Page 70 of Maid in Heaven

Eyes pinched closed and clenched his jaw. “This is…Sarah.”

“I’m Starla’s mother! Who the fuck areyou,bitch?” The woman was ready to attack, face fierce and wild.

Avatook a step back into the living room, anger slowly dissipating.

“I want to see my fucking daughter,” the woman howled.

“We’ve been over this! I won’t let her see you likethat, Sarah.”Will pointed to the red markings in the crook of her arm.

“Pfft.Those are fucking old.” She waved her hand, “I’ve been clean for months.”

“Bullshit, those are fresh,Sarah!You don’t even havea coat,for God’s sake. It’s freezingout there!”

“I’mimmune to the cold. It’sinvigorating.” She lunged at him with a smile. Herteeth were chipped, eachstained the color of mustard.

“Jesus, Sarah, you’re amess. I don’t want her to remember you like this.Youshouldn’teither. Get clean, and then we can talk.”

“I’m hermother. A girl needs a mother.”

“You signed over your rights!You don’t get to be here!”

Ava couldn’t help but stare,standing at the entranceto the kitchenwith a bottle of wine,at a loss for what to say.

Will looked at Ava. “I’m sorry you had to see this.” He turned back to Sarah. “Get sober. Go to meetings, Sarah. When you get that six-month chip, we’ll talk about visitation, okay? But right now, she’s doing her fuckin’ languagehomework with headphones on, and I won’t have her knowing you showed up like this. I need you toleave.”

“I want to see my daughter!”

“Do you really want her to see you like this? Pupils the size of dimes? Lookin’ like you haven’t showered in weeks?Isthishow you want your daughter to know you?”

Sarah’s eyesfilled with tears. “She’sallI fuckinghave, William!”

“Soquit,” he growled.

Sarah pressed her tongue against her cheekand shook her head at the ceiling. “You’re a real piece’a work, you know that?”

Sarah started to storm out and stopped when she was level with Ava. “And I don’t wantthiscunt pretending to be hermom.” She looked back at Will. “Starla has one mother. And that’sme.”

“D-daddy, who’s that?”

All six adult eyes whipped to the source of the noise in the hallway.

Ava looked at Will. “I got it. You take care of this.” She pointed to Sarah and then hurried down the hall to Will’s daughter.

“Baby,” Sarah cooed, stepping toward the girl.

“Absolutely not.” Will darted in front of her.

Ava whisked Starla into her room and shut the door.

“Miss Ava? Who is that?” Starla asked.

Ava kneeled down in front of the girl.“Hey, sweetie. She’s just afriend of your Dad’s.”

“She looked… scary.”

“No, she wasn’t scary.” Ava thought fast. “You know what’s really scary?”

Starla shook her head.

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