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“HEY!”
He stopped, a curse came from him, and then I was free, but falling to the ground.
There was a thud.
Another.
They were fighting.
“Call 911!” Brett yelled, his voice savage. I’d never heard that tone from him. It was animalistic. I struggled to wake up, to see better, to help if I could. Brett needed me.
I tried sitting up, but everything swam around me.
My hand scraped against something and a dull pain pierced me. I fell all over again.
I tried calling for Brett, or for help…anything.
I needed to wake up!
You’re safe, baby. I heard a soothing woman’s voice inside my head.
“Mom?”
Someone came up to me, a dominant presence. Male. Definitely male. Strong arms swept me up, and I curled against a chest. Brett.
Something inside me uncoiled, and I gave in, surrendering.
You can sleep, baby. You’re safe. You’ve always been safe.
That was my mom. I wanted to talk to her, to hear how she was, but also, why. After so many years, why?
Darkness took over.
A hand smoothed over my hair, a low voice crooning to me.
I knew that voice, knew that smell of lilac and lavender. It was the lotion she used.
Mom!
I opened my eyes. She was sitting beside me on the bed. So beautiful.
Smooth skin. Her eyes so clear and blue. A loving smile on her face. She looked healthy. Glowing. Her skin wasn’t dry anymore—the reason she used that lotion so much. There were no stress lines under her eyes, around her mouth. No bags either.
She had laugh lines instead, like all she did was laugh, all she did was smile now. Even heaven couldn’t keep the happy lines from forming.
“You’re safe, Billie. He didn’t get you.”
I reached for her hand, but I couldn’t touch her. She could only touch me.
I closed my eyes as she ran her fingers through my hair again before drawing away.
“Mom.”
Her eyes were filled to the brim with love. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve endured so much, but you don’t have to keep it to yourself anymore.”
I frowned, not wanting to go there, not wanting to have this emotion with her. Not now. She’d been gone for so long. “Mom—”
“You need to wake up,” she told me.
