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It was the type of question she had always posed to God in her younger years. Why couldn’t she have been born to parents who cared about me? Why didn’t they love me? Why are some people so alone while others have so much? Wasn’t she worthy of such happiness?
Those questions had driven her away from God for a time, but she had found her way back to His love.
She felt a little guilty about resurrecting those thoughts, especially since Daniel’s family had been so gracious and warm to her. Lorelei still harbored the dream about having a large, bustling family, which was ridiculous. It was too late for such things. It hadn’t been her destiny.
Her cell phone rang, providing her with a welcome respite from her thoughts. She quickly realized it was Olga calling, no doubt to check in regarding the shoot in Barbados. She’d been so wrapped up in the Donahue family barbecue that she’d forgotten to give her agent a call earlier.
“Hi, Olga. I’m so sorry for not calling you earlier,” Lorelei said as she answered the call. “I ended up going to a barbecue after I landed.”
“No worries, Lorelei. I’m glad to hear you’re going out and having fun. I always tell you how important it is to focus on your social life rather than just on your career. You’ve done so well in the modeling world but it’s not healthy to eat, sleep and drink your career. So, who is he?”
“Who is who?” she asked coyly.
Olga burst out laughing. “Don’t try to fool me. We’ve known each other way too long for that. Who is the guy in your life? I can hear it in your voice.”
“It’s someone you know, Olga. It’s Daniel. Daniel Donahue.”
Lorelei heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. “Seriously? When did this happen?”
Lorelei took a few moments to explain to Olga her connection with Daniel and how they had ended up going on their first date. “I hope you don’t see a conflict of interest since I’m working on the Rhiannon video game.”
“Not all,” Olga said. “Daniel is a really sweet and solid guy. I’m happy for the two of you. I’ve actually known him and his family for years through Micah. You have good taste, Lorelei.” She cleared her throat. “I was actually reaching out to you about the parole hearing.” Just hearing those two words caused her entire body to tense up.
“What is it?” she asked, all the while dreading the answer. She knew Olga well enough to know she wasn’t the type to call unless it was something important.
“I found out from the prosecutor that a bunch of people are showing up for the parole hearing.”
“Really?” she asked, wondering who was speaking on her behalf.
“Yes, Lorelei. They’re speaking on behalf of Ellis,” Olga said in a low voice.
Lorelei felt as if she might just pass out. Had she heard Olga correctly?
“On his behalf?” she asked in a raised voice. “How is that possible? After everything he did to me, plunging me into a never ending nightmare! How could they?” Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears, but she didn’t care. This was preposterous.
“Lorelei, I’m so sorry. I know how devastating this must be to hear. But I can give a statement in person and you could ask Bethany as well. I only know this information due to a friend I have in the prosecutor’s office so we need to keep it quiet.”
How could she ask others to speak at the hearing when she herself wasn’t brave enough to show up at the parole hearing in person? How could she ask Olga and Bethany to do something she couldn’t bring herself to do?
“Lorelei! Are you there?” Olga asked.
“I’m here,” she said, letting out a ragged sigh. “I-I just need to think about it. It would be great if you could give a statement, but I feel like I’m asking for too much.”
“Stop it! You’re like a daughter to me, the one I was never fortunate enough to give birth to. I want this nightmare to be over for you and I’ll do anything I possibly can to make that happen for you.”
As they said goodnight and ended the call, Lorelei said a prayer of thanks.
Sometimes it took moments like this to remind a person of all the blessings they had. Both Olga and Bethany had been like family to her over the years. Olga and her husband Lloyd had tried for years to have children, but their efforts had never resulted in a baby. Olga had taken Lorelei under her wing from the start and protected her from the perils of the modeling world. She had been like a Mama Grizzly when it came to Lorelei’s career.
God in his wisdom had also given her Bethany and Bethany’s loving family. They had been wonderful to her through the years. It made her feel ashamed for not appreciating the people she had in her life rather than wondering why her own parents hadn’t been more devoted to her.
God had given her blessings in abundance.
Be thankful for the blessings you do have. Always remember to stay grateful.
She had come a long way over the past few years, in large part due to the people in her orbit who had loved her and lifted her up so she could distance herself from the nightmare of her past. She needed to stay positive and pray about the parole hearing, rather than giving in to her fears. At the same time, she knew her limitations. The clock was ticking. She wasn’t strong enough to attend the parole hearing. It would be incredible if she could show up at the parole hearing and deliver a powerful statement about James Ellis. But every time she thought about it she got sick to her stomach. Nausea rose up in her throat and threatened to choke her. One of her biggest fears was that she would summon the courage to show up in person then once she got in the room the words wouldn’t come. She would be sitting there in a room with the man who had stalked her, helpless and speechless.
Lorelei picked up a stack of mail from her hallway table. Her maid, Rita, had probably placed it there sometime this week. Rita was fantastic. She kept Lorelei’s place in tip-top shape and cooked meals for her as well. She stuck the meals in the freezer so Lorelei could use them during the week. Lorelei smiled as she thought about all the meals she had to look forward to thank to Rita. Although Lorelei liked to eat, she hadn’t fully mastered the art of cooking.
