I glared nervously at the house in front of me. It had been years since I was there last, but seeing it again made me stop breathing for a few seconds. I shook my head.
I can’t do it. I can’t do it.
I closed my eyes and steadied myself. Then I took in one more deep breath, before walking up the three steps to the porch. I opened the screen door and knocked on the door behind it.
Then I waited. Calming myself down.
Breathe, Billie Ann, breathe.
FORTY-NINE
Then
Kitty looked down at her protruding stomach, amazed at how big it had grown. Damian told her there were still two months to go. Would it really get bigger than this? It was already uncomfortable.
Thinking of it made her feel both wonder and dread.
Damian had said it would be fine, and she trusted him.
She closed her eyes and let the sunlight hit her face. Since she became pregnant, they had let her outside in the yard once a day for half an hour, so she could get some sunlight and vitamin D, Linda had said.
“It’s important both for you and the baby.”
The rest of the time she spent back in the shed, behind the bolted door. They had let her have a TV in there, but she couldn’t watch the news and wasn’t allowed to turn it on without someone being there to observe her. More than often, it was Damian who did that. He would sit on the bed with her, massage her feet when they cramped up, and they’d watch a movie or a show of some sort; and if she let him touch her, sometimes he would let her watch for longer, maybe an entire hour. It made the time pass faster in the shed, and she felt less lonely.
She had also gotten real food, homecooked meals, almost every night, now that she needed it for the baby. And vitamins, they would make sure she took those. Kitty thought they were being so kind, and she savored every moment of Damian’s presence when he came to see her.
It made her feel special.
It was only when she was all alone in the middle of the night that she would sometimes think of her mother, and she would miss her. But those feelings usually passed again, after she cried for a little.
After all, she also cared for Damian and Linda, and they loved her so much. She liked being with them.
As she stood there, lost in thought, enjoying the sunlight and the kicking of the baby inside of her, a hand gently rested on her shoulder. She turned to see the smiling face of her Damian. He was holding a small, wrapped box and a single red rose.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said with a wink. “I have a little surprise for you.”
Kitty’s eyes widened. “What is it?”
“Open it and see,” he replied, handing her the box.
Carefully, Kitty unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. Inside was a beautiful necklace with a delicate pendant of a mother holding her child. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at it in awe.
“It’s so pretty,” she whispered, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
Damian gently took the necklace from the box and secured it around her neck. Kitty leaned into Damian and embraced him tightly, feeling a sense of comfort and security in his arms.
He really loved her, she thought, while touching the necklace. And together they were going to love this baby too.
FIFTYBILLIE ANN
“What do you want?”
The words were harsh and almost spat at me. The woman in front of me in the doorway, with her piercing blue eyes and sharp jawline, looked like she meant business. I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself before answering. Seeing her again filled me with anxiety, and my hands began to shake.
“You can’t be here, go away,” she added, shooing at me with her hand, like I was a stray cat.
“Betty,” I said with a deep exhale. “I need to talk to him. It’s important.”
She shook her head angrily. “No, no, no. He doesn’t want to see you. Ever again. Now go.”
“Betty, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important,” I said.
“I don’t care. I never want to see you here again. This is private property. You know we have guns. Don’t make me go get them.”
I could barely breathe as I looked at her. I wanted to cry. Seeing her again brought everything back, and it hurt.
She shook her head. “How could you do this to him?”
“I didn’t do anything to him.”
“He took you under his wing. How could you?”
My heart was racing now, and I could hear the rapid pulse in my ear. I felt dizzy but managed to steady myself.
“He raped me, Betty. I had to report him.”
“Oh, don’t start with all that again. You know you wanted it too, just as much as he did. You just regretted it afterward. Don’t give me that rape nonsense. You consented to it. Why didn’t you report it, right after it happened then? Why did you wait?”
