Demi

Two weeks went by without a word from Wilmer.

The hope I had been convincing myself to have dissolved after the fifteenth day of sleeping alone; when I woke up to three moving men waiting to take the rest of his stuff. I had dialed his number- ready to call him, but I stopped when I realized I didn't know what to say. I had nothing left, and I would never give up on Emily to have him back in my life, no matter how selfish I wanted to be.

Emily seemed to know something was wrong too. For the first week, she'd asked continually when Wilmer was coming back home, but those questions had stopped. I woke up continuously throughout the night to her standing next to my bed, her tiny eyebrows pushed together with worry.

"You were yelling for Wilmer." She told me one night. "I don't think he can hear you."

"No." I murmured, and lifted her onto the bed. "I don't think he can."

"Why isn't he coming back?"

I sighed and smoothed down her hair, trying to figure out the words to explain the delicate situation. "You know how I had to give you a time out the other day? Because you were really mad and needed a break?" She nodded. "It's kind of like that. Wilmer needed a time-out, and I don't know when it's going to be over."

She nodded, accepting with full trust any explanation I gave her. "But now you and me can have more fun."

"Yeah, we can have a lot of fun." I smiled and looked at the clock. "But you gotta go to sleep if you wanna have that much fun tomorrow."

"Can't I sleep in here?" She drawled, using her newfound tool of puppy-dog eyes on me. "It's dark in my room."

"Sure." I laid back and she happily got under the covers next to me. "Goodnight, Emily. I love you."

She yawned and wormed into my side, shoving her face into my neck. "I love you too, Momma."

I froze, but she didn't notice. A few tears began to prick my eyes and I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions. I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn't know yet if I wanted to correct Emily. I was the closest thing she would probably ever have to a mother, but she was my father's daughter. For a brief moment I understood the pressure of how Wilmer felt in that moment, but the anger returned when I remembered that instead of dealing with it, he ran. That scared me more than anything, because in all of our years together, all of the drama, he had never even come close to running.

~*~

Two days later, Emily had her first therapy appointment. Dr. Revis was a blonde haired, kind-eyed woman, and was the only person on the list of recommendations who hadn't instantly praised my career. When I mentioned my name and the situation, she was completely focused on Emily, not caring about my place in society.

"So, Emily, are you okay talking to me with Demi in the room or do you want her to go outside."

"Stay." Emily had reverted back to monosyllabic responses in the presence of a new stranger, and refused to look up from the floor. Her grip on my hand was so tight my knuckles began to ache but I didn't dare adjust my fingers.

"Okay, that's okay." Dr. Revis smiled softly, keeping her voice low and soothing. "Do you know why you're living with Demi?"

She didn't answer and I rubbed her back, trying to convey to her that it was okay to open up. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. "Daddy's a bad man."

"Do you remember what he did to you?" Emily nodded. "Do you want to tell me about that?" She shook her head. "That's okay, you don't have to. How about you tell me what you can do at Demi's house that you couldn't do at your other house?"

Emily picked at the hem of her shirt. "I can watch TV."

"What's your favorite TV show?"

"The one with the animals." Dr. Revis looked at me for clarification.

"Go Diego Go... my- husband, voiced the character so we have tons of DVD's full of re-runs."

"What else can you do at Demi's house?"

"I can go potty."

"You weren't allow to before?"

"Only Daddy could open the door. I tried to hold it but I never could."

"And what did he do if you didn't hold it?"

Emily's hand clenched into a tiny fist and she looked down, not needing to answer verbally. I was having trouble containing myself to. The hatred I had for my father flared up every time I thought about what he had put Emily through.

"Do you remember anyone else being in the house?"

She was quiet for a few seconds. "Only Dianna."

I stopped, my eyes widening as I looked down at her. "Who?"

"Dianna."

I felt my heart began to are as a new anger started in me. "She saw you in the house? She knew who you were?"

Emily shied away as I raised my voice. "I'm sorry."

"Demi." Dr. Revis warned. "Who's Dianna?"

"My mother." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "And if she knew about Emily and didn't do anything..."

"You don't know anything yet. Don't jump to conclusions." She said gently. "Talk to her, and hear her side of the story."

I nodded, trying to keep a clear head. I hadn't yet told my mother about Emily because I knew how much of a sensitive topic Patrick was with her. I couldn't imagine a world where she had sufficient reasoning for leaving a child in that house with him alone.

"It's okay, Emily, how often did you see Dianna?"

"I don't know." She had retreated back into herself; she mistook my anger as directed to her.

"Let's not push things." Dr. Revis smiled softly at me. "Same time next week?"

"Sure." I stood and Emily instantly hopped her her feet, eager to get out of the room. "Thank you, I know this isn't exactly an easy... situation."

"Believe me, I've seen worse. Emily seems to be doing a remarkable job of adjusting, and I think I can really help her get through this."

We walked out of the building and as I seat belted Emily into her carseat, she seemed too quiet.

"I wasn't mad at you before, honey. I was just surprised." I touched her chin so she looked at me and smiled. "You wanna go have some fun?"

Emily smiled, then it turned into the wide grin that genetically mimicked my own. "Yeah!"

"Alright, how about some ice cream?"

"Yeah!"

I took her to the local ice cream shop, then we walked around the park while she ate it. I wanted to know more about Patrick and Dianna, but I didn't want to make her talk about things she didn't want to remember.

"Emily?" She looked up at me. "Would you remember what Dianna looked like if I showed you a picture?" She nodded, so I pulled out my phone and found a picture of my mom and I, then flipped it so she could see. "Is this her?"

"No." Emily tilted her head. "Dianna has black hair."

"Black hair? You're sure it's not her?"

She nodded, then leaned closer. "But Daddy has a picture of that lady."

"He does?"

"Daddy threw it and it broke, but I liked the picture so I kept it."

I closed my eyes and felt relief flood through me. Just like Dr. Revis said, I had jumped to conclusions. A part of me had been ready to call my mother screaming at the top of my lungs, but I knew it would scare Emily.

"Demi?" I looked at her, and followed her gaze across the park. "That's a bad man."

A man stood leaning against my car, his arms crossed and his eyes staring straight at us. My heart dropped into my chest and I leaned down to pick her up, holding Emily securely against me as I started to walk towards him.

"Can I help you?" I asked, letting my anger seep into my voice.

"Just a favor for an old friend." The man tossed his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "Told me to tell you Daddy's coming."

It felt like ice had been injected into my veins. "I suggest you leave, right now, before I call the police." He stepped forward and I held Emily a little tighter, but stood my ground.

"You don't have your husband to protect you anymore." I clenched my jaw and he smiled, then lit up a new cigarette. "If you think a court of law is gonna stop him from getting what's his, you're mistaken."

"If you think for one moment I'm going to let him anywhere near us, it's you who is mistaken."

He nodded once. "He said you got some fire in you... I guess we'll see how bright you burn."

The man walked away and Emily finally came out from the curtain of my hair. "He's a bad man."

"Yeah, I know." I swallowed hard and glanced around. "How about we stay somewhere different tonight, huh? A little adventure?"

"Where?"

I bit my lip, then an idea came to me and I smiled widely. "You wanna fly?"

~*~

Two hours later, we were on a private jet.

After frantic calls to Max and Kelsey about the mysterious man in the park, they both agreed the safest place for Emily and I was in an entirely new state. When we got to LAX, Max and Kelsey were both waiting for me with our bags packed.

Emily had been enthralled with the idea of flying the entire plane ride. She stared out the window for the first three hours, then climbed into my lap and promptly fell asleep. Kelsey came over and smiled at her.

"She really does look like you."

"I know." I smoothed her hair back and shook my head. "I was so scared today."

"Max gave his description to the police, we'll get a call if we hear anything."

"I know I just..." I closed my eyes for a moment and swallowed the lump in my throat. "I just want Wilmer to be here. I know it's pathetic but he makes me feel safe. Without him it's like I'm crawling in my skin."

"Do you want me to call him?"

"No." I shook my head. "He's made it clear what he wants and what he doesn't. I'll be okay, I just didn't plan on being a single mother before I turned twenty seven."

"You have us." She nodded towards Max who was at the front of the plane coordinating security with the hotel we'd be staying at. "And your family... are you ever going to tell them about Emily?"

"Eventually." I bit my lip and looked out the window. "It's selfish really... I just don't want to have to tell my mom why Wilmer's no longer in the picture, I don't want her to think of him like that."

"You're still protecting him?"

"I love him." I looked at her and shrugged sadly. "I'll always try and protect him."

She nodded, long-familiar with my inability to even breathe a bad thing about Wilmer and learned not to argue with me. Even in the darkest parts of our relationship I had been able to see the silver-lining in him. Kelsey had witnessed enough of his screw-ups to be bias against him, but I stayed as positive as I could.

"It's been almost a month, you haven't gotten anything from his lawyers?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I'm not going to. We made a deal when we got married, that we'd never get divorced. Even if it was years and years that we weren't together we would never sign those papers."

Kelsey sighed, her eyes drifting back to Emily. "Maybe he'll come to his senses."

"Maybe." 

She glanced down and out the window. "You wouldn't ever want to move on?" 

"Move on to what?" I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. "I couldn't love anyone the way I love Wilmer, and it wouldn't be fair. I would always be waiting for him. Anyone else would just be a place-holder." 

Two hours later, we touched down in New York.

"I have four guys waiting for us." Max said, nodding at the black sprinter van that drove up next to the plane on the runway. "I wanted to be thorough. They're expensive but-" 

"The money doesn't matter." I cut him off with a look, then smiled softly. "Not when it comes to her safety. Thank you for all of this, Max."

"Always, boss." 

Emily remained asleep the entire drive to the hotel, and was so groggy I had to carry her on the walk in. I covered her face with a blanket in case any paparazzi were lurking, and Max hurried me in the circle of bodyguards into the back entrance of the hotel. 

"You've got the entire top floor." Max instructed, handing me a keycard. "No one can get up there without a card that's programmed to. Minimal staff, and one entrance in or out. I'll have a guy at the elevator at all times, and another at each entrance. They have the description of Patrick and the guy you saw in the park." 

"Thank you." I pulled Max into a hug; a rare occurrence between us. "Really, Max. For everything." 

"Of course." He smiled awkwardly- as he usually did in any moment of gratitude, and walked off to his room. 

I put Emily on the bed- that kid slept like the dead, then walked out on the balcony. I could see the entirety of Manhattan, and finally felt the tension from the day start to fade. I felt safer, but I knew the only thing that could fully put me at ease was Wilmer. I pulled out my phone and my thumb hesitated over his contact, my head battling with my heart. Eventually, my heart won and I clicked it, putting the phone to my hear and listening to the rings. 

"Hello?" 

"Hi." I murmured, watching the cars down below. 

"Hey." When I didn't respond after a few moments he tried again. "Is everything okay?" 

"No." I sighed and leaned against the railing. "I just... I wanted to hear your voice." 

He was quiet for a moment. "Do you need me?" 

"I always need you." I swallowed hard and blinked back the moisture in my eyes. "But I can't have you." 

"I'm sorry, Demi." 

"I miss you." I breathed, and closed my eyes. "God, I miss you." 

"I miss you too." 

"I love you." 

"I love you." 

I took a deep breath. "Bye." 

"Bye." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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-Rachel