Page 119 of Love Takes Home

The last week hasbeen a whirlwind of information. Claire stayed until yesterday, and I’m thankful that she was here for all of us. It wasn’t just Ginny, but all of our friends seem to have been hiding trauma from their own experiences. I’d say we wore Claire out, but that woman is a powerhouse. I also happen to know that she’s a badass mother-in-law to one of Trish’s friends who is one of four sisters, and all of them had some of their own traumas, too.

Something happened in that hospital room that changed Ginny. I think it changed Trish, too. Ginny’s been calm. Reflective. Writing so much in her journal, she’s already gone through two of them. She’s doing all the right things, and at least on the surface she feels better. It’s the nightmares. Those are rough. If I get up in the middle of the night, she’s screaming. If I let her roll over in her sleep, she starts screaming. The first couple of nights, Claire came in to help me calm her down. Shesaid it was her subconscious working things out and it would just take time. Ginny agrees. She confessed to me she had them after the attack in New York, and it just reminds me that this woman is the strongest person I know, and I’m lucky every fucking day she chooses me to be by her side. That I’m who she relies on to keep her safe, even if I wasn’t there to do it that day.

Outside of the individual, group, and couple’s counseling that’s taken over my house this week, the girls set up some type of a meal train—or a babysitting schedule. If I’m not here for whatever reason, there’s someone at the door within two minutes of me leaving, if they aren’t already here. Even her teacher friends, who came back to town from their own fall breaks as soon as they heard what happened, have been here. They’ve been trying to keep an ear out for any gossip, but they’ve since returned to classes. Ginny’s job is there when she’s ready, but for now they’ve brought in a sub.

Daniel, who might be the best boss to ever exist, has assured me that he’s not taking me away from her until she’s ready and okay with me leaving overnight. Out of everyone I know, he might get it the most.

We are in the kitchen making lunch when there’s a knock at the door. I look at her and we both smile. It does no good to ask who it might be when it could be one of almost a dozen people.

I wipe my hands on the towel and grin at her. “I got it.” I kiss her cheek and make my way to the front door. Opening it, I find Mr. Mills.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I ask, shaking the man’s hand. “Come on in. Is it your day or something?”

“No, not really.” He shakes his head.

“Everything alright?”

“Not…not really? I need…” he starts and stops. “Well, I need to talk to you.”

“Me? What about?”

Looking more uncomfortable than I’ve ever seen him, he looks away from me. “I would like for you to set up a meeting with my son.”

“You can’t pick up the phone and call him?” I carefully, tactfully ask.

“I’m honestly not one hundred percent sure he’d answer.”

“He better answer!” Ginny yells from the kitchen.

“Girl’s got ears,” I whisper to Mr. Mills.

“Yeah, she does.” He grins. “Always did.”

“It’s a teacher thing!” she yells back.

“Fine!” he yells to her. I motion for him to follow me to the kitchen, which he does. “Fine,” he says quieter. “I’d very much like to talk to my son. Can you arrange that?”

“On it,” she smiles, pulling her phone out.

“Thanks. Umm, I don’t want to interrupt your—”

“We have plenty. Sit. Eat,” Ginny almost demands. I think she might want this as much as he does.

“That would be great, thanks,” he tells her, pulling her into his arms for a big hug. You can always see the relief of a dad worried about his little girl when he’s near. He makes eye contact with me and nods. He knows nothing can happen with me around. That I’ll protect her with my fucking life.

Damn, I should have had Claire talk to Mr. and Mrs. Mills, too. I can’t imagine the pain this brought up for them.

“What do you want to talk to Davis about?” Ginny asks.

“I want him to forgive me,” he replies, his sadness and guilt evident.

“How do you know he hasn’t already?” I ask.

He shares a look with Ginny before turning to me. This is a family look. I’ve seen the same look from Davis and Ginny before. “He hasn’t.”

“Yeah, he is a stubborn ass,” Ginny says, as if this should be a known fact. And it is.

“It’s a family trait.” I smile at her.

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