Hope

Chapter 3

           Hope walked into the rec center letting the warmth wrap around her in a warm embrace. "Hope! You made it I thought with the curfew you wouldn't be able to make it." A very pregnant Des said waddling over to Hope with open arms. "Of course, I promised to help, besides you offered to let me intern here for credit." Hope said hugging the tall woman. She and Des met her first year of college, she was her TA but graduated and married her high school and college sweetheart, the two were expecting their second child and she knew that they were happy and in love. Des was a gentle woman with big blue eyes and dirty blonde hair with a relatively tall frame. Her husband on the other hand was the complete opposite, he was huge. Tall and muscular with tattoos all over his body. He was part of the police department and the entire state was searching for the missing girls and Hope knew it worried Des so she helped as much as she could. "We have another volunteer, she moved here a few weeks ago. Her name is Elaine West. A very sweet girl, she could use some friends." Des said gently leading Hope to tall woman with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. Something about the woman threw Hope off. She was beautiful, almost like a model she definitely didn't fit the normal around the small community. But that's not what threw Hope off, it was the coldness she saw in the other woman's eyes. They were dark and saw everything, in just one sweep of her gaze she noticed anything and everything, like she was making sure she knew all the ways in and out of rec center. "Hi I'm Hope," Hope sad trying to be friendly even though she was faking it. "I know who you are," Elaine said her voice smooth and rich but holding a twinge of dark promise. "Des told me all about you," the other woman laughed making Hope slightly ease. This woman was weird, she made Hope nervous and she didn't know why. "I'm sure she has, Des has a lot to say about everyone in the rec center. She's very kind." Hope said as Des made her way around the room, going to every person a smile on her face. The kids she worked with were all in the system, one or another were from abusive homes and had no family left being left in the care of the state. But there was one girl, she was young the youngest one there and she was twelve years old. Her name was Anne. She was abused from her entire family. Her mother was hard on drugs, and her dad was and alcoholic, who had random men and women coming in and out of the house every single day. Until one day a drunk man raped and impregnated her. Anne didn't talk about it, not that Hope blamed her she was dirty blonde with bright blue eyes that have dulled to a sad grey.  After Anne had her baby both were put in the system, Anne was then put in a foster home of an older woman named Charise who looked at the child as her own and Hope was slowly seeing a difference in the child. "All these kids are very different from one another." Elaine said bringing Hope from her thoughts, "Yes they've all seen their fair share of hell at one point or another, it's almost close to Christmas so Des and I try to give these kids a decent Christmas. Presents and food the whole nine. They deserve it. None of them asked to be born into a world of evil, they were just placed in a bad situation and we try to give them a childhood as best we can." Hope explained. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that no child should have to go through anything like that." Hope nodded and saw Anne come in, holding a small child one that couldn't be more than four or five months old. "Excuse me," Hope said and made her way to Anne who smiled up at her, a rare occurrence for the girl. "Hope! This is Howie, my son my case worker said that his adoptive parents would love if I had a relationship with him." Hope smiled at Anne knowing that it must be hard for her but she also knew the girl didn't blame the child for what happened to her and she has never seen Anne so happy. "He's beautiful, he looks just like you," Hope said placing her hand on Anne's shoulder and guiding her to the craft table where she sat down. "Your birthday is coming up, I made you something." Anne said rocking Howie in her arms as her case worker stood by, "Anne you didn't have to do that. Just seeing you happy is all I worry about." Hope said to the girl. "You only turn twenty three once, besides you've done a lot for me and everyone else here." Hope smiled as Anne handed Howie to the case worker, the small boy was dozing off his blue eyes fighting hard to stay open until he finally fell asleep. Anne reached into her pocket and pulled out a small white box and handed it off to Hope, Hope grabbed it but stopped when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, like she was being watched, she turned looking for the source but didn't see anyone watching her. Elaine was even gone leaving her alone with Des and the kids. Hope brushed it off and took the small box and opened it seeing a small silver chain with white beads on it that spelled out her name. "Anne, I love it. Thank you." Hope said hugging the small girl to her holding her tightly. "Do you like it?" Anne asked as she pulled away, Hope nodded and lifted out the necklace and moved her hair to the side and placed the chain around her neck letting it fall softly against her collar bone. "It's the best present I've ever gotten." Hope said smiling, as Anne's case worker walked up to her so she can say her goodbyes to her son. Hope watched Anne as she gently kissed the boys sleeping head as his adoptive parents picked him up. When Anne came back she and Hope made crafts until it was time to pack up. When the last child left it was only Des and Hope left. "Hey, what happened to Elaine?" Hope asked wiping her hands on her jeans. "She said she had an emergency so she left early. Do you have a ride home?" Des asked grabbing her coat and bag. "I was just going to ride the bus or ask you but I know you have to be home." Des tsked at Hope, shaking her head like a disappointed mother. "Good thing I called Lenny, jeez Hope, with all that's going on I expected you'd be more careful," Hope rolled her eyes understanding where everyone was coming from but she was a grown woman she was capable of getting herself home in one piece. "You didn't have to call Lenny Des," Hope said walking outside with Des but it wasn't Lenny she saw outside. No it was Heath, the undeniably sexy cop. "Yeah, Lenny couldn't pick you up but he did send a really hot replacement," Des said smugly waving at Heath and hugging Hope before waddling to her car. Hope groaned softly to herself as she walked up to Heath, "I'm not a child." She started before he could say anything. "I'm well aware of that, but you do know it's dangerous for a woman to be outside by herself." Hope rolled her eyes crossing her arms over her chest. 
      "I'm very well aware of that, but you probably have more important things to worry about." Hope challenged. "Hope, get in the car it's cold." Heath said his grey gaze running down her body. "You're very stubborn but fine. Thank you." Hope said walking to the passengers side and climbing into the car. "Have you eaten?" Heath asked as her pulled away from the rec center. Hope glanced at Heath from beneath her lashes shaking her head. "No." 
    Heath stared at her before replying, "I know a good Italian place."