A Course of Passion

27: Lonely Children

As we head home, Sonny wraps his hand with mine and keeps a large smile on his face, "I think that went well."

"Mmmhmm" I hum back, the guilt still inside of me. Although his mother said she is happy for us, I can't help but feel responsible for getting pregnant without being married, ruining whatever dream his parents had for him.

He eyes me, "what is it?"

"You never told me you wanted to be a priest." I say to him.

He gives me a strange look but answers, "yeah, growing up. I have some family in the priesthood. Turns out, I'm not cut from that cloth." He smirks at his later comment after winking. I don't laugh in return though, so he knows something is really not right, "hey, what's going on?" He pushes for more.

"I don't think your mom is too thrilled about this." I confess to him, wishing that the first time I met them I didn't just drop a bomb like this on them.

He exhales, "oh nonsense, she'll come around." He pushes it off as if it's no big deal.

I try to bite my tongue but fail, and blurt out, "is that why at the hospital you told my dad you were gonna do things right? Are you upset that we're having these babies out of wedlock?"

He eyes me, looking at me curiously. He's reading me. I adjust where I sit, waiting for him to say something back, "I mean, did I ever plan on having kids without being married? No, but am I upset about it? Absolutely not. Maddison, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am so excited for these two to make us parents together." He puts his hand on my stomach, smiling.

"Alright." I let myself sink a bit into the seat, feeling the most comfortable I have in hours.

Olivia finally loosens the reigns a bit on me about 2 weeks later when Amanda's growing belly becomes more prominent. She's about 2 and a half months further along than I am. Olivia lets me go to a hospital when we got a call about a little boy wandering around in a bodega alone and dirty. Sonny and Finn took the original call and Olivia called me after to meet her at the hospital to interview the boy. I sit with the boy in the waiting room for an hour, trying to get him to talk to me. I made up a game, to try and get him to tell me his name or age, but so far, he's said nothing. I let him play a while and try to build some trust with him. "That's a cool bus. Huh? You like the bus?" He pushes a toy on the table, "the bus goes "vroom, vroom," right? Can you say that?" He just looks at me with sad eyes and pushes the bus some more, "hey, let's try our game again. Ready?" I pretend to be so excited, "so I'm Maddison and you are?" I ask him, pointing at him, "remember, you are? You are?"

"Bruno." He barely whispers out to me.

"Bruno." I repeat it. "Bruno, what's your last name, sweetie?" I encourage him further.

Olivia comes over behind me now, hearing I got a name. The boy repeats, "Bruno."

"So Bruno, how old are you? Huh?" I ask. "Are you this many?" I hold up four fingers, "hmm?" I hum when he looks at me then back to his toy, "you this many?" I hold up three fingers now.

"Hey." Someone calls to us from behind.

Olivia and I look back and see the doctor waiting on us, "okay, sweetie, I'll be back in one second, okay?" I ask him and he just smiles at the toy on the table.

"Any luck, Sergeant Benson, detective Grey?" The doctor asks us.

"Just his first name." I answer her, "I mean, he's gotta be three years old, right?" I question, looking at him, "shouldn't he be talking by now?"

"Delayed speech." The doctor tells us in a matter of fact way, "I mean, I'm not surprised. No one's taking care of him. He was filthy, several cavities. Vitamin D levels were low, so he's not getting out much."