The Advocate

Late Night with the Moreaus

Zola sat up straight in bed. Her eyes were wide and wild. Her breathing was heavy. She could smell the coconut oil she'd put on before bed. Instinctively, she reached up to her neck and ran her fingers over the slightly raised scars peppering her collarbone. She was soaked with sweat. Looking down she saw the sweat had left a pattern shaped like Texas across the front of her shirt. The longer she sat catching her breath, the colder her back got. She didn't mind at first, it helped to cool her off. But once her racing heart slowed down she quietly slid from the bed and headed for the shower. Ira slept quietly, no longer disturbed by her night sweats.

As Zola walked down the hall she could see Zeus by the entrance sleeping soundly, yet alert. His ears twitched attentively as her bare feet made soft smacking sounds against the hard wood floors. Zola peeked into the bedroom next door where her baby boy Taj slept peacefully. He had finally started sleeping through the night about three weeks ago. Like her, he would sweat during the night and it would make him fussy. Finally a magical combination of no night clothes, perfect household temperature, dehumidifier, and an essential oil diffuser had him sleeping until about 6:30 am.

Zola closed Taj's bedroom door and crossed the hall. As she reached for the light switch she was quickly reminded that Ira had opted for sensory lighting in the bathroom. The light started off soft and gently increased to a strong, but suitable intensity. 85 watts exactly. She turned the shower on. Not cold, but definitely not hot either. Just slightly cooler than warm. Before hopping in, Zola studied herself in the mirror for a moment. She was looking for something that she couldn't quite define. Or find. As the moment passed she let her nightie drop to the floor and stepped into the shower. Zola bristled at first, but relaxed as her body adjusted to the temperature. As Zola let the water run over her body she tried to keep chilling thoughts from entering her mind. She had left the bathroom door slightly ajar so that she could hear if anything stirred in the house. But, she could only think of how the door was so silent. How would she hear if someone creeped into the bathroom? She tried not to imagine the shadows on the other side of the steamed glass door as men coming to do her harm. Zola tried desperately not to think of some random stranger wanting to make her another notch on their belt.

The water began to turn cold so Zola finished. As she stepped out, Zola glanced at the clock. It had been strategically placed in the bathroom to keep her on time. It was 3:47 am and she was wide awake. She thought about running but had zero motivation. That was something she had missed over the last three months. Even when she was pregnant, she had this busy energy. she was so productive, active, and efficient. The total opposite of pregnancy brain. Her mother called it 'nesting'. Zola called it finding purpose. The reality that she and Ira would be responsible for a human being made her want to give her all to everything. She wanted to be the best version of herself for the child they were bringing into the world. But once Taj was born and they had settled in, much of that energy had disappeared. She was still on top of it when it came to parenting, but she was finding it harder and harder to provide the self-care she knew that she needed.

The case from hell

In 2017, Zola had a high profile child abuse case that was insane, literally. The mother and father had been caging the children and shaving their heads. The parents claimed they had been doing this to protect the children, but could not explain what they were protecting the children from. They simply described the thing as "him." The children were ultimately removed from the custody of their parents and placed on lists to be adopted. Within months they were all adopted and their names changed. One of the adoptive families had a particularly difficult time with their boy. He would wake in the middle of the night screaming "he's coming for me!" The boy explained that "he" had come for his sister and was now coming for him.

The records had indicated that the Eileys had three children of their own. They were all adult and although they were easily located they wanted nothing to do with parents or the case. Over a 20 year period the Eileys had fostered 127 children. Thirteen of the children were in their home when children's services arrived. Throughout the investigation everyone associated with the case began to wonder if "he" was code for Mr. Eiley. He was the only consistent male in the lives of all the children. When asked what happened to the other children that came to their home, Mrs. Eiley exclaimed that some of them left and some of them were taken. That's why they started putting them in cages; so that they could catch "him."

As the case deepened, the investigation took on a life of its own. Soon some new fact arose. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Eiley actually had four children. Early in their marriage, the couple experienced hard times financially. Mr. Eiley started drinking and Mr. Eiley considered a divorce. But about two months after she started working with an attorney, she found out she was pregnant. Mrs. Eiley was distraught. Her attorney advised her that divorces became increasingly more difficult when children are involved. The likelihood that Mr. Eiley would be in her life forever increased significantly. It was the 70's and abortion was legal in some places, but not socially acceptable. Mrs. Eiley couldn't bring herself to end the pregnancy, but she also couldn't bring her self to tell her husband that she was pregnant. So, one day she picked a flight. She let it escalate just to the point of justifying sleeping in the guest room. One night, turned to two, and three and so on. Mr. Eiley kept drinking and staying out late, while Mrs. Eiley kept hiding in the guest room. Once or twice Mr. Eiley caught a glimpse of Mrs. Eiley and commented on her weight gain. She attributed it to being unhappy and that was good enough for him. Then, three weeks before her due date, Mrs. Eiley packed some of her belongings and left a note for Mr. Eiley. It was simple:

Dear Frank,

There has been an emergency at my sister's in Chicago. I've gone to help her keep house. The time away may serve us well. I'll be gone a few months. When I return I believe we should have a talk about our future.

Kisses,

Maggie