Ch 12

                                    

                                          
Jennie only slept for half an hour, and she did so fretfully as images of Lisa behind bars filled her mind. She held Kathy in her arms, and she reached out to Lisa, her hand trying to squeeze in between the bars trying to touch her. But she couldn't and as she screamed for Lisa in her dream, her eyes snapped open, and she stared at the ceiling.
She heard soft sniffles coming from the corner of the room and she sat up and looked over. 
Kathy sat in the corner her knees drawn up below her chin, her little hand covering her knees as she rested her chin on them. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks glistened with tears. 
"Kathy what's wrong?" she asked with trepidation as her heart filled with dread, 'had something happened to Lisa?' 
Kathy stared back at her with big round eyes, and she spoke so softly that Jennie could barely hear her, "Are you dying?" she asked. 
"What? No sweetie I'm not dying." She scooted over and patted the bed, "Come here." 
Kathy immediately jumped up and ran over to the bed crying. She jumped up and threw herself in Jennie's outstretched arms crying her little heart out. 
"Shhh baby it's okay." Jennie felt her eyes moisten as she held the crying limp close to her rubbing her back lovingly. 
"Why did you ask that sweetie?" 
Kathy hiccupped, "Because...because Daddy said you were tired, and then she was very angry and then she left, and I haven't seen daddy or you." She hiccupped again, "and I thought I was alone." She cried. 
Jennie closed her eyes to the pain she heard in her voice, her own heart weighed down with sadness from Kathy's fear. She hugged her and kissed the top of her head, then took her chin gently in her fingers bringing her face up and off of her chest. 
"No baby I'm not dying, I was just a little tired that's all. And your daddy was upset by something to do with work, not you or me being sick, and she probably just ran out to deal with that." 
'Yeah right I am so going to kill her when she gets home!' 
"You are never alone baby. Never. I'm always here for you and so is your daddy. We both love you very, very, very much." 
Kathy smiled as her eyes dried, and her crying ceased. "I love you too Jennie." Kathy hugged Jennie with all her strength her little face crinkling with her effort to show the older girl just how much she did love her. 
"Sweetie where's Rosé?" 
Kathy yawned, "She's making tea." She yawned again. 
Jennie seeing that Kathy was drained and tired, rose from the bed and placed her under the covers. "Well, I want you to take a nap for me okay, just for a little bit, then by the time you get up your daddy will be home..." 
'She better be' 
"And then we'll have dinner together, okay?" 
Kathy smiled at her and then yawned again, it had been a long day for her and she was very tired. "Okay Jennie." 
"Good girl." She leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, "I love you." 
"I love you too." Kathy's eyes fell on their own as sleep overtook her tired little body. 
Jennie's fingers trailed over her cheek and down her hair, her eyes glazing over with love and deep emotion for the small little girl. 
She walked quietly out of the room and closed the door. Her face immediately hardened. She was mad at herself. She never should have come here afterwards. It was a mistake that she knew. Until now, though, she hadn't realized the full ramifications coming here instead of going home.