The Eye of a Hurricane

Pippa

We were awoken by my phone ringing around 7 a.m. The police told me that John had posted bail overnight. I thanked them for telling me, my voice quavering as Lin's hand gently rubbed my arm in support. I hung up and collapsed back onto my back.

"He's out," I told him, in case he couldn't guess.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he told me gently, studying my face. "But he'll go to trial and he'll get convicted. We've got photo evidence of what he did to you."

"But won't I have to testify?" I asked.

He sighed. "You might have to, yes," he told me. "But if it gets him put away, it's worth it, right?"

"Yeah," I admitted, but the thought of seeing him again sent shockwaves through my body. His face was already haunting my nightmares. I'd woken up screaming in the night and Lin had gently, patiently coaxed me back to sleep.

Lin pressed a kiss to my temple and sat up. "I'll get you some tea. Stay put."

He returned a few minutes later with a mug of tea and helped me sit up in bed. Luna joined us a couple minutes later, inserting herself between the two of us. We watched one of her cartoons as I slowly sipped my tea, trying not to think of John.

It was Sunday, so we had a lazy morning. Lin made chocolate chip pancakes and we sat around watching cartoons. I repainted Luna's toenails and we played some more board games. Sunday was just what I needed. I was feeling more secure, but I hadn't left the apartment in two days.

I'd been taking my pain meds but I didn't like how they were making me feel. They made me incredibly woozy and somewhat nauseous. I was barely keeping food down. I could tell I was losing weight. I had set up shop on Lin's couch with my laptop, working as Lin did some errands then picked the girls up from school.

They walked in at about 4:30, after Isabel's after-school tutoring.

"Isabel, you have to start seeing Ms. Thomas," Lin was telling her as they walked in. I saw Isabel roll her eyes as she set her backpack down. "She's going to help you."

"I told you, I'm not going!" she said firmly, trying to go straight to her room.

"Hold it," Lin told her and she sighed as she turned around. She crossed her arms and glared at her uncle. "Isabel, sometimes you have to do things in life you don't like. For you, this is one of them. You're not gonna get any better if you don't let Ms. Thomas help you."

"I don't need help," she spat.

"You do," Lin countered, his eyebrows raised. "If I hear you refuse to go see Ms. Thomas again, then I'll have to punish you."

Her eyes narrowed at him and she pouted.

"Go to your room," he told her. "I'll call you for dinner."

She stomped off to her room and slammed the door as Luna joined me on the couch.

"Ms. Thomas is a special ed teacher I assume?" I asked Lin as he got himself a drink.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Second day in a row she refused to go see her. She's being super stubborn about this."

I let Luna climb into my lap for a cuddle. My wound was feeling less sensitive every day, but Luna was being very careful about not bothering it.

"How was your day?" I asked the kindergartener. She told me all about P.E. class, recess, and what her friend told her at lunch time. Lin asked her if she wanted to help with dinner and she happily joined him in the kitchen. Luz had bought her a little apron. Lin tied her hair back out of the way.