Ryan looked at me.
For the first time, he seemed frightened.
“Claire, don’t go.”
A week earlier, those words might have been enough.
But apology spoken only after consequences is not always remorse.
Sometimes it is panic.
“I need to go somewhere I can sleep without asking permission,” I said.
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The First Safe Night
Linda took me home with her.
She made tea, prepared the guest room, and placed extra pillows around the bed.
Before I lay down, she knelt beside me.
“I am so sorry.”
“You didn’t do this.”
“He’s my son.”
“And I’m your daughter-in-law.”
Linda took my hand.
“No. Tonight, you’re simply someone who deserved better.”
I slept for nearly five hours.
It was the longest uninterrupted sleep I had experienced in weeks.
The next morning, Linda drove me to my OB/GYN’s office. The baby was fine, but my doctor was concerned about my exhaustion and told me to rest, hydrate, and call immediately if anything felt wrong.
