We spent the next week distributing bags around town as we finished the Christmas shopping. Mostly we made it a secret Santa thing; watching to see when a group would venture from their camp in the morning and then leaving enough bundles for everyone we'd seen. 

The bags were labeled by size only, with a mix of clothing that we figured could be exchanged with someone else's if it wasn't what they wanted. Instead of marking some for men and some for women, which Charlotte had quickly pointed out was not only sexist but exclusionary to nonbinary people, we'd simply made a visible note of which ones contained pads and tampons.

It was Saturday when Halley and I found ourselves waiting outside the nearest library, which shared a parking lot with the mall. A very full lot, being as Christmas was only three days away. People experiencing homelessness often parked their bikes outside of the library to seek shelter in bad weather and use the restroom. Anyone battling addiction could even make use of the anonymous needle exchange station available in the bathroom, which was provided by the county to help curb the use of dirty needles. 

Halley was crossing Christmas things off her list while keeping an eye on the steady stream of foot and bike traffic, and I was just watching her. That golden hair was down around her shoulders, almost touching the seat, droplets still sitting in it from getting gas before this. I reached to smooth them off and she turned to me as rain fell steadily around us, the world outside the car washed in gray, the interior full of the sun that was her smile.

"Listen," I said, pulling gently so she moved close enough for me to kiss. "I love you."

"Listen," she echoed just as earnestly, kissing me now. "I know."  Her eyes twinkled with mischief. 

The windows were steaming up, Winter Wonderland playing softly on the radio, and I couldn't think of a time I'd been happier. "You make me really happy," I said, inarticulate, even though of course she knew. "Like, the happiest I've ever been. I don't even have words for it," I added honestly, moving a strand of hair off her forehead. What I meant was thank you but it seemed so inadequate.  

"Mary," my lovely girlfriend said, taking my face gently between her hands. "We don't need words." She kissed me again, and of course what she said was true. 

My phone vibrated in my pocket but I ignored it, because duh. It buzzed twice more and I groaned as I took it out and reluctantly pulled away from her.

A text from Leif, saying only come home.

Fuck. I showed it to Halley and she started the car immediately, yanking her seatbelt across her and trying to jam it into the holder with a shaky hand. "Shit!"

"Here," I said, taking it and sliding it in so it clicked. I did my own, my hands amazingly still. Because even though I was expecting the worst, it hadn't hit me yet. "At least he didn't say go to the hospital," my filterless ass said as we jerked on our seat belts and she peeled out with a screech of tires. 

I fumbled to readjust the heater vent as the warm air blew out, and when I was done she grabbed my hand and squeezed it too tightly. I tried to call Leif but it went straight to voicemail so I just texted that we were on our way, because that's all I could do.

We were only a few miles away from home but with the holiday traffic, three minutes became eight. They seemed interminable, and we sat in anxious silence until we got close enough to see the flashing lights from the two cop cars parked in front. "Fuck," I said, helplessly. Please let the kids be okay, I continued to beg whatever entity might have control over any of this. Please, please, please. The fact that there wasn't an ambulance was a good sign, though it could have already left.

We parked across the street and both jumped out. The front door was open and we were stopped by a burly cop when we got onto the porch. I could hear Shiloh and Jasper crying.  My throat was locked up, words couldn't get out. 

"This is our house," Halley said with authority, still holding my hand, grounding me.

"Let them in," Leif said behind him, but we were already pushing past the officer. 

"What happened?" Halley asked Leif urgently, already moving toward the table where Shiloh sat with Ruby and Gwen. Gwen was holding a paper towel-wrapped ice pack to her forehead and Jasper was under the table. 

Leif was looking at me, and he held my hands, his face so serious he looked like a stranger. "Don't freak out, okay? It'll be okay."

But Shiloh was running to me, tears dripping down her face. "Mama came here to this house and she TOOK OUR BABY and we TRIED TO STOP HER and she did it ANYWAY and now we'll NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN!" she sobbed. "And she pushed Gwennie down and she hit her head and Mama is a BAD PERSON to take my baby brother and hurt Gwennie!"

My heart was falling, falling. "No," I said, looking at Leif to make sure this was true, even though I couldn't actually believe it. I knew I had to fake it for the kids' sake, pretend it would be fine like he was doing.

But imagining my sister in her latest drugged out state, in charge of our sweet baby, I almost couldn't. 

"I ran to the store, the girls were here, I never thought for a second . . . " Leif's voice trailed off and he cracked his knuckles, his jaw clenched. "I'm sorry, Tug. We needed milk. We'll find them. The cops'll find them. We're talking about it right now, so I'm gonna just . . . " He turned back to the cop, motioning for them to step outside now to finish the report.

"You need help?" Halley asked him, but he waved her off and she looked at me. Her face was blank but I could see the panic in her eyes that had to match mine. She came over to hug me, for her comfort as well as mine, undoubtedly. "We'll find them," she echoed him in a whisper, trembling. "We'll find them, Mary."

Shiloh was clinging to my legs and I couldn't think, unable to focus as my thoughts raced and tripped over each other. "What do we do?" I asked in general. I motioned to Jasper to come out but he shook his head and scooted further back against Ruby's legs, tears rolling down his little cheeks.

My niece was beside herself. "She tried to make me and Jasper go with her and Jasper wanted to but I didn't let him and I held his shirt and it ripped under his arm but we can sew it but I couldn't make her let go of Hank and I TRIED to stop her and she doesn't even have a CAR SEAT for him," she wailed, collapsing against me with her hands over her face.

I knelt to put my arms around her, making myself keep it together. "It's okay," I forced myself to say, watching Halley go to hug Ruby and fuss over Gwen. "The police will find her, or she'll come back soon. She's not going to hurt Hank. C'mon, let's have a little ice cream." 

Shiloh looked doubtful but allowed me to seat her at the table. 

"I'm so sorry, Mary, we tried to stop her," Gwen said, her face and eyes swollen from crying. She took the ice pack away and the paper towels around it had blood on them. The cut on her forehead was an inch long and an angry red. 

My fear was turning quickly to fury. How dare Hazel?"Oh my God, don't be sorry, I'm sorry you got hurt. Are you okay?" I got clean paper towels and rewrapped the soft blue pack. Halley was getting the ice cream and bowls out, stoic, but I saw her hands were still not steady.

"I'm fine," Gwen said miserably. "The EMTs already said it was fine." She blew her nose and tried to stop crying.

Leif came back in, avoiding my eyes, and tossed the paperwork he held on the counter. 

"You waited long enough to text, if an ambulance was here and left already," I told him, needing something to direct my rising anger at. "What the hell?"

"I was busy," he snapped back, hurt by my criticism when he was fighting his own anxiety. "I did the best I could, okay?"

I knew that was true, and hugged him. "Sorry," I made myself say, knowing that it would have changed nothing by telling us a few minutes earlier. 

He held me tightly, shook. "Everything happened so fast," he said. "I tried to do everything at once, and I did text you, but it didn't go through. I didn't know until I looked to see if you'd answered."

"It'll be okay," I said automatically, patting his back before letting go. "Have some ice cream."

"That crazy fucking bitch," he said of Hazel, under his breath. "This is low, even for her."

"Yes it is," I agreed, my jaw clenching. I watched as Halley put her own feelings aside, mother henning all of the kids to help them calm down, and it helped settle my own angst a little.  

On sudden impulse, I took out my phone and called my sister.

To my absolute surprise, she answered. 

a/n Hey everyone, hope you're doing well and staying safe! Thanks for your patience. I have another chapter coming soon so I won't leave you hanging for too long. Be sure and follow me if you want so you don't miss any announcements that may be coming up! Thank you for reading and I hope to update this regularly. If you're missing Char, Joey, and Nate, they'll be in the next chapter, don't worry <3