A loud blaring ring broke through the tranquility of the dark apartment. Groaning, Sophie rolled over and slapped a hand down on her nightstand as she fumbled for the source of the sound. It was her phone. Her fingers curled around it and dragged it closer. The clock on the front screen showed that is was just after two. She winced and swiped the screen to answer the incoming call before pressing the device to her ear. “Hello?” she inquired groggily.

“I’m sorry to call so late, Miss Brooks,” came the response.

Sophie pushed herself up a bit more in bed, a frown creasing her lips as her eyebrows dipped inward. “Jerry? Is something wrong?” she demanded. There was no other reason the night guard at the front gate would be calling her directly.

There was a hesitation on the other line. “I think you’d better come down here,” he admitted. “I don’t even totally know how to explain.”

“I’ll be right there,” she agreed. She hung up and threw the covers off, sitting up and the rising from the mattress. She was filled with a sense of urgency she could not quite explain away. There were rarely any problems the guards could not handle on their own, she was rarely ever called to handle matters – and never at night – but Jerry had sounded freaked and the uncertainty was spooking her too. She didn’t bother with getting dressed properly, instead simply grabbing a long open coat and hastily stuffing her arms into it as she made her way out into the hall. She kicked on a pair of sandals and hurried out the door.

As she approached the front gate, Sophie found Jerry standing outside, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He was short, with a buzzed head, and despite working the nightshift always came crisply dressed. She admired his dedication and loyalty over the years. He was one of the oldest standing employees she had, aside from Lewis, but Lewis didn’t count. He opened the place with her.

Now, however, Jerry looked disheveled and stressed, rubbing the back of his neck. The second he noticed her, his eyes widened and he hurried over. “Miss Brooks, I’m sorry to call so late, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had to let her in, I couldn’t just leave her-”

Sophie held up a hand to silence his frantic rambling. “It’s alright, Jerry, just tell me what’s going on? Who are you talking about?” she urged. She would deal with whatever the situation was after she was informed.

Jerry sighed and rubbed the back of his head again. Finally, he beckoned with two fingers and she silently followed him back to the small hut beside the gate. “She just showed up asking for you,” he stated as he stepped out of the way. Sophie’s frown deepened and she pulled her coat tighter, crossing her arms to keep warm as she stepped up into the hut.

She pulled up short instantly at the sight before her and her heart sunk into the pit of her stomach. Sitting in Jerry’s chair, with her feet swinging, was a young girl that Sophie had come to consider a niece. She was swinging slightly side to side in the swivel chair with her head bowed. Sophie frowned and crouched down, placing a hand on the arm of the chair to hold it steady. “Katie?” she inquired.

When the nine-year-old looked up, her hazel eyes were red and puffy, and her nose was running.

Sophie’s heart broke a little more. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here? How did you even get here?” She reached up and tucked a fly away behind the child’s ear. Her brown-blonde hair looked like it had been tugged into a hasty ponytail, and now was pulling all free. Katie lived twenty minutes away by car, and Sophie was beyond horrified to find her here alone.

She waited patiently for an answer. Katie sniffled and rubbed her nose on her sleeve. “Mo-mommy,” she whimpered. Her voice cracked and she began to cry again, fat teardrops sliding down her rosy cheeks. She was probably exhausted.

“Where is your mother, Katie?” Sophie pressed. Roxanne had been far more distant than Sophie would have liked. She was never a kid-person, and Sophie knew she had taken Michael’s death hard, but she still had a daughter who needed her and depended on her. She tried to call and visit after the funeral as much as possible, but despite them all being close friends in high school and through college, Roxanne had grown distant after marrying Michael and she had no desire for Sophie’s company now. She’d started to miss Katie as the weeks went by, and was worried about how the two were getting on.

Katie shrugged and more tears spilled from her eyes. She hiccupped and picked up the small pink purse sitting in her lap, then held it out towards her. “She t-told m-me to gi-give you th-this,” she sobbed. The second Sophie took it, Katie covered her face in her hands.

Sophie glanced down at the purse and her frown morphed into a grimace. So Roxanne knew Katie was here. That left an incredibly rotten note in Sophie’s mouth. She needed more of the story than Katie was clearly capable of giving. “Okay. Katie, honey, I have to go talk to Jerry quickly. You stay right here, okay?” she requested. “I’ll be right back, alright?”

Katie sniffed again and nodded. “Okay,” she whimpered.

Sophie patted her knee and then reluctantly stood up and backed out of the booth.

Jerry was standing there, leaned against the side with his foot tapping against the pavement and his face mashed into his hand. He still looked freaked, so Sophie laid a hand on his shoulder, then quietly apologize when he spooked and stood ramrod straight. “Miss Brooks! I’m sorry again, but I didn’t know what else to do. I let her in and made sure she was alright, but a kid out here at this hour, I just…”

“It’s okay,” Sophie assured him. “Thank you. I’m glad you called me; you did the right thing. Can you tell me what happened? She was by herself; her mother wasn’t with her?” Sophie pressed.

Jerry shook his head. “No. I mean, I saw a car drive by pretty quick a couple of minutes prior, but I can’t say for sure who it might have been. She came trudging up to the gate with her little purse and that,” Jerry paused to nod as a small purple rollaway suitcase that was propped against the wall. “She looked terrified and half asleep, and she started asking for you. I barely heard her the first time, she spoke so quietly. I asked her where her parents were, and she started to cry! I just figured it was better to get her in here off the street before pressing anything else. Someone really ditched just her here? Who is she?”

Sophie sighed and ran a hand through her disheveled curly hair. It was sticking out in all directions and she wanted it off her face. “Her name is Katie. Her father was a dear friend of mine, and I knew her mother from school as well. Michael died recently and it’s been a hard loss. Roxanne isn’t really the motherly type but I never imagined she might pull a stunt like this.” She shifted her weight and glanced at the small purse in her hands. “I guess I should actually see what’s in here. Apparently, Roxanne told Katie to give it to me.”

She unzipped the purse and reached inside, finding a sloppily folded stack of papers wedged inside. Frowning, Sophie smoothed out the pile and found the top page to be a letter. She squinted in the low light provided from the guard booth. Jerry stepped forward and held his phone up with the flashlight turned on, illuminating the flowing cursive. It was definitely Roxanne’s handwriting. “Thank you,” she said, nodding at Jerry. He hummed in acknowledgement and held the phone a little higher for her.

Sophie scanned the letter quickly. It was hastily written, with sloppy lines that had her squinting to make out a few words.

Sophie,

Sorry for the late hour, but this simply couldn’t wait until morning. These last few weeks have not been easy, but I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I’ve decided to move back home to L.A.

Sophie paused in her reading with a frown, confused, until she remembered that Roxanne had moved to the area with her father when she was fifteen. They all expected her to move back when she graduated high school, but then she and Michael got together, and she stayed. Her mother’s family all still lived up in America. She shook her head and kept reading.

I’ve caught a red-eye and the house is already taken care of – though I’m leaving you a key if you need to get in there for any reason in the next few days – so there’s no reason for me to stay. I realize that I’m putting you in a tricky situation and you’ll probably think lesser of me for this, and that’s fine, but I’ve made my decision. I’m not a mother, Sophie, I never was, and I never wanted to be. Katherine was Michael’s. He wanted kids and I was willing to compromise, but I did my part in the first nine months. He took one the rest of the responsibility and that was fine with both of us, but I’m not prepared to take that burden on now.

I know that sounds selfish and shallow, and perhaps it is, but I do think that Katherine will be better off in a different environment, with someone who wants to take care of her and love her. If she was older, it might have been a different situation, but she’s still young and I want to return to focussing on my career. She would just get in the way and would never get any of the attention a child probably needs. As bad a person as it may make me, I have no desire to stick a child in a corner to grow up alone while I give my heart to my job.

I realize that this is very sudden, and I would not blame you if you did not want the responsibility either, but I know she likes you and you her, and you’ve always wanted kids. Her birth certificate is in the bag, as well as the adoption papers, you just have to sign them. You’re already listed as her godmother, there shouldn’t be an issue, and if there’s any problems, you can find the number of a lawyer I hired to help arrange everything. But, if you do decide that it’s not a good time or you aren’t prepared to take her in, I’ve already spoken with an agency, just give them a call and they’ll pick her up.

Goodbye, Sophie. Take care of yourself,

Roxanne.

Sophie was stunned. She reread the letter to make sure she actually understood what was written on the pages. Roxanne was gone – she wasn’t coming back – and she didn’t even have the decency to call or walk Katie to the gate and make sure she got in okay. She’d dumped her on the sidewalk and sped off.

Sophie grit her teeth. “Dammit!” She twisted and beat the flat of a fist against the wall of the hut. She rifled through the documents and the purse, finding the rest of the promised things. It only bothered her more that Roxanne seemed to have put ample thought and effort into this, but couldn’t be bothered to muster any concern for Katie’s actual wellbeing.

“Everything okay?” Jerry inquired hesitantly.

Sophie sighed and shook her head. “I could kill her right now, but it doesn’t matter. Right now, I’ve got a distressed kid to look after. Katie’s going to be staying with me for a while,” she decided.

“How long is a while?” Jerry asked. His tone was dark, like he already knew – or at least suspected – the answer.

Sophie merely nodded. “A while,” she repeated. She didn’t want Katie overhearing and getting even more upset.

Jerry’s expression darkened further, and he nodded. “I’ll help you carry the suitcase up if you like.”

“I would appreciate that,” Sophie agreed. She carefully folded all the documents back into the purse and stepped back inside the guard booth.

Katie looked half asleep with her elbows on her knees and her chin cupped by her palms, but her eyes were still red and puffy, and she looked back up when Sophie came back in. “Auntie Sophie? Where did mommy go? She told me to come inside to see you.”

Sophie grimaced and she knelt down in front of the girl again. “Roxanne had to go away for a while,” she said, selecting her words carefully. “For work; you know how she sometimes has to take trips.”

“Lots of times,” Katie murmured, and Sophie’s heart squeezed at the girl’s blunt, forlorn tone.

“I know it’s hard, honey. But you’re going to hang out with me this time, okay?”

“Okay,” Katie agreed. Her voice was small, and her shoulders slumped.

Sophie clucked her tongue sympathetically. “Hey, what if I call your school tomorrow and excuse you for the rest of the week, huh? I’ll take off work, and you and me will just hang out and have some fun, okay?”

“Really?” Katie inquired.

Sophie grinned. “Absolutely,” she agreed. “Come on, sweets, lets get you upstairs; it’s late.” When Katie nodded, Sophie stood up and wrapped her arms around Katie. As she hefted her into her arms, she felt Katie wrap her arms around her neck.

“I can walk,” Katie protested softly, her warm breath tickling Sophie’s ear. The woman carefully adjusted the girl in her arms and hugged her closer.

“I know,” Sophie replied. “But I want to hold you.” She gently rubbed circles on Katie’s back through her sleep shirt as she carried her out of the booth and back across the park. It was silent, save for the buzz of various filters and the occasional puff from a dolphin blowhole. The noise had Katie tensing in her grasp and Sophie couldn’t help but chuckle. No fear of the sharks or rays, but the dolphins of all things were what frightened the child.

Once they were back in the apartment, Sophie set Katie down and turned to thank Jerry for his help. His lips were pressed to a grim line, but he nodded and wished her luck before retreating back down to his post. Sophie closed the door and released the breath she didn’t know she was holding in a heavy blast. She took a moment just to lean her forehead against the door before pulling herself together and standing back up again. She made her way into the open floorplan that made up her living room, dinning room, and small kitchen.

Katie had clambered into a chair and was slumped down on the dinning room table. There were tears making steady tracks down her cheeks again.

“Katie?” Sophie reached out and placed a hand on the young girl’s shoulder.

Katie sniffed and dragged the sleeve of her pajama shirt under her nose. “She didn’t even say ‘goodbye’,” she whispered.

Sophie’s heart broke a little further and she wrapped her arms around Katie from behind, resting her chin atop the crown of her head. “I know. I’m sorry, Kate; she shouldn’t have done that, it wasn’t very nice. But it’s going to be okay. You need to get some sleep and things will be better in the morning.”

Katie had slept over a handful of times before – usually whenever Michael and Roxanne had gone out for a date night that they predicted would run late. Katie was usually pretty good about going to bed when she was told, even if she took a while to fall asleep when not in her own bed. But tonight, she shook her head and broke down in heavy sobs.

Sophie knew it was likely a mixture of stress and being overtired, but she patiently gathered Katie back into her arms and rocked her while patting her back. It took several minutes for Katie to calm down and her cries to pitter off into the occasional hiccup or whimper, and Sophie had a large, sodden patch on her shirt by the end of the ordeal, but she didn’t pay it any mind.

Katie was clinging to her and shivering at this point, and Sophie hated to send her straight to bed like this. “How about a snack?” she suggested. “Are you hungry?”

Katie nodded, so Sophie sat her back down in her chair. “Could I please have a piece of toast?” she inquired as she sat, her legs swinging under the seat of the chair.

Sophie nodded and leaned forward to kiss the crown of Katie’s head before brushing past and making her way into the kitchen to drop two pieces into the toaster and set the kettle on the stove.

Once she had Katie set up with two jammed pieces of toast and a mug of hot chocolate, she nodded in the direction of the hall. “I’m going to go make your bed, okay Katie? I’ll be right back. You just holler if you need anything, okay?”

Katie was silent as she munched on her snack, but Sophie saw her nod and felt comfortable enough to leave the girl alone for a few minutes.

She pulled fresh sheets and pillowcases out of the hall closet and stepped into the cream-colored guest room she had. She stripped the bed down and fluffed the pillows, remaking it with fresh, crisp white linen. Over the next few days, she would take Katie shopping for some new things and décor for the room, since it was going to be hers now.

It was sudden, and she did not feel well prepared at all to take on a full-time child, but she was not going to abandon a girl who was essentially her niece to enter the foster system alone and unwanted. She wanted Katie, and though the circumstances were horrid and made her want to strangle Roxanne, Sophie was glad the girl was with her now. She always feared the idea of something happening to Michael and Katie being left with just Roxanne. Not that she thought Roxanne would ever truly seek to physically harm Katie, but she didn’t have to. She just had to not love her, and the damage would be bad enough. When Michael died, Sophie had quietly considered taking Katie for a little while to give Roxanne space to grieve and then get her act together to take care of her daughter, but when she was pushed away, Sophie assumed she might not even get to see Katie again. She and Roxanne had not been on the friendliest of terms for over a decade now.

It would be hard, and Katie wouldn’t understand for a while what had happened and why, but Sophie was glad she’d have the opportunity to give Katie a better future full of love and nurturing. She owed that to Michael at the very least – to take care of his child – and it was hardly a true sacrifice to make.

Once she’d deemed the room ready, Sophie made her way back to Katie’s side. There was nothing but some golden crumbs left on her plate and a little bit of hot chocolate left in the mug. Katie had her head down on the table and was blinking sluggishly at her as Sophie approached.

“Alright Kiddo, let’s get you into bed,” she decided as she lifted Katie up from the table and held her tight. Katie’s fingers curled into her shirt and Sophie tensed when she heard the girl start to sniffle again. “Katie, please don’t cry; it’s okay, I promise,” Sophie assured her.

“Auntie Sophie…can I sleep with you tonight? Please?” Katie begged, her voice cracking as she spoke, while fat tears brimmed in her hazel eyes. The way she asked made it seem like she expected to be refused, and Sophie quickly assumed that she had directed the same desperate request at Roxanne many times over the past few weeks. Losing her father had taken an obvious toll on Katie and it was breaking Sophie’s heart.

Katie was lonely.

She sighed softly - more with relief that it was a request she could easily accommodate than anything - and squeezed Katie close. “Of course, you can,” she murmured.