Gracie

Chapter 23

Skyli's POV

I sat sniffling in the bedroom upstairs as Gracie was taking from us. Davis and Wyatt handled everything having to do with giving Gracie to Rose, but I couldn't even bare to say goodbye. I could hear Gracie screaming 'mommy', but it was too heartbreaking to watch. After it was quiet for a moment, Wyatt entered the room.

"Hey," he said softly. I didn't look at him. I couldn't.

"Why would you let her take Gracie?" I asked in a whisper. He sighed and sat next to me, taking my hand in his.

"You know why, Sky. Grace is biologically hers. We had no choice," he answered. I turned my head into his chest and cried. I wanted my Gracie back. I didn't want to admit it but he was right. I knew he was, but I didn't want him to be. It wasn't fair. I raised her. Wyatt and I raised her together, only to have her taken from us. It wasn't fair. I found myself sobbing again. Wyatt only held me and rubbed my back.

"I know..." he kept repeating over and over again. It felt like a piece of my had just been ripped away. It was so painful."I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. I shook my head and stayed quiet besides my sniffling. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to talk at all. I didn't want to do anything.

"I'm not even going to ask if you're okay because I know you're not... and I wouldn't expect you to be," he added.

"I loved that little girl to death. I would do anything for her. And she's sick, Wyatt. She should be home, with us," I asked in a whisper.

"I know," he said quietly.

"How could we just let that woman take our daughter from us? How could you not fight? Why did you just stand there?" I asked. Wyatt gave me a look and I knew. We didn't have a right to Gracie like we pretended to have. We were fooling ourselves the whole time and I knew it. I stood and took a quick cold shower before I just laid in the bed. I didn't want to do anything except get Gracie back.

"Sky, come on. I know this is hard, but you can't just mope all day," Wyatt said, sitting on the bed next to me. I only responded by pulling the covers over my head and going to sleep.

~

Wyatt's POV

It broke my heart to see Skyli so upset, but there was nothing I could do. Legally, Grace belonged to Rose and there was nothing we could do about that. Rose and I exchanged numbers, just in case, but I doubted I would be hearing from her anytime soon.

I rubbed Skyli's back gently and listened to her gentle breathing. I could tell she was asleep. I asked Davis to stay away to give us time. I was hurting too. It was like losing my little sister and mother all over again, only worse because I considered Gracie my own. I worried about Grace, too. I knew how high-maintenance she could be. Rose was a stranger to her, and she was a stranger to Rose. Rose didn't know that Grace's favorite toy was her stuffed giraffe. She didn't know if Grace didn't go to sleep at 7:30 pm, she wouldn't go to sleep until 11:00 pm. She didn't know what Gracie's language was, or know how to decipher when she had to use the bathroom. She didn't know anything.

I went to Gracie's room and just stood there as I looked around. Marbles watched Gracie one week while Skyli and I painted the room a lavender color and monogramed Gracie's name in white cursive letters on the far wall. The crib she had was accompanied by a small bed, low to the ground with the Little Mermaid bed set. We were trying to transition her into a regular bed. Although, she just slept with us in our bed anyway.

Skyli had no reason to stay.

The thought hit me like a ton of bricks. Skyli was only here because of Gracie, and Gracie was gone. Skyli would probably leave soon after. I didn't want her to though. I was losing everyone I loved at once all over again. I didn't want to be a drunk all the time again. I want to be a father and a boyfriend. I wanted to be a good father and husband. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair as the first tear fell. I missed her. I needed to know my baby girl was okay. I didn't want to let her go, but if we fought her we would really lose. At least this way there was a chance that we could see her again. I turned off the light in the room as I wiped my cheeks and left. I went back to the room to find Skyli tossing and turning. She whimpered in her sleep and I knew she was dreaming about Gracie. I got in the bed and wrapped her up with my arms and the blankets as I sniffled.

"I'm so sorry, Sky. I'll find a way to fix this... I promise," I whispered to her sleeping figure.