Unexpected

Rachel Eastbrook

••••••3rd POV••••••

The sky is a dull grey. The clouds are thick with the sun having no intention of touching a bit of the town. It was a small quaint town in the middle of the United States. Somewhere in the middle of an alley a young lady is carrying a small bundle in her arms. The dark-haired young lady is walking quickly , eyes roaming around for any signs of life or danger in the small little walk thru behind some town shops. No one knows who the lady is. She isn’t from there. All she knows is that she has got to get away from the people after her and the little bundle would only slow her down. After one more final sweep of the place she finally felt safe enough to exhale a much needed breath and smile down at the little one in her arms who is still sleeping.

She could only wish to bring her little girl with her but she knew she couldn’t support an infant on the run. She was lucky enough to escape from the hospital in her hometown with her daughter without being caught and driving her through the next couple states without being pulled. The lady had packed some things they would need in her hospital bag before she went into labor. After escaping it was only a matter of time before he found her. She thought of what her husband would do to her baby to punish his wife knowing her child is her only reason of living. She shook her head at the thought.

It brought her back into the reason why she must give her baby girl up. In her heart she knew it was the right thing even if it hurt like hell. She kissed her baby on her little forehead. Just then she opened her little eyes and yawned. Her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the alley and saw her mom, the store light making her glow. Her little brown doe eyes had thick long lashes that framed her eyes like natural eyeliner. They looked into each other eyes and the baby smiled.

“Ma..ma” she cooed.

“Yes my love..” the young woman grabbed her little one’s hands and brought them to her lips.

“I’ll always be your ma”

She kissed her daughter’s nose. And laid her down on in an empty whiskey box and wrapped her up in a swaddle. The baby cooed and her eyes started to droop. The young woman kissed the baby’s hand for what she knew at the moment would be the last time as a tear rolled down her nose and onto the baby, who was now sleeping peacefully again. She wiped her cheek while looking longingly at her child she may not ever see again and knocked on the back door of the store until she heard someone say,

“Coming ! Coming! Ron that better not be you getting drunk and locked yourself out! It’s a storm coming through and I ought to leave you out there you lazy good for nothing....oh !”

When she opened the door, the older lady expected to see her brother passed out on the step but instead saw a little blanket starting to move. The older woman looked into the box cautiously, hoping it’s not a prank her no sense having brother may have cooked up. The wind started to pick up and blew the blanket a bit the show the scarce part of a little tan hand.

“Oh my goodness!”

She didn’t hesitate a second to pick up the baby and bundle her in her bosom, afraid the infant might catch a chill from the wind. She looked left and right to see if someone else could be around but saw nothing but a couple of stray cats by the dumpster.

“RON ! Ron!? Get in here you dunce, for once in your life put a rush on it!!” she started to yell but decided to whisper yell to not frighten the baby.

“What do you want you nerve riding lunatic ?!”

he said coming from the small kitchen with a cold one. His question faltered when he set eyes on the blanket bundle in his sisters hands.

“That there better be a puppy Lily cause I know it ain’t what I think it is” Ron said taking a sip.

“The only dog in here is you! You flea brained mangy mutt” Lily snapped. “It’s a baby” her eyes softened when the baby smiled a little in her sleep.

“Well how did it get here?”

“I don’t know Ron , but it’s a storm coming and I was getting the stock done for the store before we closed for the week. I heard a knock and I thought it was you drunk and on your a.s.s. but I found this little baby instead” Ron strolled over to take a look over the baby.

“Well you’re the cutest hobo I’ve seen coming from that alley” he smiled. He went to poke her little tummy and saw something white. Hmm ? What is this ?

He thought before looking at his sister who just raised her eyebrows as if telling him to open it. Ron tore open the envelope to see a stack of money, all 100 dollar bills. A little note card was right in the front and he pulled it out. The note had just two sentences and after he read it he looked at his sister in disbelief.

“Well....what did it say ?”

He just handed the card to her and reached for the baby. He lifted her up and looked into the now awake infant eyes and smiled. The infant smiled back as if she already knew the man and reached for him while giggling.

“Welcome Miss Rachael Eastbrook. Let’s get you home.”