Taylor

Mikayla Jane was a wonderful baby. It had only been two days since her early arrival, and they were settling into their routine. Blake had even taken a couple of days off work to be attentive toward Taylor and MJ. However, after Taylor nursed her sweet little girl, she walked into their room and saw Blake packing.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, a little too excited that he might be leaving them. Her marriage was over, so she didn’t press him for the details. She didn’t care; not about her marriage, not about him, and certainly not about being the one who could save him. She’d tried, she failed, and she was done.

“I’m sorry to have to leave you. I won’t be gone but a day or two. Something came up last minute, and I must get this taken care of. I promise, after I get back, I’ll be off for the next two weeks to help you.”

Since being home, Blake hadn’t mentioned the letter that had gone missing or Mikayla’s immersion back in their lives. He had been almost loving, so unlike his demeanor for the last ten of their eleven years.

“Taylor, honey, I’m sorry.” But Taylor was not. She felt as if she was getting a little bit of a break from her life with Blake away and hoped in some way he wouldn’t be coming back.

She hadn’t seen her phone since the hospital. Without concern for his trip, she blurted out, “Blake, where is my phone?”

He took his jacket pocket and pulled out a brand-new phone. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Dexter dropped it in water. I replaced it, and for some reason, they had to issue you a new number.”

She didn’t buy it, knowing there was more to the story, but she didn’t press. She needed him gone. Even if he was coming home the day after tomorrow, it still gave her time to plan the departure of her and the kids from his life.

* * *

Libby

She had spoken to Taylor very little since the day of MJ’s birth. For now, she was safe with the impromptu trip Blake had taken. She wasn’t angry with Taylor for opening the letter intended for Libby. In her eyes, she let Taylor down, and in her shame, she wanted to hide from Blake’s violence. It was then, she wondered, if that was what she’d done all these years, excusing Blake’s behavior. She’d let down Taylor, and as she was starting to figure out, she’d let down Mikayla too.

Her prideful nature let her think all these years of mothering was what she was made for; but she realized she was not this uniquely wonderful mom as she had led herself to believe. In her heart, she ached for all she missed. She grieved for the lives she let down, her son especially.

Adam was still not talking to her, so she had to swallow her pride and be the first one to make amends with him. As she approached the study, she stared at her husband, the man she’d loved for many years. There was no one like him in her life, and he was a good father. However, how did they raise the monster their son became when both Adam and herself didn’t have a violent bone in their body? She gave the slightly opened door a light knock. Looking up while his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose, he gave her a gentle smile, one she had missed for the past several weeks, then she entered his study.

“Hey there,” he said, as he too had probably missed the visits she’d paid him throughout his days working at home. “I’ve missed this,” he said, giving her a small opening.

“I’m so sorry, Adam. I did this without your blessing, but worse, we have a bigger problem.”

Adam looked down at his papers first, taking in what she had just told him. He slightly brought his face to hers, and his eyes started to water. “I know, honey, I know. I’ve been avoiding this; the issue with Blake in hopes it would go away.” It was time to figure out how to help him and save what was left of their family.

Before he could say anything else, she started to speak, “That’s the reason Mikayla left.”

By his eyes, that was a surprise. Before he could say anything else, he grabbed his wife and brought her close to him. “You were right to try to find Mikayla; it was my silly pride. Especially now that we know.” They didn’t say anything else as they cried in each other’s arms.

* * *

Colette

David had just gotten home when Liam threw up everywhere. “Cole, I got this mess. Go put Liam in the shower.” Colette knew David’s affinity for puke and gladly switched places.

“No, honey. I got this. You get Liam. I’d rather clean up one pile of puke than two,” she said, giving David a little smirk. She often wondered how he made it through medical school.

Elizabeth was watching some sort of tween show on Disney when the doorbell rang. “I got it,” she called.

“No, Elizabeth!” she yelled animated when she looked at her watch, knowing that only Maribel stopped by unannounced, and she was out of town for a marketing conference. With her cleaning gloves on her hands, she opened the door, and in one moment, she was transported back to the scared girl who’d been abused by this man when his life became shitty.

She couldn’t catch her breath. Out of nowhere, Elizabeth appeared, and now her worst nightmare was playing out in front of her. Blake preyed on women weaker than him both physically and emotionally. The one thing she’d never let Elizabeth become was a weak woman who’d allow a man to harm her.

“Mom, who is it? Dad told me to tell you Liam threw up again.” Pushing her away from the front door, she shut it just enough to give her daughter privacy from who was on the other side.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” Was all she could muster as the door was pushed in on her.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” he said on the other side of the entryway. “You built a life for yourself purposely, didn’t you?”

“Um, how did you find me?” He had to sense her fear. Blake thrived on fear— it turned him on in some sick way, like a nice-looking woman turned on most decent men, but with Blake, this was a sickness.

He smirked at her. “No, that won’t work, Mikayla.”

“I haven’t been called that in a long time, and I think you need to leave, now,” she said firmly, not wanting to bring attention with her daughter behind her. His bulky body towered over her, and his harsh words wouldn’t melt her as they had in the past. She was stronger than she used to be.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? Or should I call the police?” He threatened her.

“There is nothing you can do.”

“Um, let me think ... your husband kidnapped you and convinced you to come live with him, more so, it’s convenient too that your brother-in-law works for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. So I’m thinking you are here illegally, Colette Dubroise.”

“Blake, I’m happy. I’m really happy, and I will make it up to Mom somehow, but please, this is my life. I love it. I have kids; this is my family.”

“Cole, honey, who is at the door? It can’t be Maribel.” David laughed, grabbing the door away from where she was shielding herself and her brother. Before he could do anything, a fist hit David in the face, and Elizabeth, who was right behind her father, screamed.

“I know what you did to my sister.”

She stood between her brother and husband, as the color drained from her face. “Come in, wait for me in the kitchen.” She grabbed her phone and called Luke. “I need you to come get Elizabeth and Liam now. It’s an emergency.” She hung up the phone before he could say anything and instructed David to wait for Luke with Elizabeth. Within ten minutes, Luke was loading a puking Liam and a scared Elizabeth into his car. David walked into the kitchen.

“You need to leave,” David spat, standing between Colette and her brother.

“I chose this life because of you, and if you are not careful, you’re going to lose your family too!” Colette shouted at him, breaking the safety of her husband, finally standing her ground as she should’ve done years ago.

“I have a great family. I have a great life, and you have no idea how I am living.” Blake yelled.

She stepped closer to him with David firmly behind her. “No, you have a wife you control, like you did me. I should know. I was her at one point.” Leaning up, closer to his face, she changed her icy tone. “If I were you, I would put your own house in order before tearing down someone else’s.”

Without seeing it coming, Blake whipped his hand around and slapped Colette in the face, but in a split second, David cold-cocked Blake, and he fell over. Fixed over him, David moved to sit on his chest, and he began swinging with both hands. “You. Will. Never. Touch. My. Wife. Again. If you do, I. Will. Kill. You!” David stood from where he kneeled on Blake’s chest, pulling him by the collar. “You took too much from her already. You come near my family again, I’ll kill you. You report my family, you will become acquainted with the same man who would have killed for Mikayla twelve years ago. That man no longer exists, but I can fucking guarantee you, he will come out and play if I think for a second you are a threat to what we’ve built.”

Pulling himself up, Blake wobbled for a second, then he took one last look at his sister. “You won’t get away with this.” As David charged him, Blake grabbed his keys that had fallen out of his jacket from the floor and left, slamming the door behind him.