible she'd have anger issues, learning disabilities, possibly getting sick more often than other kids, and for longer periods of time, having trouble focusing, and possibly a host of other things. All we could do was show her love, continue to educate ourselves about what we were dealing with, and try to help her as much as we could. All of us.

As I turn over in our bed, I see her passed out between Stef and I as my wife holds her little hand. 

Smiling at the two of them, I quietly leave the room and head into the kitchen to grab some water as I see Baby Stef and Tasha passed out on the air mattress with the TV still running.

Shaking my head and smiling at their innocence, I turn it off but trip over Tasha's bag as something soon rolls out of it. Picking it up, I happen to look at what it is as my face soon drops, and my heart breaks. Diet Pills?

Sighing, I gently cover both girls up as I take the bottle with me hating that I was right. I really did, as I head back into the bedroom seeing my wife is up now drinking some water she had on her nightstand.

"All okay?" She asks, in a groggy tone as I see she has placed Faith back in her crib, and I sit beside her. "My guess is, no. What's wrong, baby?"

"I went to grab some water, and I saw the girls passed out. I turned the TV off and tripped over Tasha's bag and found these. They spilled out of her bag." I hand the bottle to my wife as she grabs her reading glasses and turns on the little beside lamp.

"Diet pills?" She whispers.

"Mm mm."

"Why the fuck is she taking these?"

"Well, my guess because she feels she needs to loose weight."

"Does she even know what the fuck are in these damn things? Like the fucking side effects and shit?" She continues to whisper as she rubs her forehead continuing to read the warning label.

"Stef, I don't know if we talk to her first and then her mother? We aren't her mother."

"No, but she's gonna kill herself taking these and eating nothing but fucking carrots all damn day."

"Well, we can't even assume they are hers. What if they are Baby Stef's?"

"No, she wouldn't take these fuckin' things. And have you seen her eat?"

"Yeah, but I feel like we shouldn't assume, baby."

"Well, either way it's embarrassing for whoever's they are. But my concern is how fucking dangerous these things are. Says they can increase heart rate, give you chest pain, insomnia, tremors. What the fuck? And looks like she took most of the damn bottle. Fuck. Look, my guess is they are Tasha's, lets not even pretend they aren't baby, and I know we aren't her mother's but, shit, she practically lives hers. And you heard her, her family isn't so nice and I'd like to find out why the fuck not. Someone has to talk to her, and we don't have time to go calling her home because she's gonna kill herself with these fucking things. Who knows how many she fucking takes in a day."

"I know baby." I say taking the bottle back and shaking my head. "She's very shy so I don't think we should bombard her."

"I agree. Listen, she adores you, why don't you talk to her? She will probably say more then if I'm there, because she might clam up. Plus she's always looking for reasons to talk to you, baby.""

"She likes you too, baby. She wants your tree tattoo." I laugh as Stef smiles and grabs my hand. 

"Maybe so, but I love that little girl, too. She's been good for Baby Stef especially this year with all this shit going on, and she's never an issue when she comes over. Ever. She feels safe here, even with us being ex cons and all." She laughs as I do the same shaking my head.

"Listen, I'll talk to our granddaughter. This shit is dangerous Lena, and I don't want anything happening to her."

"Me either baby love." I say, rubbing my forehead and just feeling bad for this girl for the fact that she felt she needed to take these. "I feel bad, like, that she feels she needs to take these."

"I know me too, sweetheart. I do. But, I'm glad you found these fuckin things. I can't imagine if you had not."

"Even so, there's no guarantee she will stop taking them after I talk to her, Stef."

"Well, we can try my love. Right?" She strokes my cheek as I grab her hand, holding it tightly.  "People listen to you, honey. They do. More so than they do me because I think people listen to me out of fear. People listen to you because they feel safe with you."

"Our kids and grandkids feel safe with you, babe. Your daughter in law loves you.  Don't sell yourself short, honey. You are a beautiful soul, and the entire family loves you so much and depends on you as well, baby."

"Right back at ya sweets." She winks, leaning in and kissing me on lips softly. "Want to get a little sleep before our princess wakes up?"

"Yes, I'd love that. I'd love to be close to you."

"Mm, come here, baby. We'll handle this in the morning. Right after I flush those fucking things."

"Not before I do."