Chapter 9: Nikki

I don't stop walking until I end up at the same park I often go to whenever I'm outside the Serendin Atlas.

Sitting down at a small white Park bench, I bury my arms in my small gray hoodie and lean back, looking up at the cloudy sky wondering how I'm going to face Brody. A small bump hits my leg and when I look back down, I spot a small girl with blonde pigtails and pink bows tied on each side.

Looking around, I don't see anyone else. She's wearing blue overalls with a red shirt and bright red sneakers. Her little pale face is flush and a giant smile glows on her as she looks me up and down.

"Hi." She proclaims proudly.

Again, I look around wondering where this child's parents are. I don't come out here often, even less when Brody was grounded and I was the one doing all the running's, but I've never seen this little girl before.

"Are you all by yourself?" I look down at her small round face again with apprehension. "Well if you are, then we can play together. I can't find my grandpa anywhere."

"You're grandpa?"

Dammit, I broke a rule. I spoke with this little girl when this could easily be a trap for something. I'm usually smarter than this, but there is something that has this little small child calling to me.

"Yes, I don't know where he went and I was scared at first but now that I found you all by yourself, I feel a little better."

She takes my hand in hers, and I nearly pull away. It's been ages since I've been touched, least of all by a child."

"Want to play?"

Looking around once again, I stand and hold onto her hand just as tightly. "How about I help you find your grandpa instead?"

Her small pigtails bounce up and down as her head nods. I begin walking around with her as she tells me that her name is Elizabeth and why her and her grandfather were playing out at the park today. Apparently, she is expecting her little brother at any moment and her grandpa took her out here to play, while mom and dad are at home in what she calls a baby pool.

"So, are you excited about being a big sister?"

"Oh yes. Mommy says I must protect him so when he comes, I'm going to show him my wonder woman shirt."

My heart strings pull as we continue to walk around the small narrow park. It's littered with children today, along with single parents, and babysitters. I don't spot an older gentleman and am just about to bend down and tell her just that, when a man calling out her name comes running over to us.

"Elizabeth, there you are. Why did you walk away from me? Where were you?" Elizabeth has yet to let go of my hand, a feat that has the grandfather looking up at me with curiosity.

"Grandpa, this is um…" Elizabeth drags out the obvious fact that I never gave her my name.

Extending my hand out and releasing her tight grip from my other hand, I shake hands with her grandfather and give him a small smile. "Hi, I'm Nora."

"Nora, thank you for finding her. I'm George, George McCall."

"Nice to meet you." I get ready to turn but am stopped when George calls out my fake name. I turn and see George pulling out his wallet and am stunned when I see the numerous amounts of bills inside."

"At least let me pay you for any inconvenience my granddaughter might have caused. I couldn't tell you the scare she gave me." He states as he holds out a five-dollar bill.

I study the old man in front of me with alarm. How could he trust me so easily? Do I look so unsuspecting that he would pay me for bringing him his granddaughter?

A large part of me wants to tell him no, that I don't need his money and that he doesn't need to pay me for doing a good deed, for doing the right thing. Instead, my past quickly catches up to me and I play the only card I have come to know by heart.

"You know." I start off, looking down at Elizabeth who has now found a butterfly floating around amazing, then move my gaze back over to her grandfather. "It would be a shame if I were the kind of person to take advantage of your circumstances."

"What?" He pauses and holds his wallet tightly in his grasp.

"I'm only saying, it would be a shame is someone else were the ones that found Elizabeth. It would be a shame if this poor little girl were still missing. I think the reward you would post all over the news would be a little more than five dollars, don't you think?" I state, blinking my eyes bashfully.

Understanding the situation, George, mumbles something under his breath and pulls his wallet back out, digging through it and pulling out the larger bills. I grab them the moment he pushes them towards me, and I smile up at him.

"Have a good day." I state then walk away. Guilt rides me hard, but I ignore it.

This is my life, this is the life I have chosen, and it's time I owned up to it.