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Isla:Hey, I’m almost at your place. Are you home?
Delilah:We’re about five minutes away.
Isla:Yeah, same. I’ve just pulled over for a moment as Olive is not loving this car ride. Hopefully, she’s okay when she’s back with you.
Delilah:She’ll be all right. I kind of need her anyway. I told Harley about Eli. Not everything—just that he committed suicide and he wasn’t a good person. No big details.
Isla:I’m glad you told someone. I mean, I’m always happy to be here for you, but you need your family to help you through this harder part. I guess that’s why I told a white lie to get you here.
Delilah:Don’t worry about it. You’re right. I can’t do this alone. I need to be somewhere familiar with family. Even if some of them are still mad at me, and I’m not sure how to mend those fences.
Isla:It will all work out. Let them have their feelings, and eventually, you’ll all move past it.
Delilah:I hope you’re right because right now, there’s only a handful who want me home or were happy to see me.
Isla:Stop reading into it. Focus on why you’re there and heal. Let me know when you get to your driveway, and then I’ll start driving. That way, you’ll get there before we do.
Delilah:You can leave now because we’re not far at all.
Isla:See you soon.
“Isla is almost at our place,” I state as Harley turns the car onto the familiar road that leads to our house.
Harley reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it. I hadn’t realized I’d been wringing my fingers together. “It’ll be fine, Dee. Everyone will love her.”
“I hope so. Let’s just get these horses off and then we can see how this is all going to go down.”
“I’ll get started,” he offers and places his hand back on the steering wheel.
“I want to help. I don’t need Dad thinking I’m slacking off because I’ve got a kid.”
Harley sighs, rubbing his hand down his face. “He’ll be fine. Stop thinking the worst. Things always have a way of working out.”
I don’t respond. I’m done talking for now. The things I have gone through are both physically and mentally draining. It’s so much for my fragile heart. Now I’m raising my daughter on my own, and there will come a time when I have to explain things to her about her father.
The therapist I’d seen after Eli’s incident told me that sometimes people feel like their families would be better off if they weren’t here. I could’ve done without the abusive Eli, the Eli who liked to sling hurtful words at me to break me down as he did in so many ways.
I need to change my mindset and start thinking of Olive and doing better for her. Being home with everyone will help heal my heart. I’m sure of it.
WHAT A DRIVE. IT WASlong, but thankfully, the girls are good with long drives. I pull into what looks like a makeshift parking area near a massive red barn. This place looks amazing—busy, that’s for sure. I get out of the car, raise my arms over my head, and stretch. Dang, that feels good.
I take in my surroundings. It’s as though a weight has lifted off my shoulders the minute I stepped out of the car. The hustle and bustle of the people around me, another giggling child catches my attention, her blonde curls in piggy tails. I admire the way her mother gets down to her level and inspects what made her laugh. The girl must be a year or two younger than Rylee. A pang of guilt and fresh pain shoots through me at an image of Anna-Beth doing this exact thing when Rylee was younger and throwing a tantrum. She’d comforted and soothed until Rylee was smiling again.
My name being called from the car catches my attention. I shake my head and open the back door, letting Rylee out and then go around and pull Ruby from her seat, resting her on my hip. “Come on. Let’s go get checked in.”
“Daddy, look… horses.” Rylee points at a couple of workers who open a horse float and begin to lead a horse out of it. The horse appears to be quite rowdy and unsure of its surroundings. “Pretty horse.”
“It is,” I say as the golden horse stomps its hoof, stirring up the dust a little. The blonde woman attempts to soothe it while guiding it off. All of a sudden, the horse rears up, and with its front legs, hits the woman in her thigh. She cries out.
Taking Rylee’s hand, I rush toward her, but before I get there, another worker has a hold of the reins and settles the horse. A man rushes over from the barn and takes the reins, leading the horse away.
The blonde woman hobbles to a nearby bench by the barn and drops onto it, inspecting her injury. I can’t see blood or anything as I approach. I’m sure it’ll leave a nasty bruise, though. It appeared to be a severe hit from the horse.
Before I get to her, a flock of girls and two guys all check on her.Wow, they reacted quickly.When I get within earshot, she’s assuring them she’s okay, and then her eyes land on me. Those familiar blue eyes bore into mine.
It’s her—the woman from the hospital almost a year ago.
“You,” I start.
