Free Inevitable Sentences by Tekla Dennison Miller Page B

sighed and quietly continued, “I’m not sure I can do that—at least not without you.” Her tone was filled with doubt. “I really did it for Pilar.” She wouldn’t tell him about the odd feeling she’d had for the past couple of days, that something bad was about to happen. She also wouldn’t tell him about the package. “Perhaps I was being selfish thinking a safe house would fix my own pain and guilt.”
    “Selfish? You’ve already given many women and children hope, Celeste.” Max tried to push himself up to a sitting position using his free hand. “In fact, you’ve helped four women resettle, get good jobs, and start a safe, happy life.” He strained to reach a stack of handmade get-well cards the children had made for him. He picked them up and handed them to Celeste. “Not one of these shows the fear those kids displayed when they first got to the lighthouse. And they certainly aren’t the horror pictures they drew for Priscilla in her first few sessions with them. That has to mean something.”
    Celeste shuffled through the cards filled with crude drawings of the lighthouse, birds, flowers, and smiling faces. A faint smile crossed her lips. They were a far cry from the ones she had seen before—the worst was one a girl had drawn, showing her mother with a knife in her chest and blood dripping from the wound.
    Celeste shuddered. She laid the cards down and her smile faded. “But”—she placed a hand over her lips and squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before continuing—“what if one of their abusers finds them? How would I ever protect them? I’ve been lucky up to now.” She decided not to tell Max about Tomika and her baby. She’d let him know the whole story when she picked him up on Monday. He’d only be more concerned for Celeste’s added burden in his absence. She’d had to withhold too many things from Max—at least until he was healthier.
    “The lighthouse is so remote it would be difficult for anyone from outside the area to find it. And you have the escape plan in place—the van in the woods.” Max struggled to get the words out, and laid back down, knocking a pillow to the floor. “You’ve even run those drills with the women.”
    “Yes. You’re right, of course.” Celeste smiled. The children thought sneaking out to the van was a great game. “Joan and Ned at the Thunder Bay Inn are also part of the plan. They’ve promised to give the women and children refuge if it is needed. They have become such good friends.”
    “Umm. They are good people,” Max said and drifted into his own thoughts. “Celeste, I need to tell you something important.”
    Celeste finally noticed that Max had foolishly tried to sit up. She hustled to his side, picked up the pillow, and rearranged it with the others—soothingly patting them into place behind his shoulders and head. She seemed not to hear what he had said.
    “Don’t you try to do anything sooner than you’re supposed to. I need you, but only when you can handle it.” She felt sad that she’d alarmed Max and hoped he didn’t try to get out of the hospital sooner than his condition allowed. “Having coronary stents implanted may have been simple, but given your heart problems, the heart valve replacement requires a cautious recovery.” She stood and placed her hands on her hips to make sure he understood her clearly.
    “Yes, Nurse Brookstone,” Max sighed. He carefully chose not to call Celeste Doctor. The title would only remind her of Pilar. “I love how you care about me.” He reached up to her. “However, you forget I’ve been through a valve replacement before. Let’s hope the doc got it right this time.” He chuckled.
    Celeste leaned over to give him a hug and a quick kiss. “What important thing did you want to tell me?”
    He hesitated. “I don’t even remember.” He breathed in deeply. “You smell like ice and citrus.”
    “Oh!” Celeste straightened and brushed the front of her sweater.