He remains still, his hand lightly resting on my back as the other is steady on the blanket beside me.
I feel something that nearly resembleshope.
He doesn’t move immediately as he stays still, his hand steady against my back while I try to calm my breathing. My tears slow down, but the heaviness doesn’t go away.
He pulls back slightly, enough to look at me. “You want me to call them for you?”
I sniff, nodding. “Yeah. I can’t—I don’t think I can talk yet.”
“Alright, baby,” he murmurs, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
He stands and reaches for his phone on the nightstand, the mattress creaking as he moves.
His thumb swipes across the screen, and for a moment, the faint ring fills the room. I watch him pace near the window, sunlight spilling over his shoulder and bathing him in soft gold.
It takes three rings before someone answers.
“Hey, Cat,” he says softly, his tone shifts, but with an undercurrent that makes my stomach churn.
A pause. Catalina must have said something, because his jaw tightens, but he keeps his voice gentle. “Layla’s here.” He glances back at me, eyes soft.
I can’t hear what Catalina is saying, but I can picture the sharp inhale, the way she probably presses her hand to her chest. She’s always felt things too deeply.
Reed nods slowly. “Yeah. You, Amelia, Mav, and Carter. Just get here, alright? She needs you.”
There’s a pause again. His thumb moves over his bottom lip as he listens. “Yeah, Cat. She’s okay. But… she needs her girls right now.”
I close my eyes, swallowing hard.
My girls.
Catalina’s fiery warmth. Amelia’s quiet steadiness. The kind of love that doesn’t ask or judge. Just shows up.
“Alright,” Reed finally says, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper. “We’ll see y’all soon.”
Ending the call, he gently places his phone on the dresser. For a moment, he doesn’t turn around, just stands there with tense shoulders, breathing slowly.
He turns slowly, his eyes meeting mine. “They’re on their way.”
My throat tightens again, but nothing escapes my lips as quiet sobs wrack through my body.
He crosses the room, crouching down to be at my eye level, his hand hovers before gently resting on my knee. “You did the right thing, sunshine. You don’t have to face this alone anymore.”
Tears blur my vision. “What will they think when they see me like this?”
He tilts his head slightly, voice quiet but certain. “They’ll see a woman who got out. A woman who’s still standin’. That’s what they’ll see.”
Something in me opens up again, but this time, it’s not from fear. It’s relief.
He gently squeezes my knee, then stands, brushing his palms on his jeans. “I’ll get some more coffee going. They’ll be here soon.”
I watch him walk out of the bedroom, into the narrow hallway, and into the kitchen, hearing the sound of him opening the cabinets and glass clinking as he starts the coffee pot.
My girls will be here soon, and finally, I’ll tell them everything.
About five minutes later, the muffled sound of engines breaks the morning silence, followed by the closing of doors and quiet voices outside.
I haven’t moved from the bed since Reed left the room to make coffee.
