owed it
to her mother to respect her opinions, even when it wasn’t what she wanted to
hear.
“Men like Roy are a dying
breed. Why do you think it took me so long to find him?”
“I’m so sorry you had to
leave him,” Rachel whispered. “Maybe one day you can go back. I know he’ll be
waiting for you.”
Her mother snorted. “That’s
not the way it works, honey. Men don’t sit around twiddling their thumbs, just
waiting for the woman who dumped them to come back.”
“But it was my fault, not
yours.” She sniffled. “I hate that my mistake, getting involved with that loser,
has cost you so much. You’ve worked so hard your whole life. You shouldn’t have
to deal with this crap at your age.”
“Listen to me,” her mother
said, fiercely. “The Lord saw fit to take my first-born. I still can’t say that
I’ve come to terms with it…” Her voice cracked. “But he can’t have you or
Maddie. Do you understand me? It’s not going to happen!”
Joyce believed tears were
another luxury they couldn’t afford when they had to expend all of their energy
on survival, but Rachel could swear she heard the sadness in her mother’s voice
finally breaking through that barrier.
“I know you’d do anything to
keep us safe.” As far as the community was concerned, Joyce was raising her
daughter. The trio was never seen together, not at school, the grocery store,
or even the park, and since they lived in a triplex, anyone who saw them coming
or going from the unit would assume they occupied separate dwellings.
It broke Rachel’s heart that
she couldn’t participate in the parent teacher conferences or volunteer for
field trips at Madison’s school, but her brave little girl understood it was a
necessary sacrifice to keep them all safe. Maddie knew the rules. She didn’t
question why her grandmother was always the one to see her off and meet her at
the school bus every day. She knew that talking to her friends about her mommy
wasn’t allowed. As far as the world was concerned, her parents were killed in a
car accident and her grandmother was raising her. She hated that her daughter
had to live a lie, but at least they were safe, and they were together.
“Keeping you safe is all that
matters to me, Rachel.” Her mother sighed. “But I can’t tell you how to live
your life; you’re a grown woman. You know the dangers, the risks, of getting
involved with a man like Tucker. If you choose to do it anyways, I can’t stop
you.”
She hated to disappoint her
mother, but the thought of going home to that cold empty twin bed, tucked in to
the corner of the room she shared with her little girl, seemed so uninviting
after she’d had a taste of Tucker’s kisses. “I don’t know what I’m going to do
yet. Either way, I’ll be home before Maddie wakes up, okay?”
“Okay. Just remember I love
you, Rachel.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
Tucker had been lying in bed,
listening to the rain pelt his window for what seemed like hours. He wanted her
to come to him in her own time. There was no way he would push her now, not
when she finally seemed ready to make love to him.
Her advance in the kitchen
caught him off guard. He never expected her to come on to him, but he was so
glad she did. He could tell she was still fragile, still reeling from the abuse
that bastard inflicted on her body. If she decided he could be the one to erase
that memory from her mind with his gentle touch, he would wait as long as she
needed him to.
Finally, a soft tap on the
door put an end to his waiting.
“Come in.”
She poked her head in the
door. “I assumed this was the right room.”
His first impulse was to pat
the mattress beside him, to invite her to join him in bed, but he feared that
may be too forward. Maybe she’d taken so long because she was questioning her decision
to sleep with him. “You okay?” he asked, sitting up. He’d removed only his
boots. The rest of his clothes were once again
to her mother to respect her opinions, even when it wasn’t what she wanted to
hear.
“Men like Roy are a dying
breed. Why do you think it took me so long to find him?”
“I’m so sorry you had to
leave him,” Rachel whispered. “Maybe one day you can go back. I know he’ll be
waiting for you.”
Her mother snorted. “That’s
not the way it works, honey. Men don’t sit around twiddling their thumbs, just
waiting for the woman who dumped them to come back.”
“But it was my fault, not
yours.” She sniffled. “I hate that my mistake, getting involved with that loser,
has cost you so much. You’ve worked so hard your whole life. You shouldn’t have
to deal with this crap at your age.”
“Listen to me,” her mother
said, fiercely. “The Lord saw fit to take my first-born. I still can’t say that
I’ve come to terms with it…” Her voice cracked. “But he can’t have you or
Maddie. Do you understand me? It’s not going to happen!”
Joyce believed tears were
another luxury they couldn’t afford when they had to expend all of their energy
on survival, but Rachel could swear she heard the sadness in her mother’s voice
finally breaking through that barrier.
“I know you’d do anything to
keep us safe.” As far as the community was concerned, Joyce was raising her
daughter. The trio was never seen together, not at school, the grocery store,
or even the park, and since they lived in a triplex, anyone who saw them coming
or going from the unit would assume they occupied separate dwellings.
It broke Rachel’s heart that
she couldn’t participate in the parent teacher conferences or volunteer for
field trips at Madison’s school, but her brave little girl understood it was a
necessary sacrifice to keep them all safe. Maddie knew the rules. She didn’t
question why her grandmother was always the one to see her off and meet her at
the school bus every day. She knew that talking to her friends about her mommy
wasn’t allowed. As far as the world was concerned, her parents were killed in a
car accident and her grandmother was raising her. She hated that her daughter
had to live a lie, but at least they were safe, and they were together.
“Keeping you safe is all that
matters to me, Rachel.” Her mother sighed. “But I can’t tell you how to live
your life; you’re a grown woman. You know the dangers, the risks, of getting
involved with a man like Tucker. If you choose to do it anyways, I can’t stop
you.”
She hated to disappoint her
mother, but the thought of going home to that cold empty twin bed, tucked in to
the corner of the room she shared with her little girl, seemed so uninviting
after she’d had a taste of Tucker’s kisses. “I don’t know what I’m going to do
yet. Either way, I’ll be home before Maddie wakes up, okay?”
“Okay. Just remember I love
you, Rachel.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
Tucker had been lying in bed,
listening to the rain pelt his window for what seemed like hours. He wanted her
to come to him in her own time. There was no way he would push her now, not
when she finally seemed ready to make love to him.
Her advance in the kitchen
caught him off guard. He never expected her to come on to him, but he was so
glad she did. He could tell she was still fragile, still reeling from the abuse
that bastard inflicted on her body. If she decided he could be the one to erase
that memory from her mind with his gentle touch, he would wait as long as she
needed him to.
Finally, a soft tap on the
door put an end to his waiting.
“Come in.”
She poked her head in the
door. “I assumed this was the right room.”
His first impulse was to pat
the mattress beside him, to invite her to join him in bed, but he feared that
may be too forward. Maybe she’d taken so long because she was questioning her decision
to sleep with him. “You okay?” he asked, sitting up. He’d removed only his
boots. The rest of his clothes were once again
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