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Harry seems to be getting uncomfortable and mildly frustrated. "Willow, look at me." He's waiting until he has my full attention. "That wasn't just great sex. You don't feel that intensity without a serious conn...
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The Lantern In The Lifeboat (I Wrote This For You) Author Iain S. Thomas
Harry's POV
It's been a month since I brought Willow home from the hospital. I insisted that I don't want her going back to work yet. She's angry with me because she thinks I'm being bossy and chauvinistic about the situation. Luckily, Richard agrees with me, he's allowing her to keep her job and in her absence an intern is handling the workload.
At this point life is running as smoothly as it can. However, things were the furthest from okay during the first two weeks. I let her lead the way, I figured whatever she wanted I'd give her. Day after day she wouldn't get out of bed, and if she did, she'd walk around the house pretending nothing was wrong. I knew that neither was a good option, either way she was hiding. Hiding isn't healing, hiding is delaying the inevitable fallout.
She continued sinking deeper into a very dark place, I was terrified if I didn't do something quickly, I'd lose her forever. That light in her is my lifeline and I'm scared if I lose it, I'll simply drift away myself. I guess I need her as much as she needs me, maybe my actions are selfish, either way I'll do anything to help her. I want to be her lighthouse, guiding her home when she's desperately lost in the sea of her own fears.
My motives aren't entirely self-serving, for the sake of Lark and Lily, I've researched day and night for the answers to the endless questions I have. Bottom line, I need a plan to bring Willow back. In the end this isn't just about what's best for the two of us. What matters most is helping these two innocent girls. They've been through so much heartache, at the very minimum they deserve unwavering compassion, support, and a sense of normalcy in their lives. At this point I'm not sure what our new normal is supposed to look like, but without a doubt I'm going to find it. If both adults are struggling to stay afloat, we're destined to fail at helping them adjust.
The internet has endless advice regarding helping victims of violent trauma. One thing I've learned, all suggestions are not universally applicable. Thus, everything has been trial and error.
This brings me to when I decided she needed a daily routine; setting a schedule for Willow has helped tremendously, especially during the day. Waking at a certain time, helping me get the girls ready, packing lunches, driving them to school, going for a walk, picking the girls back up in the afternoon, making dinner, and helping Lark and Lily with homework. We do it all together, and it keeps her from obsessing over what she could've done different to prevent what James did to her. It gets her out of bed and interacting with the girls.
There are days that things don't go according to plan. It kills me to see how much Lark and Lily miss their mother when she hides away in our room. She completely disconnects from all of us. When my efforts fail to bring her back, I do my best to distract them. I've gladly assumed my position as a father figure in their lives, I'm in this for the long haul.Â
