Halle flinches but says nothing in response.
The boys, thankfully, dive into conversation with their mom, asking how prison is and whether she thinks she’ll be released early.
All the while, Halle silently suffers beside me, looking like she’d gladly melt into the wall behind us, never to be seen or heard from again.
Every now and then Freya’s gaze flickers to her, but she keeps her attention fixed on her brothers.
Halle is tough, there’s no denying that, but she’s been hurt time and again—particularly by her mom. It seems contradictory for a person to be both tough and vulnerable, but in reality, a person can gain a great deal of strength while being exposed to actions and words that cut the deepest.
As the hour-long visitation winds down, Freya hugs the boys and asks them to step out so she can talk to Halle.
“You can leave too,” Freya says to me, her expression hard.
I glare right back at her. “I’ll stay with my girlfriend, thanks. I’m an attorney.”
Halle blinks up at me, her lips parted in surprise.
Freya barks out a laugh, the harsh sound echoing off the walls. “Good for you, kid,” she sneers. “Bagging a Richie Rich. Try to lock it in soon, though, hun. Kids help you do that.”
Halle’s dark eyes ignite. “That sure worked out for you, didn’t it, Mom?”
Freya’s cruel smile morphs into a glower. “You took my kids from me.”
Halle sighs heavily, as if she’s had this argument before.
“You lost them all on your own when you ended up in prison. The courts granted me custody when you were convicted. Would you have preferred they go into foster care?”
“Yes!” She pounds a fist against a table. “At least I could’ve gotten them back that way.”
Halle shakes her head, her jaw working back and forth like she’s trying not to cry. “They’ll be eighteen before you get out of here.”
“That’s not true,” Freya huffs. “This place is overcrowded, and my crimes are minor compared to a lot of the women here. I’ll be out of here early. You hear me?”
Halle scrubs at her face. “Whatever you say, Mom. It’s been fantastic seeing you.” She turns and stalks to the door.
I follow and knock, signaling that we’re ready to go.While we wait for the guard, Freya takes advantage of our inability to escape.
“Mark my words,” she says, her tone frigid. “I’ll make you regret taking them from me.”
While my blood runs cold, Halle’s shoulders sag with heaviness, as if she’s used to the threats. “Whatever you say, Mom.”
Blessedly, the guard opens the door, and as it shuts behind us, I pull Halle into an alcove with a water fountain.
“Are you?—”
She wraps her arms around my middle and buries her face in my shirt, her silent tears quickly dampening the fabric.
I palm the back of her head and kiss her crown, wishing I could take the pain away.
Eventually, she gathers herself and pulls away, face splotchy from crying.
I rub my thumbs beneath her eyes, clearing away traces of mascara and smeared eyeliner. “You’re okay. I’ve got you. You know that, right?”
She nods, her eyes downcast.
“Good.” With two fingers beneath her chin, I tilt her head back and press a soft kiss to her lips. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 29
