FULL CIRCLE

Panic

Lauren contemplated on how a day where her mother would finally wake up from her coma, would also be on the worst day of her life. She had fallen asleep the night before fitfully, both with the knowledge that the doctors would finally be letting her mother wake up....... and the fact that tomorrow would be the anniversary of her attack. On this particular day, Lauren had always locked herself in her home and ignored the outside world until it passed.

She couldn't do that this year.

She had a family to look out for, and a daughter to reassure that she was all right. She couldn't afford the breakdown that always followed.

So she got up that morning, and went about her day mechanically, forcing a calm and smiling attitude on as she greeted the family already eating at the breakfast table.

Rose, Normani and Dinah were giving her sympathetic glances that made her skin crawl. She needed them to act as if all was alright, and they weren't helping by walking on eggshells around her.

Camila noticed the tension as she poured Lauren some coffee, and was grateful that Leah was preoccupied with playing with Jesse to really notice anything happening around her.

"So, Demi is waking up today. What time are they waking her?" asked Lauren trying to distract the family.

"In a few hours. After I drop off Jesse at school, I'll be heading over to stay with her. Mani is picking him up on her way home from work, and dropping him at the hospital with me. Camila said Ally is grabbing Leah and bringing her to the restaurant. So if you need to relax or do some errands, than you're free. If you don't want to be alone, you could always come with me?" Rose finished looking at her daughter with a hopeful smile.

Clearing her throat, Lauren shook her head, shooting her mother a sad smile as she replied, "I'll head out to the office for a couple hours in a bit, and come see Demi with Leah and Camila later."

"Are you sure Lauren? I mean today is going to be a hard day as it is. Maybe being around family would help." Normani whispered quietly so the kids couldn't hear.

Sighing in frustration as she placed a spoon full of sugar in her coffee mug, Lauren whispered back angrily, "I'm not talking about this right now. I will be fine. Just focus on Demi and make sure Leah is guarded today. I don't want Brad to pull something today of all days. I'm okay, alright? I'll let you know if I'm not."

Her tense shoulders finally gained her daughters attention, and Leah asked worriedly, "Everything okay mom?"

Lauren forced her shoulder's to relax, and gave her daughter a fake smile saying,"Yeah honey. I was just making plans to get some paperwork from the office and work from home today."

Leah looked at the other adults in the room, and saw them unable to hide their worried glances as they looked anywhere but at Lauren. Seeing the pain in her mother's eyes and her pleading to let it go, Leah nodded, looking away from them.

Feeling like crap, Lauren walked over and gave her daughter a kiss on the head, whispering that she would see her later, before leaving to get dressed.

Camila motioned Rose to follow her out of the room, and when they were out of ear shot whispered, "Whats going on? Why is Lauren so upset about today? I thought she would be happy about Demi waking up?"

Rose crossed her arms, looking at the floor for a moment, and quietly said, "Today is always a hard day for Lauren. It's the conception of Leah's birthday."

Camila stilled, covering her mouth as she realized that on this day almost over fifteen years ago Lauren had been raped. Sure fifteen years was a long time, but something like that, especially with all the things that happened afterwards, made the day so much more painful. Thinking of what this could mean for Leah, Camila gasped out, "He may try to take Leah today!"