STOLEN

more than I ever thought possible, but what if I'm no better than
him, what if..."
    "Don't say that, you're not like
that."
    "Simone..."
    "No daddy, no, you can't send me
away, we can't be apart, I won't do it." She ran out the room. That was
the first time she'd ever spoken to me like that in five years.
    I went to find her and found her
under the blankets with the covers over her head.
    "Baby come out from under there
and talk to me."
    "Baby listen to me...."
    "No you listen, I heard what you
said about your sister, I'm sorry that happened to her, but you're not like
him."
    "Simone I chained you to my bed
and forced myself in you...."
    "Daddy, I know, I was there
remember, I know what you're thinking and you're wrong, how could you not have
known all this time, how could you not see?
    You took me yes, and I was scared out
of my mind in the beginning, but you never once hurt me, the first few weeks
here I didn't know what to expect, but by the time we found out I was pregnant
I was halfway in love with you already. You don’t see yourself, you're the
kindest, gentlest person I know, you always put me first, now it's me and the
boys, you drive yourself crazy trying to make sure we're safe, you shower us
with gifts every chance you get, and do you remember when the boys were sick
with fever as babies? You stayed up all night with them in your arms, and no
matter how I begged you to put them down and get some rest you wouldn't leave
them, not for a second. A monster wouldn't do that."
    "But if I hadn't taken you maybe
you would've had a better life somewhere." It burned me to say that but it
had to be said, I'd opened a can of worms, one I hadn't known was there, how
could I have missed the parallels?
    "What if all you're feeling is
just...in your head...?"
    "I know what you're thinking and
you're so wrong, my life before you was a shadow, I had no one daddy, why do
you think I was hiking across the country alone? I was a very unhappy person
back then, I was searching for something I didn't know what, until you cried
when you held our son for the first time, that look on your face and the one
you wear whenever you look at us, that's what I was searching for, so no, I
won't be going into town more often, what for I belong here with you and the
boys."
    " I wasn't going to take them
away from you, it would kill me to do it, but if you wanted to leave I would've
let you go, I..."
    "I'm not going anywhere..."
    "You're not making this
easy."
    "I should make it easy for you
to destroy our lives? I love my life with you, nothing else matters, now let's
go make lunch I'm starving."
    I sat there as she left the room; I
guess I've been dismissed. Could she be right, could I be worrying for nothing?
Man I hope so, I really hope so, my heart couldn't take it if she wasn't.

Chapter
13

 
    The next few days were a bit tense
for me; I hadn't touched Simone since that morning when we had the
conversation. Every once in a while I'd catch her out the side of my eye giving
me furtive looks but I was adamant about giving her space, letting her breathe.
    I spent more time apart from her and
the kids, spending hours in my workshop taking out my frustration on wood and
pounding nails.
    I felt like an addict coming down
from a high, going through withdrawals after years of binging on a favorite
drug.
    At night I'd wait until she fell
asleep before sneaking into bed, I'd lay there and watch her as she slept, my
heart heavy and fear in my gut.
    Now here it is, Saturday, the kids
are home, there's lots of running around and screaming, usually I'd be right in
the middle of it, rough housing with my boys.
    I slammed out the back door and
headed for my workshop. I spent hours working on a piece driving my body and
mind to exhaustion. By the time I lifted my head it was late afternoon and the
sun was going down.
    I made my way back to the house, my
trepidation growing with each step, it was way too dark in there and where was
the blast of the television blaring cartoons or some Disney show?
    My heart pounded in sickening fear
when I walked in to find an empty house.
    "No...Simone...no." I
dropped to my knees in the middle of the living room, tears running unchecked
down my cheeks, bile rising in my throat.
    "SIMONE..."I don't know how
long I laid there, heart sick and broken.
    When I could feel my legs again I
rushed out the door and to the garage. The cars were all there, the alarm for
the gate hadn't signaled and there had been no alert on the