Louis pov
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"I'm sorry, Louis."
The uncontrollable, strangled noise came from the back of my throat, animalistic and full of rage.
After a few low breaths, I pushed my fingers into my hair, "It's okay."
"It's not okay. You have the shittiest hand anyone could be dealt."
My mouth lifted an inch before falling again.
"You know I wish I could give you better news. I even reached out to some of my other lawyer buddies. We talked, conversed, researched, searched high and low for some kind of loophole in the system–"
"You're telling me what I'm paying you to tell me, Dave. It's fine."
Several moments of silence passed through the phone line. We both knew there was nothing left to say.
A deep, solemn exhale came through the phone.
Then he spoke again, "There's a special place in hell for her. She's going to get what's coming one day.. try to take comfort in that."
I shook my head and kissed Sam's forehead, squeezing my eyes shut.
I hung up the phone and my phone clattered on the porch as I used both my hands to pull my son closer into me.
That shit didn't bring me comfort.
Knowing my kids were safe brought me comfort. Having my wife by my side brought me comfort. Not having to look a devil in her eyes every single day as she slept under the same roof as my family wou—
"Louis," Hannah whispered sadly from behind me, wrapping her arms around me.
I wiped my face, but the tears continued to flow, and I didn't bother.
I was fucking tired of having no solution to the shit being thrown at me.
"It's going to be okay, I promise."
"Tell her to come home, Hannah." It was meant to sound together, but it came out a weak plea. A desperate cry.
"Believe I would if I knew where the hell she was, Louis," she said, "believe I'd drag her ass back myself."
I did.
I believed that.
"She knew how to do it. How to deal with this. How to manage. How to keep us moving."
Hannah silently nodded.
"We were okay. We were fine. We were happy. And then Sammy happened."
"Don't do that," she whispered.
"Fuck, I don't want to but—" I shook my head, balling my fists and holding back a scream. "We were fine!" I screamed.
"Sammy is not to blame." She gently took him from my arms, and I dropped my face into my hands.
"Sammy is not to blame," she repeated.
I let out another guttural noise that fell from my chest from deep within as I sobbed into my arms at the realization of where my head was. "She needs to come home!"
"She needs to fucking come home!"
Hannah ran her hand over my back.
