Preacher Fakes a Miracle

3. Loretta’s Trailer

Loretta’s Trailer

Friday Morning

Melissa was not exactly forthcoming about her recent whereabouts. Loretta decided not to confront her just now. She could guess her younger sister would be defensive, maybe even snarky as per usual. They both needed rest and calmer nerves before they could get down to making plans.

All Loretta was able to ask her was, “Have you been taking your meds?”

The girl shrugged it off. “I’m fine.”

Then Loretta risked asking, “Have there been any… episodes?”

Melissa smirked. “Like I said. I’ve… been… fine.”

After this, Melissa plugged in her earbuds as Buzz slept.

Loretta was feeling groggy. It was more than an hour after her usual bedtime, but the adrenaline from coping with her sister’s issues was allowing her to function. She’d get Melissa and herself fed, finally grab some sleep, and then hopefully be clear-headed enough to talk some sense into the girl before leaving again for work in the afternoon. She didn’t have a plan yet, but she figured that there wouldn’t be any harm in Melissa’s staying with her for a few days until they could think of something. The baby was adorable enough, but they’d have to be adults about this.

She was busy at the stove, Buzz was dozing, and Melissa was nodding to the music in her earbuds when three vehicles pulled up outside, followed by door slams and a series of sharp raps on the door.

Loretta shot a fearful look to Melissa and braced herself with a tight grip on the doorknob.

“Who is it?” she called out.

“Family Welfare Agency,” came the reply from a deep-throated male.

Loretta hadn’t been through this before, but she figured she had a right to ask, “Do you have a warrant?”

“We got the sheriff,” came a husky female voice.

Loretta opened the door cautiously. In rushed two men and a woman. The larger man, overweight and white, was in a suit. The younger one, a scrawny red-haired dude, was in a cop uniform. The dark-skinned woman looked almost casual in jeans and a blouse, but her hair was done up and she had pearl earrings.

The man in the suit grabbed Melissa by the arm, and the woman swept in to gather up the baby.

Melissa realized the nuns must have called the cops. She snarled “b***h!” at the woman as she tried in vain to wrestle free. In the intruder’s stoic face, there was no look of recognition. No more words were exchanged, no badges flashed, and the woman was out the door with Buzz and into a car as fast as she could move.

Melissa yelled after them, “Where are you taking my baby?” Then, to Loretta, she pleaded, “They can’t do this!”

As the big guy muscled Melissa out the door, Loretta challenged him, “She’s my sister! They live with me! Where are you taking them?”

Last of the intruders out the door was the sheriff’s deputy, who called back to Loretta as he got into his squad car, “They’re both children, ma’am.”