Touching the Heart of Ace novel Chapter 74

"The incident helps us with the case, that is a positive."

I pushed open the door to Robbie's home office and they froze.

"I do not fucking guard her life day and night for you to play her like a fiddle."

"Sir, we..."

"Not one word." I hissed. "Not one fucking word." The forefinger I was pointing, shook with anger.

"What were you thinking? That you could use her? That you could break her tiny heart? Pull one more stunt like that, you will cease to exist. You think, you can win this case and take shit load of money and be Kings? Ever wondered how your life would be if you do not have an identity anymore. Ever wondered the name you had all your life ceased to have a meaning. Ever wondered how to prove that you are not the person, your social security number claimed you to be? I can do that, you know. I can make you someone else overnight. How about a game? After all, you are the mighty attorneys. Let us see how you can beat your own system. I promise if you hurt my child again, you will never have a life to get back to."

I would fucking demolish them.

My baby girl! She stopped breathing and they had the audacity to say it helped the case. They made her cry.

I would rot my brain to crush their fucking pathetic sad excuses of human lives.

My baby's tiny eyes were squeezed shut and her whole body was frozen like a log.

My child!

Mine!

"Angel, it was..."

"Don't! Robert Brantley, you could fuck that bitch sideways for the rest your life, I would not bat an eye. If my Little Baby's breaths are the cost of getting you in my life, you are not worth it. Do you think I sacrificed everything in my life to be with you? You are wrong. It was for her. It 'is' for her. Do you understand?"

He nodded frantically. "Yes, Angel. I will never have it any other way. You are the only one for me but I will make sure our baby would not be dragged in the middle. I promise."

"You better stick to it Robert, because if there is one more time, you will never see me or her ever again. She will learn to live without you, might even forget about you. No father should let his child fight his own battles, that too as filthy and pathetic as this one." I wanted to wash away the after taste of my own words.

He gasped. "Baby, please do not talk like that. I have nothing to do with this." He was stuttering.

I laughed. "You believe that? You have nothing to do with this! You married that fucking bitch, you started this fuck fest and my kid is the one to pay the price? She is the only good thing that came out of your never ending stupidity."

He nodded, completely agreeing with me.

Good!

I had meant every word I had said.

I stared at every moron in the room. They had the audacity to hurt my baby. I was planning to dig up every fucking dirt they swept under the rugs of their 'names'. The hate I had for them was intensifying tremendously.

"It is my fault." The whiplash made my eyes sting. Simon was staring back at me. He could shove the guilt in his eyes, up his ass.

"They were going to bring up your relationship with Brantley. Our case is strong but if they were to prove the father was also having an affair behind the back of the mother... there could be an issue to have sole custody."

My heart dropped to my stomach. I could not imagine Lia in the hands of that monster.

"I noticed how detached your child was from the mother. I thought it would be better to throw the bone at that rabid dogs than waiting for them to bite us first. We could lose if they had very disturbing questions, so I was hoping on the detachment to show up under 'our' selected questions. I neither knew or considered that the kid would be absolutely terrified of her. If you are going to annihilate anyone for this incident, it should be me." He swallowed. "Your husband only knew... just like you, in the court."

Simon had tears at end of his speech. "It was not my intention to put her through, hers... your worst nightmare. I just...just... Hurt me, not them. They did not know."

I was feeling empty, I felt the adrenaline leaving my body making me slightly dizzy.

"Stop calling that monster a mother and he is not my husband."

"Davey..." A small voice was heard from the other side of the door.

I wiped my face fast and quickly sniffled trying to keep the rest of the stinging tears in my eyes.

"Coming, Princess."

I did not bother to look at anyone and went to my sweet child. I picked her up and showered her with kisses making her giggle.

"Tickoles." She shrieked.

I thanked every deity known to me, for her laughs. She squished my face between her adorably small hands. Her face was even more cute with that angry frown. "Davey, cwying?"

"Only a bit, baby, Davey is being silly." I kissed her again. "Want to go to beach?"

"Okey." Oh, her voice! That adorable baby bird squeak.

We sat on the bench and watched the waves. There were some people on the public part of the beach but she was not interested. So, we sat in silence with her on my lap.

"Davey..." Her voice was broken. Was she crying?

Why was she crying?

"What is wrong Princess?" Was she hurt? Was she having trouble breathing? I should call Robbie. I rubbed her tiny body trying to comfort her. Robbie must be in the office.

"Aangee, Davey?" I froze; what should I tell her? She would know if I lied. I did not want to lie. I was her best friend. I told her that best friends did not lie to each other.

"Yes, baby girl, I am angry."

??Ahh...ahh... Davey aangee baby???

"What?!!!" Where did she get that idea from? Oh my god!

"Hwate Lillil Bae naw?"

I turned her body facing me.

"Dwwooonn hwatee, Davey... Dwooon hwateee bebee... Lia goo Davey... DAVEY!!! ...Dwonnnnn DAVEY. LIA GWOO."

What in the name of ever loving Jesus!

I hugged her and squeezed her body to mine as she hugged me with her tiny arms.

"Baby, baby, my baby... Look at me!!!" I kissed her hair and tried to catch her eyes but she was busy climbing up my body. The kicks of her knees into my stomach did not match the pain in my heart now.

"Baby, Davey can never hate you. I love you. I love you so much. Yes, baby girl, I am angry but not at you. Never at you. Do you hear me?"

"Huuh?" She looked up. The tears in her lashes were making me sad, but the hope in her eyes, broke my heart. How could she think that there was a chance of my hating her!!!

My baby girl. My Little Lia. My Sunshine.

"I love you so so much... I always love you so much... I am not angry at you. Never doubt my love okay? Because I love you always. I love you."

"Oh." She blinked away her tears and smiled with that gap between her front teeth and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Baby girl?" I rubbed her back and gently rocked side to side.

Dear God! How could she even think that I could 'hate' her? Did she not know that she was my absolute reason of my happiness? That our life used to be so dark and grey before she came into Robbie and I's life. Did she not know that her dad used to be so self-centred, angry and frustrated all the times before she came into his life with her adorable dimpled smile.

"Whaaa, Davey?" She smiled. Did I dream of her crying? If there were not residual wetness on her cheeks, I would have thought I was insane.

Look at her now, all smiles and cuddly.

"Baby, we are best friends."

"Uh huuuh."

"So, you tell Davey everything, yeah? Especially scary stuff? So Daddy and I could be there to help you, Baby Love. Daddy goes to gym for you, do you know that?"

"Daddy jim?"

"Yeah, so he can dishooo dishooo bad stuff. Jason does too." I punched the air to make her understand what I was saying.

"Dishyooo dishyoooo." She punched air, mimicking me; then giggled silly. "Crocky bwitee."

"What, sweetheart?"

"My crocky bwite... in sleepy." She had nightmares? It took everything in me not to start crying.

The Judge was so understanding to Lia's predicament. They had a talk after Lia had taken a nap and was calmed down.

The Judge's name was ironically Judy and she did not appreciate the smile I gave her. So I was on the edge as the woman tried to open up Lia.

I almost had a heart attack when Lia asked her if she was Judy Hopps; one of her favourite fictional character from Zootopia. I quickly apologized to the Judge and exclaimed to Lia that she could not assume the name of a person.

That day was not my day because... yes, the name of the Judge was indeed Judy Hopps.

I tried very hard to save my face but even my Lia had 'you-are-stupid' face on, when both of them frowned at me, unamused.

In my defence, come on... Judge Judy was enough of a surprising coincidence and what were the chances that this intimidating hard-core African-American lady would share the name of Judy Hopps too.

But I learned my lesson that I was not needed in their conversation, except for being Lia's human chair.

Judge Judy Hopps was only unnervingly intimidating to adults, because in less than ten minutes Lia was answering like the lovely girl she truly was.

Yes, Davey and her are best friends.

Good girl, Lia.

Yes, Davey takes to her potty and wipes her butt.

Thanks, Lia... it was a real honour to do so.

Yes, Davey feeds her milk, ice-cream, chocolates and cakes.

I winced at that. Should I cut in and say that I feed her nutritious food too? But I was stared down by Judge Judy Hopps as soon as I opened my mouth.

Daddy is silly.

Well, at least for that I had no objection. Robbie was as silly as silly could ever get.

But as soon as the topic of 'mother' was brought up, Lia clamed up a bit but she answered Judge honestly that, Janice did not really care about her and was always angry.

My heart broke as Lia told Judge Judy Hopps that Janice scared her because Janice shouted at Daddy. Her tiny lips trembled and she cried for Robbie while searching for him inside the room.

Robbie, of course, came running, swooped Lia up before kissing her all over until she laughed.

Judge decided that it was enough discussion for one day and handed Lia, 'Crocky', a crocodile plushy, for being the most intelligent and smart girl Judge had ever come across. She had promised Lia that 'Crocky' would save her from bad people and ugly monsters.

Momster, more like.

But I did not want to be glared at... again by Judge Judy Hopps. So, I kept quiet.

Lia slept with 'Crocky' ever since. I thought it was because the toy was cute with its open mouth with sharp teeth. It could be a bit intimidating and scary from outside but... it was Lia's absolute favourite because it was sworn to protect her.

Like Judge Judy Hopps.

I brushed hair off Lia's forehead as the beach wind tried to play with my baby. I pecked her cheek once more as she continued to ramble about all her toys, Daddy, Davey and JJ.

"Baby, how about we have a Princess tea party?" She squealed and clapped her hands.

She had cried, begging me not to hate her. Where the heck did she get that stupid word anyways!

Hate!

My Lia.

I missed her already when she jumped out of my lap and ran to her daddy, punching the air. He was walking towards us but stopped at my glare.

"Daddy, comeee dishyooo dishyooo in...in... sleepy. Daddy and JJ, Davey sed."

He picked our girl up and took a deep breath.

"Baby Angel, Daddy is sorry." Her confused frown was adorable. "I was not there to help you in sleep."

"Daddy go jim." She told him in bored tone and it made me smile.

"I will go to gym every day to protect you. I love you, girl."

"Okey. Swee... all okey, now."

We were raising a diva.

As long as my baby girl was not spoiled rotten and hurt other people, she could be all the diva she wished for.

The days were much easier to handle for me but at night, I could not sleep. I spent the nights staring at my kid as she slept clutched on my night shirt. I wanted to feel her tiny chest moving with her every breath. Wanted to hear and feel that soft thuds of her baby heart beating.

We had to move from the beach house the next day because life was unpredictable like that. That added more to my stress and it was affecting all of our lives.

"Ready?"

I did not bother to answer as I picked up my baby from the play mat.

"Nu... Davey." She pouted and stretched her hands to the toy truck which was too big for her to carry in her little hands.

"We are going out with Daddy, remember, Princess? We have to help Daddy with this thing and then he will get us ice cream."

"Ahree?"

"Yup." I pecked her cute, chubby cheek and she smiled.

"Go, now." She pointed to the car that pulled up in our drive way.

My kid and her absolute obsession over sweet foods.

I heard Robbie sighing and my adamant refusal to partake in any conversation with him. I was still angry. It wasn't even a week since the incident in which my Little Baby...

My heart started beating rapidly again and my hands turned clammy...

No... she was fine. She was here... with me...