BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 43

Emilia

"Hey, mind if I join you guys?"

It's been years since I've seen my best friend look this sad and unsure. The last time was after her parents died and Lucas disappeared. I guess it makes sense, given everything we've all been through the past few months.

"Not at all. Come on, get in." I try to muster a smile as I pull up the covers on the other side of Alyssa.

"Thanks." She tucks the comforter around herself and then turns to my daughter. "How are you Lyssie? You comfy?"

Alyssa nods robotically, barely acknowledging her aunt's question. When a flicker of sadness crosses Jen's face, I try to give her a reassuring smile. It's a difficult feat which I fail miserably, given the worry squeezing my insides like a vise. That my rambunctious girl hasn't shown even a hint of her usual self now that we're home is concerning. The therapist at the hospital assured me that with a little time, she would be back to her old self soon enough, but I can't shake the fear that the longer she stays like this, the harder it will be to pull her out of the dark place she's retreated to. It's almost like we left that important piece that makes her who she is back in that old cellar, and I'm terrified to think what will happen if we never find it again.

Mallory, on the other hand, is an entirely different story.

"Mama, I wike this movie. Do you wike this movie?" Since being reunited about an hour ago, my usually quiet, shy little girl hasn't stopped talking. With a smile that's overtaken her face, her little body fidgets, nearly vibrating with a level of excitement that's more typical of her big sister.

"I do Mally Baby. I love this movie."

"Aunt Jen, do you wike this movie too?"

"Oh, you know I do," Jen replies, her smile bright and filled with love.

When I'm sure the girls' attention is fully consumed by the show on the TV screen, I whisper to Jen, "Thank you for being here. For her and Lucas."

"Please don't. There's nowhere else I would have wanted to be. You would have been so proud of them. She was so strong." Jen glances down at Mallory, then back at me. "And Lucas was so good with her, so tender and sweet. I wish you could have seen it."

I did see it. The minute we walked through the door and Mallory spotted us, she ran straight to him. When he scooped her up, joining her sister in his arms, the way Mallory cupped his face and kissed his cheek damn near made my ovaries explode. If I wasn't already pregnant, the sight alone would have done the trick. And then, when she thanked him for finding us, I almost burst into tears. That kind of gratitude from such a young child shows just how terrifying the hours we were apart must have been for her.

"He really loves them," I say softly.

"He does. So much. And he loves you too, Emi. He was so lost without you." Jen's eyes search mine with an uncertainty that catches me off guard. Maybe because of the way Lucas and I left things when he went to New York. She's afraid I might not feel the same way.

She couldn't be more wrong.

"I know he does. I saw it in his eyes the moment he found us. He was so emotional. I'd forgotten how emotional he is." I chuckle at the ridiculousness of mentioning how emotional he is when here I sit, wiping tears from my own eyes.

"He always was, wasn't he?" Jen snickers, but then her expression softens. Leaning her head back against the headboard, she lets out a pensive sigh. "You know, my Dad was the same way. Remember how he cried at our dance recital when we were, what, eight? We were both so confused." She laughs. "But it's who he was and how he and mom raised us. They taught us emotions are meant to be felt, not something to be hidden or be ashamed of. It's one of the best lessons they taught us. Not to be afraid to feel."