I was just doing my usual grocery shopping when I found a little girl sitting in my cart. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with fear, and whispered,

“Don’t give me back, I’m scared.” In that moment, I knew everything was about to change.

I took pride in the independence I had built over the years. Sure, I was single, but that didn’t bother me much.

And after Melissa lost her job, I let her stay with me. She was my sister, after all. She had a knack for taking control of things,but I hoped she’d find her footing soon.

That day was supposed to be like any other. I headed to the grocery store like I did every week. Grocery shopping was simple and predictable. It gave me a sense of control.

“I found her at the grocery store,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm, though I knew Melissa’s reaction was going to be anything but.

“Found her?!” Melissa’s eyebrows shot up. “Rachel, you can’t just bring home a child! Do you even know where she came from?”

“No, but she was alone,” I replied. “I couldn’t just leave her there.”

“You can’t fix everything, Rachel. This is a bad idea.”

“I called James,” I said, trying to ease her worries by mentioning my detective friend. “He’s looking into it. We’ll figure this out.”

Melissa let out a frustrated sigh, muttering under her breath. I ignored her. My focus was on Lily.

The next morning, it happened just as I feared. There was a knock on the door, I knew who it was before I even opened it. Social services.

I hoped I had more time, but Melissa had already taken matters into her own hands. She was quick to act whenever something worried her.

I answered the door, and two social workers explained they were there to take Lily. I knew I had no real right to keep her, no matter how much I wanted to.

“We’ll take her into care until we can sort things out,” one of the workers said.

I glanced over at Lily, who was standing by the table, clutching the edge.

“I… I just need a minute,” I stammered.

I knelt down next to Lily, my heart breaking at the thought of her being taken away.

“Lily, sweetie, you have to go with them for now. They’re going to help you.”

Her big eyes met mine, full of fear. “Please, don’t give me back. I’m scared.”

Her words pierced through me. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but I didn’t know if that was true. I felt Melissa’s gaze burning into me from behind. [… Continue ]