On My Knees

Chapter 52: An Extravagant Suite

Seeing Lain leaving out of the corner of her eye, Nina hurriedly picked Kaila up as she sat the girl on her hip, patting her bottom as she rushed to the door trying to stop Lain before she could take off.

But she was too late.

By the time she got to the front door, Lain's car was already out of the drive way and driving down the road.

"Shit." Nina mumbled to herself knowing things got out of hand.

"Naughty mama." Kaila said patting the woman's chest softly as her eyes remained sealed tight.

Exhaling sharply as she watched Lain's car disappear in the distance, Nina's hold on Kaila tightened as she pecked her little girls head. "Mama's sorry baby. Did I wake you up?" Nina asked as she shut the front door before returning with Kaila to her bedroom.

Kaila nodded against the woman's chest. Nina laid down comfortably on her bed before she allowed Kaila to settle on top of her chest.

Wrapping them both under the blanket, Nina ran her nails through Kaila's blond hair looking down feeling sorry for the small girl against her. She watched as Kaila's big eyes shut as she drifted back to sleep.

Nina still couldn't fathom the idea of what might've happened to her had James not been there when he was. All it would've taken was another minute and their lives would've been changed forever. And not for the better. Far from it.

It was sickening to Nina's stomach to think of the sick and twisted things that could've happened.

She felt like she could vomit at any given moment. She wrapped her free arm around Kaila's waist protectively as a singular tear fell down to her nose.

"Mama?" Nina was surprised to be broken from her thoughts as her little one turned to look up at her. "Sorry for leaving you. I was bad." Kaila admitted.

"You've been forgiven my love. What's done is done. The main thing is you're home now." Nina assured. "Just do me a favor and promise me you'll never do anything like that again. You scared me Kaila. Mama didn't know where you went, or his long you would be gone for, or how I could even call you. I never want us to have to go through that ever again. Am I understood?" The woman said softly knowing the incident earlier was enough of a punishment.

"Yes mama." Kaila said snuggling further into Nina's hold.

"Thank you baby."

"Mama where'd James go? Did he leave?" Kaila asked half asleep still.

"He did."

"Mama mad?"

"At you?" Nina raised an eyebrow.

But Kaila shook her head against the woman's chest. "Him?"

"It's...complicated honey." Nina said with a sharp exhale.

"I heards you arguing with Aunty over him. He not all bad. Just kinda."

"I suppose that's one way to put it."

"He come back?"

"Maybe one day baby. What's up with all these questions, hm?"

"Dunno." Kaila shrugged as Nina chuckle softly to herself. Rubbing Kaila's back underneath her hoodie, each time her hand brushed against its fabric it made Nina cringe at the thought of how those monsters defiled it.

"Here baby, let's take these off." Nina said sitting up her tired girl as she carefully helped Kaila out of her ruined hoodie and sweats. "That's better." She said about to return them to their laying position, but Kaila stopped her before she could.