"Daddy's Girl"

Chapter 7, Part 2

Raeanne allowed herself to be led to the storage shed, Grayson's eyes were alight with the mystery behind the door. She however wasn't so thrilled. She knew what was behind this door, just like all the others in her heart. Yet, this was near and dear to her, and she'd figured Lizzy would keep the key safe just like she had the secret. Looking toward the sky, she sighed, it's all in your hands, Lord.

"Ready?" Grayson asked as he slipped the key into the hole in the door knob.

She nodded, however her heart and mind screamed a definitive no.

The key slid into the lock easily, and all too soon he was opening the door to the last secret she contained. All of the baby things she and Lizzy had bought, stood in the room, still put together, still gleaming in cleanliness.

"Wow, Rae, I didn't know..." his voice trailed off, and she moved like a robot toward the sole trunk standing in the corner. "I wouldn't have made you come in here if you'd just said so.." he wrapped an arm around her as she knelt before the trunk.

"No, it was about time I came back here." she whispered into the steady silence of the surrounding. With a creak the trunk opened to reveal all of the things she'd wanted to pass down to her son. Yet, for some reason she felt ready to pass them on, but not to her own child. To Elizabeths. "I want to take this with us." she said finally.

"Are you sure?" Gray's eyes were filled with wonder and a deep sadness he seemed to understand.

Nodding, she closed the trunk again, "I want to take it back to your house. I want Eva to have it."

"Oh no, Raeanne, you will have another baby one day. You'll want to pass these things on to him or her." he said, his grip on her tightening.

Her head shook back and forth in an answer to the negative, "I doubt I'll ever marry or have a child. Really, Eva should have it. It's mostly Lizzy's anyway."

He nodded in the silence, hefting the trunk with ease. Grayson walked out of the storage shed without another look back. She however, wasn't so easily released from the memories that surrounded this place. Her heart thudded with sadness, in tune with the tears that burned at her eyes now. Running a hand over the solid oak crib in the corner, she whispered a prayer for help to not cry in front of Grayson again. Yet, memories ran rampant over her heart, and it was all too soon she was crying.

Strong arms wrapped around her middle from behind, pulling her into the warmth of him. "It'll all be okay, Rae, we'll be okay, together." his voice whispered, his words wrapped around her to envelope her in a different sort of hug. A promise. She felt it deep in her soul, they'd be okay.

Nodding slowly, she sighed and turned toward him, "Let's get out of here."

"Right." he took a quick breath in and released her.

However, she could still feel the warmth of him and his words, her heart beat double time as she took in her surroundings one last time. "I'll be back." she promised her things as she closed the door and locked it once again.