Chapter 4: The fears of a panicked girl.

Chapter 4: The fears of a panicked girl.

The last twenty-five minutes went by in slow mode. Demi stood like a statue as the weird looking fake delivery woman dropped a duffel bag containing a baby on her door step. She should have asked questions, she should have asked a lot of questions! But before her brain could function properly to talk, the weird lady had left and there she was with a strange baby in a duffel bag in the middle of her hall. Okay...okay, she needed to make plans. Yes, she needed to make plans on how to get rid of the baby before Jackson came home!

The woman that dropped Noah off referred to him as her nephew and that was good news. Yes, it was good news because she had one sibling. She almost felt like leaping up and down like a child.

She only had a brother, an older brother Mason and he was the responsible type. So this had to be a mistake.

She dragged the duffel bag inside her apartment because the last thing she needed was for some nosy neighbor to call the cops on her. She even imagined the whole thing.

She imagined that the old lady down the hall picked up her phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1...what is your emergency?" The operator would ask.

"I am calling to report a kidnapping and possibly the end of the world. The lady next door that hates children has a baby that is inside a duffel bag....send help fast!"

And then before she could say Jack Robinson, the cops would have her pinned her to the floor and the firemen in their hot uniform will be rescuing the baby. Then she will die in prison and her grave stone will say 'here lays the Unknown girl. Cause of death: baby in a duffel bag'

Demi blinked severally, because now she knew that she was in panic mode. She looked at Noah and he was sleeping peacefully and she said a silent prayer.

She picked up her phone and dialed Mason' number. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Hi pumpkin" Mason gave a throaty laugh over the phone.

"I am not ten anymore, Mason. I shall not be called pumpkin by the likes of you, brother!"

It was a thing with them for as long as she could remember, Mason would call her his favorite childhood nicknames for Demi and she would object in a funny tone. For some reason her big brother always finds a way to make her feel like anything but a twenty-six year old.

"Come on, talk to me. What is it?" He asked in his serious voice.

"I have your son here, Mason" She said in a panicked voice. She looked closely at the duffel bag and it was thoughtful of the weird lady to put some soft clothes before putting the baby in it.

"What son, Aaliyah!" Mason was as shocked and He was one of the people that called her by her middle name.

"Your son....the lady that left him with me called him my nephew. And apart from me, you are the only Macks left. It must be your son because I would remember if I paid someone to deliver a baby to me!" She was losing her patience fast and the surprise in Mason's voice wasn't helping matter.

"Ally, May and I separated a month ago. Before that, we were married for four years and I never cheated on my wife. How old is this child?" Mason asked

"Okay...Okay" Demi said and went over to take another look at the baby. "I think four months maybe....I I don't know! his birth certificate is not here Mason"

"Aaliyah, he is not my kid. Trust me I would have noticed if May was pregnant with my child"

Demi knew Mason wasn't lying.

"Okay Mason but I need you to come pick the baby and get him away from me"

"I love you sis but no. I have paid my dues already. I raised you, didn't I? And then I got married… Aaliyah, I don't think I have been on my own since I turned eight" mason sounded tired but Demi knew that there was no way he would leave her when she needed him the most.

"Mason, I need you!"

"Ally, I didn't even know I could watch TV for hours and not have anyone nag me about it. I could even change a TV channel without asking for permission, isn't that amazing? The other day I was dancing butt naked in the kitchen...."

"Eww…no one wants to hear tales about your kitchen butt naked dance! Thanks Mason, now I can actually picture it!" She yelled in disgust.

"I love you ladybug and I know you will do the right thing but I have to go....bye"

"Mason! Mason!! Don't you dare...." Mason hung up.

Demi dropped the phone on the table angrily. When she thought her day couldn't get any worse, the little bundle of joy in the duffel started to yell. From the story Char told her about Eveleigh, the right thing was to pick him up but she has never been one to do the right thing. So she pushed the duffel back and forth to sooth the wailing tiger as she searched her brain for the way forward.

Charity!

She has to call Charity for help. She left Noah for a minute to grab her phone and he resumed his wailing. Demi rolled her eyes and dialed Charity's number while she resumed rocking him.

"Pick your call Charity" she called again and again.

She decided to try Charity's landline and got her voicemail.

"Charity for the love of Christ, pick up your dumb phone....I have a baby with me and I am going crazy!"

She dropped the call and looked at Noah. He looked just as helpless as she was.

"Don't worry Noah...help is coming"

Noah stopped crying like he understood her. His little tiny hands grasp at thin air like he was just fascinated about his surroundings. He was healthy and as far as Demi's eyes could scan he didn't look like he was abused, maybe love starved and she knew the feeling that comes with that. She knew all about the fears of a panicked girl looking for the love of a parent.