Stay(123)

I picked up the platter of sliced ham, tossing pieces to Scarlet and Rhett, when a baby’s cry came from the living room. I set the platter down. “Grace is awake,” I said, though it was obvious, and started to stand. “That was a short nap.”

“No, no,” Mom said and sprang up. “Grandma will get her. You eat.”

“Are you sure?” Jackson asked. “I can get her.”

Arianna smiled. “You know she loves that baby. Let her,” she said with a wink.

“As long as you don’t mind,” Jackson mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Over a year and a half had passed since our escape, and he still had a hard time accepting help. I put my hand on his thigh and felt him relax.

“How’s wedding planning going?” Dad asked Lynn.

She turned to her fiancé and smiled. “Good. Addie’s been my lifesaver. She’s kept me sane through all this. It’s so fun!”

Luke rolled his eyes. “You two did it the right way,” he said to Jackson and me.

I smiled and subconsciously twisted my wedding band around on my finger. Jackson and I had gotten married at the courthouse a few months before Grace was born. It was a bit of a sore subject for my mother. She insisted over and over that we wait until after I had the baby and could have the big wedding that I always had wanted.

It wasn’t something Jackson could do. He had severe PTSD from being a slave for over a decade. When he was captive, he was able to slink throughout crowds unnoticed. Now that our story was out, we had become uncomfortably famous, in a weird way. The media had a fascination with our tale. We were constantly asked to do interviews or tell our story on TV. Neither of us spoke about our time at the farmhouse outside of the legal system, no matter how much money was offered.

I had my issues as well. I couldn’t help but panic when I saw any male with dark hair and blue eyes. I had crippling crowd anxiety, feeling like I could get snatched away at any moment. Though I still wanted to wear a fancy gown and have my overly ostentatious reception, the thought of being the center of attention caused my heart to race. Jackson and I both regularly saw a therapist, but the nightmares hadn’t stopped.

I was almost always scared. Scared Nate still had people out there that would come after Jackson or me—or worse, Grace—and scared I would run into another client, like what happened only a few weeks ago.

My parents took us out to dinner. Too afraid to take Grace into the ladies’ room for a diaper change alone, my mom came with. On the way back to our table I froze, eyes landing on a familiar tattoo. I didn’t know how Jackson knew but suddenly he was there, shielding me from Travis. As soon as he saw us, Travis froze like a deer in headlights. Then he got up to run.

Jackson stopped him, hitting him hard in the face then throwing him to the ground. I clung onto our daughter and broke down in hysterical tears. My mom ushered me away, and my dad rushed over to Jackson. Once he found out who Travis was, my dad threw in a couple punches before the fight was broken up.

It was one of my worst fears come true. Now Travis was in jail. Behind bars just like Nate and Zane. I tried to focus on that just like my therapist instructed.#p#分页标题#e#

Maybe someday Jackson and I could renew our vows and have the grand party. I looked at Jackson. I wasn’t in rush. He was all I needed.

“No fuss, no wasting time looking at flowers, no missing Sunday night football because you’re looking through book after book after boring book of invitations.” Luke grinned at Lynn. “I suppose it’s worth it.”

“It better be,” Lynn said with a grin.

“Ari, put your phone away,” Dad scolded. Some things would never change.

“Sorry,” she said and put her cell phone on her lap. “Rhia was asking me about the presentation tomorrow.”

Dad’s face softened. Arianna nodded. “All of my friends are coming, and I think all of their families too.” She turned to me. “It’s gonna be packed.”

“I hope so,” I told her, surprised I didn’t feel nervous. “People need to hear this.” For the first time, Jackson and I were speaking publicly about our time as slaves.

I started going to a local sex crime victim support group several months before Grace was born. It became apparent to me that without the love and support of a family and friends, it was hard for survivors to get on their feet and make a life for themselves. Though no one else in the group had been through what Jackson and I had, it was comforting to talk to other rape victims and know that I wasn’t alone. Once Jackson and I started going, more and more victims came, saying our story of perseverance gave them the strength to come forward. I wasn’t ready yet, and I had no idea when I would ever be, but I wanted to get more involved, offering help and support to those who didn’t have it.