The Piano Man

XXXIV. Not So Fast

"Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about and the hardest thing in the world to do." Matt Walsh

----

XXXIV. Not So Fast

"What in the actual ...?" Sophie heard Noah exclaim on the other end of the phone. "What do you mean you're going to be arrested? What the fuck happened?"

"Because I fucking kidnapped my daughter!" Sophie shouted at him irrationally before she hiccoughed another sob. "I didn't know. Oh my God, I didn't know. I took Maddie out of the country without fucking Beck's consent and now he's going to get custody and I'm going to prison! Noah, I don't know what to do."

Sophie had made enough noise now to bother Maddie. She was looking up from her game, and looked properly concerned at the state in which her mother was in. Maddie immediately abandoned her dolls and came to stand before Sophie.

She wanted to smile, but all Sophie could do was snatch at Maddie, knocking her off of her feet and cuddling her to her chest.

"Mummy, what's wrong?" Maddie asked, concerned. "Why are you crying?"

Ordinarily, Sophie would have been so terribly proud to hear her asking sympathetic questions. But that fact barely entered into her psyche.

"Alright," Noah said firmly, seemingly grabbing a hold of the situation. "You need to pull yourself together, Sophie. I say this out of love, you know I do, but cut it out and get it together. If police are coming, then you need to prepare Maddie for that. If she's going to be sleeping away from you, you need to prepare her for that. I don't know what sort of fucking law they're talking about you breaking, but you and I both know Beck doesn't have any sort of claim, and any case he has is wafer thin. Don't be stupid, though, okay? Don't admit to anything, don't say anything until you have a lawyer beside you. I'm getting on the next flight."

Sophie whimpered.

"Do you understand me, Sophie?" Noah demanded to know. "Tell me you understand."

"I understand," she managed to croak out.

Calmer now, he said, "Sophie, it's going to be okay," Noah promised. "You're a good mom, and I know two dozen people who can attest to that. The same amount can attest that Beck is no more than a fucking sperm donor."

A sperm donor with a C100 form and a lawyer and a Child Abduction Act to hide behind. Oh, God.

"I'm going to call my attorney and get them to contact someone good in London. Don't say anything until they get there, okay? I'm going to hang up now. I'm going to throw some shit in a bag and get to the airport. I'll be there as soon as I can," Noah assured her.

"Sooner than that, please," Sophie whispered as she hung up the phone. She abandoned it on the floor beside her. Pull yourself together, Sophie willed herself. She took a deep breath and looked down into Maddie's trusting brown eyes. Most people who saw Maddie didn't see her eyes, didn't know her true personality, or get to experience her pure, innocent nature.

They saw the tantrums, the rituals, whatever could be perceived as odd or unusual behaviour. But Sophie was Maddie's mum, and the person she trusted most in the universe, and she had the privilege of knowing every gorgeous facet there was to the child that was Maddie.

Beck couldn't tell a judge three things about Maddie. Sophie could list a thousand.

"Okay," Sophie began. "So, we're going to go on a little adventure, it seems." God, she hoped her voice sounded convincing. "In a police car!" Sophie forced a smile. "How exciting is that?"