I couldn’t find the strength to leave Eric’s parents’ home. They’d made me feel so welcome; playing out the role of their potential future daughter-in-law was the easiest task in the world, and I guess it was easier now that I’d agreed to give Eric and me a chance. I gathered the dishes off the table while Eric helped his dad with some burnt-out lights in the family room. Standing by the sink, Joanne washed while I rinsed. Although we’d had a dishwasher at home, oftentimes my mom liked to wash the dishes by hand as well. I always helped out with the rinsing, and now that I thought about it, I wondered whether she’d done that on purpose, just so we could have a chat without being bothered by the boys. And doing the same now with Eric’s mom felt so comfortable that I couldn’t help but ask her some questions.

“How did you meet Mr. Waters?”

She smiled at a fond memory first before her shoulders sagged a little.

“I wish I could tell you my story was a happy one, but I’d be lying.” She shook her head. “Yet I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Ethan saved me in more ways than one. It was an end-of-the-year dance, and I was dating another boy at the time. Well, I don’t know if I’d call it dating now. I didn’t have much choice. His family was new in town. I didn’t even know when our parents pre-arranged our relationship, and I’d stayed with him at their wish.”

“Like an arranged marriage?”

“That’s what they were hoping for,” she replied, sadness and devastation washing over her face. “Little did they know, the boy they’d introduced me to was abusive.”

“Oh, no! So you left him, right?”

“Not immediately. He wasn’t like that in the beginning. He was sweet and charming, and I didn’t understand how he managed to distance me from my family and friends so quickly. Ashamed and embarrassed, I couldn’t talk to my mom about these things. And once Jonathan succeeded in alienating me, I didn’t have many people to turn to when our relationship became one-sided and I had no way out. Ethan was a friend of mine too, and Jonathan was jealous of him. One evening, when I was home on my own, Jonathan came over. He kissed me gently at first, but his need was growing too fast for what I was comfortable with.”

Joanne’s voice shook. Part of me wanted to offer words of encouragement and ask another question, but I was afraid if I did, she’d stop telling me this story. She turned the water off and gazed toward the family room before lowering her voice.

“He took me by my throat and held me like that on the couch while…” She stopped, unable to get the words out of her mouth.

My hand flew up to my mouth.

“There was no one home. I knew that if I screamed or didn’t comply, he would hurt me even more. And so I lay there as he took what I didn’t want to offer. That was our first time and first of many where I felt my soul leave my body just so that he could satisfy himself.”

“I’m so sorry.” I threw my arms around her. “No woman should ever have to go through that.”

“I’m fine now, sweetheart.” She patted me on my back before pulling away enough so that she could look into my eyes. “I had years of therapy with my wonderful husband who gave me everything I could have ever hoped for.”

“So how did you escape?”

“I didn’t. We went to a dance. It was hosted at a barn, like most were. A fire broke out and I was trapped. Jonathan left me there, with no way out. But he didn’t go unscathed. He burned his arm while escaping. Ethan saved me from that burning building. Along with a bunch of other boys, they used a log to break through the side. When Ethan pulled me out of that burning building and held me against him, I knew he was the man I wanted to be with. His caring arms and bravery gave me the strength to leave Jonathan. Little did I know, I was already pregnant. Raising a child with Jonathan was the last thing I wanted. Ethan agreed to claim the baby as his if I only stayed with him and didn’t go back to my abusive boyfriend. We were married a month later.”

“Wait… so Eric has a half-sibling?”

“No sweetheart. Sky wanted to come out early. She died at birth.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I would have loved her as if she was Ethan’s.”

“And I would have loved her as my own daughter.” Eric’s dad’s voice came into the living room.

“We buried her, but she’ll always be in our hearts,” Joanne added. “We may have lost one daughter, but I won’t lose another one. I’ll do anything to have Annabelle back in Ogden.”

Tears collected in the corners of my eyes and threatened to spill. When Eric came to my side and wrapped me into him, it was all I needed. Just him, holding me. Thoughts of my own family and how happy we’d always been despite many battles against the corrupt fused in my brain. My parents had always been strong, but they hadn’t been harassed the way this family had. While Joanne told me her story, I could still see the fear in her eyes. And I understood fear. I knew what it was to be scared because I’d seen it in Julian’s wife when I was growing up. Fear came in all sizes and depths, and so I knew that Joanne still being afraid all these years later had to have been triggered by something else. Something more current. I had the feeling that Eric’s parents had seen Huntz after the kidnapping but were afraid to say anything.

“We better get going. I need to feed the horses,” Eric whispered against the top of my head.

“I’d like to finish cleaning.” I looked up into his eyes, still holding my arms around his lower back as he wrapped me into him. He smoothed the stray hair off my forehead, and something odd passed between us. His eyes were deep with so much emotion waiting to be expressed that it was difficult to pull away from him. It felt so good to be together like this. I hadn’t felt that sort of connection in a long time. The intensity of a real relationship and how easy it was to be with Eric took me aback.

“No need, dear. You two go on. I’ve got this,” his mom insisted, wiping her hands dry on her apron and embracing me with her entire body. “I’m so happy you’re here, Emma.” She smoothed my falling bangs to the side, the same way my mom would have.

“Thank you, Mom.” Eric kissed his mother on her cheek. “We’ll see you soon. I promise.”

I took Eric’s hand as he led me outside. He opened my car door and walked around to the driver’s side.

“That was a pretty tough crowd in there. I’m sorry I pushed so hard.”

“You did great, Emma. I should have told you more about the family’s history. You couldn’t have known.”

“You mean the part where your mother had a psychopath for an ex?”

“Yes, that part. Thank God that guy’s out of the picture.”

“He left town?”

“My parents never mentioned him other than to tell us the story of how Sky would have been our sister when we visited her grave.”

“I’m sorry, Eric. I’m sorry she was taken away from you.”

“It took a lot to convince my mother that it wasn’t her fault. I guess Annabelle and I always tried to fill that gap inside her heart for a lost baby.”

“I’m sure you did.”

Did Eric even know how much he’d sacrificed for his family? Would he ever be able to see the selflessness within?