I leaned back against the firm back of the couch and let out a heavy breath as I set my phone down and closed my eyes.Things had gotten so out of hand in such a short time that I had no idea how to fix them.
“Stressing about Lauren isn’t going to do anything to help her,” Jo said softly, lying on her side as she looked at me.“Come to bed.You need sleep.”
I nodded and got up, feeling the exhaustion in my bones as I climbed in beside her, careful not to hurt her.
“We can sit down and figure out a plan in the morning,” she continued, rubbing her thumb lightly across my jaw.“But right now, we need sleep.No one is getting inside this room without us hearing them.”
I glanced at the door where I had pushed a chair in front of it, wedging it under the handle so it was impossible to open.In addition, one of the nightstands was also pushed against the door, making it heavier to open.If anyone tried to get in, we would hear them.
Jo curled up against my chest, her eyelashes fluttering against my skin as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.Knowing that Jo was safe and where she was meant to be allowed me to relax enough to get the rest I so desperately needed.
***************************
The next morning, Iwoke up to Jo sniffling beside me.
I looked down, studying her face as I realized she was still asleep.
“Baby,” I said softly as I gently rubbed her back.“You’re okay.It’s just a dream.”
Tears stained her cheeks as she frowned, her body shaking as she sucked in a ragged breath.
“No, please,” she cried, still trapped in whatever nightmare was taking hold of her.“Don’t take my baby.Please...”
My heart slammed in my chest as thunder echoed in my ears as I stared at her.She was visibly upset as she begged, her sobs becoming uncontrollable as I shifted my focus to getting her to wake up.
“Jo,” I said more firmly with a hint of bass in my voice.“Wake up, baby.You’re okay.Just wake up.”
She sucked in a breath as her eyes flew open and she stared at me.Her body continued to tremble as I pulled her into my arms and held her.
“It’s okay, baby.It was just a dream,” I assured her as I kissed the top of her head.
Her lip continued to tremble as she fought tears back.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure who I was trying to comfort at that point.Knowing Jo was so upset about her dream left me with a nagging gut feeling that maybe it wasn’t just a dream.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly as she pulled away and looked up at me.“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Baby, you can wake me up anytime.I’m sorry that you had such a bad dream.”
I slowly released the breath I had been holding and studied her as she clutched the blanket in between her fingers and stared down at the bed.
“It wasn’t just a dream.It’s a nightmare that I have never been able to escape.”
I nodded, keeping my face expressionless with the hope that she would continue to open up to me.
“Shortly before my dad died, I started seeing this guy, Sean.He was really sweet and treated me well.We were in love.”She shrugged as a soft smile played at her lips.“We wanted to get married and spend the rest of our lives together.But when I moved in with my uncle, everything changed.He refused to let me see Sean, so that was the end of our relationship.”
Jo took a deep breath and blew it out.
“A few months later, I found out that I was pregnant.I kept the pregnancy hidden from my uncle because I knew he would make me terminate it.I thought that if I could find a way to get out of my uncle’s grasp, I could find Sean, and we could raise the baby together.”
I tried to force my shoulders down as I listened, already knowing that I was going to hate where this story went.
“I was able to keep the pregnancy hidden for a long time.Thankfully, I didn’t gain much weight, and the weight I did gain, my uncle attributed to me being depressed because my dad died.I hid my body beneath loose clothes, and no one had any idea that I was pregnant until I went into early labor when I was about eight months pregnant.”
I swallowed hard as I watched the tears fill her eyes.
“I knew the baby was in trouble when I started having contractions, only back then, I didn’t know what they were.I snuck out in the middle of the night and hitched a ride with an older couple that was heading to the next town.I found a clinic and went in, hoping they would help me.”
