Marisol began to sob. “I’m so sorry, so sorry.”
“You saved them, Mari,” Lucy said as she hugged the shaking woman. “You saved them because you had the courage to escape.”
“It’s my fault. I … I called Angelo. I thought … He…”
“I know,” Lucy said. “He lied to you. He used you. That’s not your fault, Mari. That’s on him.”
A single gunshot made Marisol jump. Nate said, “Stay with her,” and ran up the stairs. There were several voices and footsteps above them. Then Nate came back down with a blanket. “Holmes killed himself,” he said.
“Where was he? We cleared the house.”
“There’s a false wall in the second bedroom. And there’s evidence of his crimes. A wall of photos.”
Lucy felt ill and closed her eyes. “Good riddance.”
*
Lucy watched from the doorway as Marisol was reunited with her sister, her baby, and Siobhan. She was relieved, more than anything, that they’d found Marisol alive. She’d been abused, but she was a survivor. Lucy would give her a bit of time, then come back and talk to her.
Marisol would need someone to talk to. Someone who understood what she’d suffered. Someone who could help her overcome the worst of her trauma. For now, she needed her sister.
Lucy turned and walked away. She needed to go home.
Home. What home? Did she even have a home anymore?
“Lucy!”
Lucy stopped and waited for Siobhan to catch up. John Honeycutt was right behind her. “They’re safe because of you,” Lucy told Siobhan. “You never gave up.”
Siobhan hugged her tightly. “You saved them. What you did … What you do … Thank you.”
Lucy accepted Siobhan’s hug, but she was so emotionally drained that she couldn’t muster a smile or a tear.
Lucy turned to John. “Thank you, John. You and your family are a light in this world that we all need.”
As she spoke, she believed it—yet the light was fading. She saw it here, but what about outside? What about her life? She hadn’t felt this lost and alone in a long time.
“I—um—Adam told me I might be able to see Marisol.” He held up a pink gift bag. “My mom made Baby Elizabeth something.”
“Looks like a lot of somethings,” Siobhan said.
“My mom knits when she’s worried.”
Siobhan said, “Let me tell Marisol you’re here. I’m sure she wants to see you.” She went down the hall.
Lucy watched as John adjusted his collar. “You care for her,” she said.
“I—I’m just relieved. I was scared for her. Adam said you found her, saved her. Thank you.”
“It’s my job.”
“You went above and beyond. Adam told us about the baby last night. He’s down in the neonatal unit right now checking on her.”
Siobhan came out of the sister’s room and said, “You can come in, John.”
Lucy intended to leave the hospital, but she found herself in the neonatal unit. She wanted to see Baby Lucia one last time.
Adam Villines was watching Baby Lucia being fed by a nurse. He was beaming. When he saw Lucy, he said, “She’s perfect. Dr. Davidson said she’s going to be fine. She still needs extra oxygen, but not for much longer.” He took her hand. Lucy felt uncomfortable with the intimacy. “Do you want to hold her?”
Lucy shook her head.
“That’s my wife in there.”
“Feeding her?”
Adam nodded. “We talked about it last night and this morning. If Children’s Services can’t find her family, we want to adopt her. We have three girls, one more would be a blessing. She needs someone who will love her unconditionally. Protect her. And my family is strong. Mine and the Honeycutts.”
Lucy’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to say no. She wanted to say Baby Lucia was hers.
But Lucia wasn’t her baby. And right now, Lucy wouldn’t make a good mother. She didn’t know if she ever would.
Sean, on the other hand, would make a great dad.
He’s the light in your life. Without him, you’re nothing but dark.
But she didn’t have Sean anymore, did she? Because she didn’t know him. And he didn’t trust her.
Whatever happened, she would continue to survive.
“She’s a lucky baby,” Lucy heard herself saying. “You’ll love her?”
“I already do.” He hugged Lucy.
Noah was staring at her. She hadn’t even seen him walk in. The look on his face … He saw more than she wanted him to see. She averted her eyes.
“I talked to Nate,” Noah said. “He’s going to stay here and wrap things up over the next day or two. Let me take you home.”
She didn’t argue. All she wanted was to go home.
Even though she didn’t know what she would find there, or if she even had a real home anymore. Because home wasn’t just a place, it was a person. It was family. She thought her home was Sean.
She just didn’t know anything anymore.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
After the last seventy-two hours, the flight back to Texas was relatively uneventful.