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As she reached the steps, the porch light came on and the door opened, revealing Max.
“Hello, Mrs. C. Come in, come in. Here, let me take your coat. ”
“Hi Max,” Holly said, leaning up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Her son-in-
law’s acceptance into the family hadn’t come without hiccups, but he’d proven himself a dozen times over since he and Callie had married.
Max took her coat and ushered her inside to the living room, where a fire blazed in the hearth.
“Mom!” Callie cried as she hurried over.
Holly caught her daughter in her arms and hugged her tightly. “Hi, baby. How are you?”
“I’m good. What brings you over? Would you like some hot chocolate or a glass of wine?”
“Nothing for me, thank you,” Holly said. “Where’s Lauren? I’d hoped to see her while I was here. ”
Callie and Max exchanged pained looks.
“She’s in her room,” Callie said with a sigh.
Holly glanced at Max. “Would you mind if I went to see her?”
Max wiped a hand wearily over his face. “I’d be grateful for whatever you could do for her. I feel so damn helpless. I want to help her but I don’t know how. She’s hurting and I’m powerless to stop it. ”
Holly impulsively went to him and enfolded him a big hug. In her mind, no one ever got too old for a motherly hug, and judging by his reaction, he didn’t think so either.
He hugged her back, squeezing a little tighter than normal.
Holly drew away and patted his cheek affectionately. “I know you don’t feel like you’re helping her, Max, but I promise you she appreciates you just being here and for going to New York to fight for her. She’s adrift. She feels isolated and alone. She’s afraid, ashamed, angry. It just takes time to heal and to regain your confidence. ”
“If she can be as half as strong as you are, Mrs. C, she’ll be just fine,” Max said, clear love in his voice.
“I wasn’t very strong in the beginning,” Holly said ruefully. “Adam, Ethan, and Ryan made me strong. Their love made me strong. Just like our love is going to make Lauren strong again. We simply have to make her see it. ”
“Thank you,” Max said sincerely. “For caring about my sister. ”
Holly smiled, reached over to squeeze Callie’s hand, and then headed toward the stairs. “I’ll be back down in a bit, Callie. If your fathers call, tell them I’m with Lauren. They’ll understand. ”
She climbed the stairs and turned to the left, away from the master suite and down a hallway where the other bedrooms were located. At the end, she encountered the closed door of Lauren’s bedroom and knocked softly.
“Lauren? It’s Holly Colter. Can I come in for a few minutes?”
A long moment later, the door opened and Lauren stood there, surprise and confusion reflected in her dark, wounded eyes. Holly wanted to cry as she took in how changed the lovely young woman was from the last time Holly had visited with her.
She looked infinitely fragile. Haunted. Callie had said she’d been wearing scarves and long sleeves to cover the bruises, but she wore no such things now, and even days after her attack, there was still evidence of bruising. Much fainter now. Yellow and green instead of black and blue, but the marks were there.
“Hi,” Holly offered softly.
Lauren smiled but swallowed nervously. “Hi, Mrs. Colter. I didn’t realize you were coming over. ”
Holly flashed a bright, cheerful smile, determined not to show any pity or anger over Lauren’s condition. “Oh, I pop in all the time. I wanted to see how you were doing. I’ve been dying to see you again. ”
Guilt crept into Lauren’s eyes and she gripped the door a little tighter.
“Can I come in?” Holly asked again.
Lauren hastily glanced back and then opened the door wide. “Of course. I’m sorry. ”
Holly sailed past her, her heart aching at the change so evident in the young woman. Spying the two chairs by the window, she headed in that direction and perched on the edge of one. She leaned over to pat the other and motioned for Lauren to sit.
Lauren gingerly settled onto the opposite chair, her unease rippling from her in waves. Holly grasped Lauren’s hands and squeezed comfortingly.
“I’ve never been good at being subtle so I’m going to just dive right in. Callie told me what happened to you. ”
Lauren closed her eyes and her head bowed automatically. Holly moved one of her hands from Lauren’s and cupped Lauren’s chin, gently nudging it upward until Lauren was forced to look at her.
“Listen to me, baby,” Holly said in an achingly gentle voice. “This wasn’t your fault. It’s not your shame to bear. I know how you’re feeling. I understand all too well. ”
Lauren’s eyes clouded. “How?” she cracked out. “How could you possibly know? Or understand? Your husbands would never …”
Holly shook her head. “No, they wouldn’t. Thank God for that. I thank God for them every single day. But you know what? I didn’t always have them. I was running from my first husband when Adam found me lying in a ditch. He took me home, and he and his brothers helped put me back together. They protected me, they loved me, and they gave me the strength to fight back when the time came. ”
