“Mia?” she called softly. “Your dad’s here.”
Her daughter’s brown eyes went wide behind her glasses, and she walked reluctantly towards the front door. When she stepped out onto the lanai, she immediately glued herself to Laurie’s side with two arms around her waist.
“Hey there, kiddo!” Chris’s smile was bright.
Mia waved hesitantly.
“I missed you! What do you say we get some shave ice?”
Laurie’s blood pressure jumped again, and she craned her neck to see Mia’s response.
“Do I have to?”
Irritation twitched beneath his smile. “Don’t you want to?”
“We’re playing Mouse Trap right now.” Mia’s voice was too quiet for Laurie to hear. Even her signs were small and hesitant.
“Right. Okay.” Chris stepped back. “Can I at least have a hug goodbye?”
Slowly, Mia unglued herself from Laurie’s side. She moved woodenly down the front steps and allowed her father to embrace her. He hugged her so tight that her feet left the ground.
The moment he released her, she raced back up the steps and into the house.
He met Laurie’s eyes and opened his mouth to say something. But then he turned around, climbed into his van, and drove away.
As soon as he was out of sight, Laurie stumbled backwards and sank into a chair.
Her big sisters filed out one by one, surrounding her with support. Halia stood nearby, stoic and protective. Anne sat beside her and took her hand. Oakley stationed herself at the top of the steps with her arms crossed and glared out at the road.
“She should get a restraining order,” Oakley said after a while. She signed the words with sharp, angry movements.
“That’s a dangerous thing to do,” Halia said slowly. Like their mother, she signed the words that she knew. “They don’t provide much protection, not really. And if he responds in kind, then Mia would be forced into foster care for the months that it takes to get in front of a judge. Laurie would only be allowed supervised visitation.”
Laurie’s breath caught on her ribs, and her vision went dark at the edges.
“You’re scaring her,” Anne said and signed.
“It’s important to be aware of the risks; we want a peaceful resolution.”
“With that piece of–” Oakley started.
Stop.Anne cut her off with a firm sign, and then she knelt in front of Laurie. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Everything is going to be okay.”
“We’ll keep her safe,” Halia said and signed, looking at Oakley.
OK. Great.Oakley’s signs were exaggerated, even sarcastic. She sighed and said, “I need a walk.”
“Typical Oakley,” Anne said with a strained smile as their sister walked away. “She’s more upset about your situation than you are.”
Not more upset,Laurie signed slowly. Suddenly she felt exhausted.Just more expressive.
Anne squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to check on the kids.”
She left, and Halia sat down in the chair beside Laurie.
“When you’re ready, I can give you one of the packets that we’ve made for the women who come to A Place of Refuge.”
Laurie winced, embarrassed to find herself in the same situation as the women at Halia’s shelter. Then immediately, she felt ashamed of her embarrassment. What did she think, that a PhD in Literature would protect her from domestic violence?
