Libby

“Do you know if we need to be worried about Taylor and Blake?” Jenna asked one morning as she’d dropped off her girls to Libby for the day.

With Libby and Adam looking at one another, Adam casually asked, “Why do you ask?”

“I called over there last night, and Dex answered the phone. Said Mommy and Daddy were fighting, and when I pressed him further to find out more information, he told me he hated when his daddy was mean to his mommy. The sound of his voice broke my heart.”

Adam, being quick on his feet, replied to his strong-headed firstborn. “I will check on them, honey. Don’t you worry.”

When Jenna left, her eyes moved to her husband. “Have you thought about having a man-to-man talk with him, Adam? I mean, you two have always had a great relationship, and he respects you. He’ll listen to your concerns and possibly confide in you.”

“Well, I’m glad that you can acknowledge you have other children to worry about.”

The blow hit her horribly, and in a way, he knocked her with a brick of truth. However, in the hurt, she walked away without another word to him.

* * *

Taylor

Walking toward the mailbox at her mother-in-law’s house, she was surprised to see a letter from Canada. Before she knew what she was doing, she opened the letter addressed to Libby. There was no doubt who had sent it, and because of the connection she’d always felt toward Mikayla, especially now, she told herself she had just as much right to open it as Libby did. Her heart literally swam as she saw the contents; an explanation that would help her mother-in-law comes to terms with Mikayla’s choices. Before she could say anything, Blake grabbed her from behind. Her mind was so deep in the letter that she hadn’t heard another car pull into his parents’ driveway.

“Surprise, honey. You’re right. I need to change some …” But before he could finish his words, he saw the letter addressed to Libby but not before he clearly read that Mikayla had been in contact with Taylor. In an instant, he snatched the letter from her hands and yanked her toward her car where Dexter sat crying in fear for his mother. Without attracting attention, they sped off in her SUV. She leaned over to see him texting his mom, making excuses as to why his car was left in her driveway.

She had been witness to this anger before, and she was instantly fearful for her son, her unborn baby, and herself.

* * *

He didn’t say a word to her as they drove home together in her car. Inside, after she sent Dexter upstairs to play, her husband started in.

“How long, Taylor?” he asked.

“A month, maybe,” she said.

“And you knew about it?” He demanded an answer.

“Yes, she gave me a letter.” Taylor realized at that moment that she shared too much with her husband.

“You saw her? I mean, you really saw her. She’s alive? My sister is alive, and you kept it from me.”

Cowering away from him to protect the baby inside her, she tried to calm him. “She came to me, Blake. She asked me to share only with your mom, or she’d disappear and no one would ever see her again.” She stopped for a second to think about her next option. His arms came up before she knew his hands were on her.

She fell at his force but with strength she’d never known in her life she only stared, when she whispered, “She told me you hurt her.”

Those were the words which stopped him in his tracks as his wife stayed on the floor, crying as a result of his hands. “What are you talking about? Mikayla was my best friend. We had a connection that she had with no one else, not even our mom. Everyone was jealous.”

“No, you were controlling her like you are with me and like you will be with your sister’s namesake. That is why you chose Mikayla. You wanted a little Mikayla again to control. Well, you will not control me, not for another second, nor will you ever treat my daughter like you did your sister.” She heard little footsteps coming down the stairs and saw Dexter, watching her crying and hurt on the floor, and he watched his dad.

“Daddy, why are you hurting Mommy?” he asked, his eyes as wide as saucers.

“Go back upstairs, honey,” Taylor pleaded. “Please, sweetheart.”

Dexter looked at his mom and then at his dad, and in his three-year-old wisdom, he stood in front of his mom, blocking his dad’s path. “Daddy, I fink you need time out and to be nicer to Mommy,” he said, ready for a showdown with his father. Blake turned, brushing past Dexter, and Taylor’s breathing steadied when it looked as if Blake was not going to take his frustration out on their son.

With her arms outstretched, she called for Dexter, and he came to throw himself into her arms. “Dexter, buddy, let’s get you to bed.” She picked him up and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “You are my hero. You know this right, buddy?”

“I know, Mommy. I always be. Do you know why?” he asked, full of wonder and innocence.

“Why, buddy?” she asked, in awestruck of how a three-year-old might be able to answer this.

“Because Daddy not good man, and every mommy deserve good man in her life.”

Taylor wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry at her son’s statement. Tucking him into bed, she realized that she didn’t think her heart could break any further. Then she turned from her son’s bed just in time to feel her water break.

* * *

Colette

David’s lips were flattened and he’d just slammed the kitchen cabinets. Colette had never seen his face so red. Baring his teeth, he almost screamed, “How could you be this careless, Cole?”

“I know you are mad, babe. I understand. But I connect with Taylor. I get her fear and her pain. She needed to know that she wasn’t alone. Mom would stop Blake. She’d have stopped Blake from hurting me all those years ago.” It was a constant struggle within Colette to deduce whether her mom knew about Blake at some level or was really that ignorant to his demons.

With his hands firm on his waist, he walked back and forth on the tile floor. “We talk about everything, and I mean everything. We decided this on that day at the farm where I was no longer Nolan to you, and you became my Colette. I understood the letter you had Maribel deliver. You were careful and methodical, and though you didn’t tell me, I accepted your decision, but this was careless. You gave him access to our lives with this mistake.”

“I left him to abuse another woman, and now he has a daughter he named after me. Does that tell you something about his obsession?”

“Yes, Cole, and that is why I’m mad. You put us in jeopardy. This is just not ‘we’ anymore, Cole. We have Elizabeth and Liam to think about. You can justify it ten ways to Sunday, and it’s still stupid.”

David had never spoken to her like this before, not since he was Nolan and she was so mean to him on the farm. In every day they had spent together since, he had always treated her like his queen. She knew she messed up, and she knew it was stupid to put her family at risk, but Taylor, Dexter, and MJ were her family too. She felt responsible for them.

“David, Taylor doesn’t have a Nolan to rescue her, not like I did all those years ago. I’m sorry you think I was selfish, and yes, I realize what I did could cause problems for us, but I had to help in some sort of way.”

Walking over to her, he touched her shoulder, but she tried to jerk away. “Cole, I’m sorry. I just can’t see you ever being hurt by him again. I think I would kill him,” he said, and she knew he was not exaggerating.

“I know, but I couldn’t live with myself if Taylor or her kids were ever hurt further by him,” she pleaded as he gathered her into his arms.

“That heart of yours, Cole, it’s why I love you so much, but, honey, we have got to make these decisions together.”