Page 24 of Forever His This Christmas

“What happened to him?”

“He’d told me to meet him at one of the back cabins in order to pass the midterm the next week. I went but waited until after he’d gotten there to show up. I’m not proud of what I did, but I was barely sixteen, pregnant and terrified of what he might do to me, to you,” she added because despite everything, she loved her baby even then. “I stuck a knife in his tire and went inside. I told him I was done, that I wouldn’t play his sick games anymore, and if he said anything I would make sure everyone found out what he’d made me do. He didn’t believe me until I showed him the tape recorder I had in my pocket. He lunged for me, and Iran. He got into his car and tried to follow me, stop me before I got back to the house, but there was already some snow on the ground and his tire was going flat.”

“What happened?”

“He lost control of the car, flipped it and ended up paralyzed from the waist down.”

“So, he couldn’t hurt you anymore?”

“No, he couldn’t hurt me—or anyone else—anymore. He came back to school in a chair the next year and told me if anyone ever found out what he’d made me do they’d find out I cut his tire and put him in that chair. I was so scared about what he might do if he knew about you, and he made it clear that he wasn’t going to leave town. I’d kept quiet about you, hid the pregnancy underneath bulky clothes, huge sweaters, and when I knew you were almost here, I went down to visit Diane. I told her about you, and she agreed to help me—keep you with her. I had you, spent a week there for Spring Break falling even more in love with you, and then went back to finish the year. I came back as soon as school was over, claiming I was going to a cheer camp for the entire summer because I wanted to be a cheerleader the next year despite having no real desire for it. I have loved you from the second I knew you existed, even more when I felt you move. I knew I would do anything for you the first time I held you and I’ve never changed my mind on that.”

“I get why you didn’t tell anyone back then Mom—I do but what about now and the last few years? Why leave me with Diane all this time?” Abby asked, her tears and sad eyes tearing at her heart.

Lisa moved over to the closet and took down a lockbox, opening it to take out the box she’d gotten at Christmas. It had taken her forever to get it packed and back here without Corey finding it, but she wouldn’t begin to leave it at the house whereher parents could get to it. She walked back to Abby and handed the box to her.

Abby opened the lid and dropped the box covering her mouth with her hand. “Where did you find that?”

“Under the Christmas tree when I went to see Mom and Dad at Christmas,” she admitted, her heart filling with worry all over again. “This is why I’ve kept you away from me, sweetheart. If he has pictures of me, then he could get some of you and…”

“Find out about me, use me to hurt you?” Abby guessed and she nodded. “I’m so sorry Mom. I didn’t know…the others were telling me that you never loved me, didn’t want me in your life, left me because you didn’t care about me at all…”

“Why would your friends say things like that sweetie?” she asked, brushing away the tears that fell from her baby’s eyes.

“Grant Michaels asked me to dance at the Spring Fling. I just kept telling myself they were jealous but…”

“Not knowing the truth, me not coming out to see you the last few months, you worried. I understand sweetie, I do. I’m truly hoping that these photos were only taken because he heard that I was going back there, but I don’t want to put you at risk. I moved here, took this promotion because right before that I’d gotten another set of photos like this after being there for a visit that summer. Every time I go back, I get something like this, before now they were just of me around town and the resort there, but with this…” Lisa stopped taking a deep breath, not wanting her true terror to come out and scare Abby. Everything she’d done was to keep her safe, away from that maniac, and knowing somehow he’d gotten photos of her and Corey in some very intimate moments, worried her immensely.

“What if I promise to be careful? I won’t begin to do anything without asking you, without you knowing where I’m going and with who. Please Mom,” Abby begged making her want it more than anything, to be close with her again, have her with heralways, but there was so much panic about that exact thing causing her to get hurt, she couldn’t quite breathe. “I don’t want to go back there. I want to stay with you.”

“What about Diane sweetie? She loves you as much as I do.”

“I know but she’s not you. She doesn’t understand me the way you just do. Please can I stay? Please…”

“Alright, we’ll figure this out,” she said hating to see the tears in her daughter’s eyes. She kissed the top of her head and held her tightly to her. “First thing we need to do is find a new apartment.”

“Why?”

“Because this place isn’t big enough for both of us, the second bedroom is full of extra clothes of mine.”

“So does this mean I can stay for good?”

“Yes, we’ll figure out the rest later. For now, you need to get some sleep,” she said seeing the tiredness in her face. “Let’s get you tucked in huh?”

“I’m thirteen, Mom, I don’t need to be tucked in,” she argued but let her do it anyway after she’d changed clothes. “I love you Mom,” Abby added hugging her neck tightly. “I’m so sorry for what happened to you—if I cause you more problems…”

“You are the only thing that ever made me smile Abby. I adore you; I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.”

“Not even who my father is?”

“He doesn’t count. He’s not your father; just a genetic donor. You are my angel. I love you so much,” she promised kissing the top of her head, staying until she was asleep before heading back out to her phone.

“You told her everything?” Diane asked once she’d explained what happened.

“Nearly, the basics of it at least. She doesn’t need to know the rest,” Lisa replied pushing it away.

“She doesn’t need to know that he nearly killed you the last time you went to see your parents and that’s why you moved to New York?” Diane asked in amazement, but there were some things that were too dark to tell her daughter. That was one of them. “Why you put distance between you two, so he’d never be able to get to her when I know it killed you to do so?”

“No, she doesn’t. I can’t make her go back Diane. I don’t want to. I miss her more than is imaginable and now…holding her again, I can’t do it.”

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