Southern Comfort: Chandler's Story (The Southern Series Book 1) by Stringer Shelley

Author:Stringer, Shelley [Stringer, Shelley]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2014-03-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

We settled into a routine for the next two weeks, the two orphans, Ava and me, and the five Navy SEALs, Banton, John, Ben, Colin and Ty. Everett fluttered in and out like a mother hen, bringing food he’d cooked to feed the crew, playing with Ava, taking her when I had to go to class or labs. He knew enough to know not to ask questions but, like me, he couldn’t stay away. Buried in studying for finals and deadlines, I tried to keep my mind off what could be going on at home.

Every night, three or more of the guys would run a different route under the streets of the city, catching glimpses of the fugitives they sought but never making contact. Banton stayed behind on some nights and we almost felt like a family, eating dinner, playing with Ava, and putting her to bed every evening.

“I’m really getting attached,” Banton commented to me one Monday evening, as I sat watching him with Ava. Ava had all her dolls and toys piled in his lap on the floor, naming each one when she placed them back into a doll stroller Everett had brought to her.

We’d been checking Jess’ apartment every day, to see if she was ready to take Ava back, but there was no sign of her. The landlord had posted an eviction notice on the door, and told Banton he hadn’t heard from her since she paid the first month’s rent. Ava never asked about her mommy, and we never said the word. It was like she had never existed.

“Andler, Aba needs go potty,” she announced, getting off the floor. Picking her up swiftly, I hugged her to me, suddenly emotional for the helpless charge I held in my arms. While I sat on the side of the tub waiting for her to do her “big girl thing,” as Everett called it, she looked up at me.

“Andler?”

“Yes,” I answered her sweet voice.

“Andler is Aba’s mommy. Mommy Andler.” She smiled, and crossed her little arms across her chest. Unable to answer her, my eyes filled with tears. What would we do when her mother came back? Would the police abruptly show up someday and take her to foster care, to get lost in the system?

“Uh-o, what’s wrong?” Banton asked as I handed her back to him and crossed my ankles to sit beside him in the floor.

“Oh, you know me. We just shared a moment, that’s all.” He watched me curiously while I played with Ava’s curls. “What’s going to happen to her? We really have no business keeping her here, with everything going on. I worry about her mother coming back, and I worry more about her having to go to foster care.”

“Chandler, I’m already on it. Dad has a lawyer looking in to everything, checking out what our alternatives are.”

“You’ve already talked to someone?” I asked in awe, as he hugged her close to him. Ava reached her arms up, and placed a plastic dish on top of his head like a hat.

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