Page 51 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Chapter 22

Advic was pleasantly surprised when Maya eased into the exam room to check on Ana. She smiled warmly at Advic and then turned her attention to their patient.

She was walking on her own, albeit with a significant limp, but the improvement was dramatic.

He pushed a chair up to the edge of the bed for her, but instead of sitting on it, she used it to prop her knee and get the bulk of her weight off her lower leg. Smart woman.

“How are you feeling?” she asked Ana, clasping her hand.

Ana turned her attention to Maya with a shrug. “Hurts too bad to talk,” she muttered, her lips swollen far more than earlier. Her eyes were in bad shape too. She looked worse, but that was to be expected.

“That’s okay. I just wanted to check on you and maybe give you a pep talk.”

Ana nodded. She glanced at Rick who gave her a huge smile. “I’ll step out for a bit and stretch my legs.”

Advic considered leaving the room too but decided to stay. He dropped onto a chair in the corner of the room, hoping his presence wouldn’t hinder the women’s communication. He was curious to know what Maya might say and how Ana might react.

Maya seemed to have a way of connecting with the beaten and abused woman. If Advic could learn from Maya, all the better. He knew he and his partners lacked something by not having a woman in their clinic, but it couldn’t be helped.

Maya gripped Ana’s hand and positioned herself so the women were looking directly at each other. “I know you’re hurting inside worse than outside. I remember that feeling like it was yesterday. It fades, but it never goes away. The fear. The panic. The helplessness. It’s hard to shake it, and it creeps up on you when you least expect it.”

Tears escaped Ana’s eyes, and Maya grabbed a cloth to wipe them gently from the corners. “What if I can’t do it?” Ana whispered.

Advic’s chest tightened, partly from the pain of what Ana had gone through today, but also for the intense anguish he felt toward the men who’d done something similar to Maya five years ago. She obviously carried the scars.

“You can do it. You have to because people love you and your child will need you. You have to be strong for them. You can’t let those assholes control your future. They aren’t worth it.”

“I’ll never be safe.”

“I know it feels like that, but it will lessen with time. You’ll put more precautions in place. You’ll be careful. You’ll do what needs to be done because there are no other options.”

Ana glanced away toward the far wall.

Advic held his breath, thanking God for Maya’s presence here. She was like a therapist in a world that didn’t have therapy anymore.

Ana’s voice was faint the next time she spoke. “I’m a burden. They should cut me loose and move on. I’m a constant liability.”

Maya gripped Ana’s hand tighter. “You’re not a burden. Jed, Alan, and Rick obviously adore you. You’re the most important person in their lives. They wouldn’t want you to think like that, would they?”

Ana shrugged. “It’s just a fact.”

“It’s not. You’re a valuable person with so much life in front of her. You’re the mother of their future children. I’m positive they would never ever turn away from you. You’re worth any risk. I can see it in their eyes. The frantic concern for your wellbeing. They love you so much. You’re so lucky to have three men who love you more than anything in the world and will help you get through this difficult time.”

“Did you?” Ana asked. “Did you have men to help you when you were attacked?”

Maya’s face dropped. “No. I didn’t. Not like you have. I had one friend who was amazing and supportive and held me together and forced me to get up every day and get better and return to my life. He was amazing, but he wasn’t my lover. He didn’t climb into my bed and hold me in the night when I was scared. He didn’t erase the bad things that happened to me by replacing them with better memories.”

Ana pulled Maya’s hand to her cheek. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine being alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Maya stroked her hair. “And you need to find the will to get through this and stay strong. For them. For the baby. For yourself. Promise me you’ll do that.”

Ana started crying again, but she nodded. “I promise.”

“Good. I’m going to check up on you from time to time and make sure you’re thriving. Don’t make me hunt you down and lecture you,” she teased.

Advic wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Ana smiled. As much as she could with a swollen bruised face and cracked lips.

Maya stroked her cheek with Ana’s hand. “I’ll tell Rick to come back in. Stay strong.”

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