Healing Wounds (Completed)

Chapter 32 (Edited)

  God’s mercy is bigger than any mistake. He not only turns bad situations around; he causes something good to come out of it.  
— Joel Osteen 

A rumble of thunder sounded. 

Tara shot up from sleep as she gasped for breath. Sweat ran down her face. Her heart pounded in her chest. 

Her body trembled, and she clutched the blanket.

Loud voices filled her head.

The voices of her captors shouted in her head

A vision of herself locked in a room flashed through her eyes.  

The demons of her past were taunting her. 

She licked her lips, and a salty taste infiltrated her mouth.

She buried her face in her lap and rocked herself. 

Minutes passed by and she remained in the same position. 

Slowly, her heartbeat returned to its normal pace, and the sweat dried up. She blinked rapidly as she raised her head. 

A gust of wind blew on her from the open window. 

She looked outside and sighed. 

A weak sun peeked through the horizon and signaled the beginning of a new day.

She sighed and flung the blanket off her body. A shiver shot through her as a frigid chill washed over her. 

Her feet swung to the side of the bed and slipped into her flip-flops, and she rose and gave a wide yawn. She wished to be beneath the covers and in a world of sweet dreams. But alas, sleep had yet again eluded her.

She trudged forward and stood in front of the window. Her eyes stared up at the sky and she heaved a sigh.

The clouds were pregnant with rain.

Her hand ran through her hair as she exhaled. Her usual Saturday trip to the hairdresser would have to be canceled. 

She listened to the ruffles of the leaves that sounded as the wind howled. After watching the dry leaves being carried away by the wind, Tara stepped back from the window. 

Her eyes scanned the room and she wondered what to do next. 

The rumbling of her stomach gave her the answer. 

She strolled out of her room. The slapping sounds of her slippers echoed across the empty hallway.

Arriving in the kitchen, the scene she witnessed surprised her.

“Mom, you are awake!” She exclaimed and she walked further in. 

Dora looked up from her Bible. “Yes, I wasn’t able to go back to sleep.” She sighed. 

Tara nodded and took a seat on the stool beside her mother. 

“What about you? Why are you awake?” Dora took a sip of her tea.

Tara stared at the countertop as she formed her words. “I guess I could not sleep as well.” She spoke after a few seconds of silence.

Dora gave a low chuckle. “How ironic.” She looked at Tara. “Why couldn’t you go back to sleep?”

Tara stared into the loving eyes of her mother. Eyes that hadn't looked at her with judgment.

The reason remains the same, she said. She swallowed. “The battle I have been fighting for years now.”

Dora sent her an empathetic smile.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She placed a comforting hand on Tara’s hand.

Do I want to talk about it? Tara asked herself.