“No problem.”
She embraced her tightly and kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit? I know this is a lot on your mental right now.”
Alayah nodded. “I might do that.” She looked back at me. “Do you have to go back to work right now?” she asked faintly.
“Not right away.”
“Can you stay with me a little while?”
I looked to Mrs. Penny for permission. I didn’t want to be disrespectful.
She smiled softly. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve already peeped what’s brewing here. Go on.”
She waved us toward the hall. Alayah grabbed my hand and led me to her bedroom. The moment we walked in, I said to myself that the space fit her. She kicked off her shoes and climbed on her bed to lay down. For a moment, she just looked at me before speaking.
“Can you lay with me?” she asked faintly.
I nodded slowly. After kicking off my shoes, I laid on the bed facing her. There was an ample amount of space between us. For the longest time, she stared at me, and I stared at her. She looked to be having a mental battle with herself. I reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Can I ask you for something?” she whispered.
“Anything?”
“Can I cuddle with you? I just…I feel safe in your arms.”
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I inched closer to her and opened my arms. Even though it was her request, she hesitated for a moment before sliding into my space. She curled into me, then rested her head on my chest and threw her arm around me. I closed my arms around her, pulling her in close. She expelled a relaxed sigh.
“Better?” I asked.
She nodded. A brief silence fell upon the room. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of breath leaving our bodies.
“What if I’ve ruined their lives?” she asked.
“You haven’t. You’ve brought light to an ongoing situation. Something had to be done or it probably would have kept happening until they were old enough to leave and never come back. You trusted your gut, and you went through the proper channels to get help. That’s all you could have done. Right now, you just have to trust that the law will do the right thing.”
She scoffed. “How do you trust a system that failed you?”
I didn’t have an answer for that. She had every right to be concerned, and I couldn’t tell her otherwise. The system could be finicky. There were people who cared more about lining their pockets than serving justice. It wasn’t unfounded to learn about officials who purposely pad sentences or corrupt officers to terrorize the people they were supposed to protect. It was a broken system, but there were so many people trying to fix it and be better. I prayed this wasn’t one of those things that got swept under the rug.
Chapter 21
Alayah
A Week Later
I nervously sat in the courtroom behind my aunt, uncle, Erica, and Mary Proctor, the DCFS worker assigned to my sisters’ case. Killian sat next to me on one side, holding my hand for comfort. On the other side was Ms. Vera. She came to ensure that I didn’t do anything to put myself at risk. My leg bounced anxiously as we waited for the judge. Kennedy hadn’t been brought in yet, but it was my understanding that she’d been arrested as soon as she touched down at the airport.
I felt a slight relief when Erica called with the update. Of course, she was livid. She claimed that Adrienne attacked her, and she defended herself. It was just like her to shift the blame to somebody else.
“Are they gonna start soon?” I whispered to Killian.
“They should.”
Just then, the side door opened, and Kennedy was escorted in, chained in handcuffs. Her eyes landed on us, and the scowl on her face deepened. She was seated next to her lawyer, and behind her were her boyfriend and surprisingly, Mrs. West. I was confused as to what she was doing here. The relationship between my mother and Mrs. West’s son ended ten years ago. Why would she stand beside her along with her new man?
The doors to the judge’s chambers opened, and out walked an older woman who was introduced as Judge Bishop. Everyone stood and waited for her to be seated before reclaiming our seats.
“Court is now in session. It’s my understanding that this is for the emergency removal of Adrienne and Amiyah Chambers from the home they share with their mother, Kennedy Chambers. I see we have representatives from DCFS present. Who do we have here today?”
