“Damn, sissy.”
She held up a hand. “Can we talk later?”
He sighed. “Yeah, if you need me, come get me.”
She nodded, picked up her bags, and walked into her bedroom. Fortunately, her brother’s room was on the other side of the house, so she had a bathroom to herself and could have some privacy when she needed it.
After unpacking, she grabbed a nightgown and went into the bathroom. She undressed, stepped into the steam in the shower, and then under the hot water. While she washed her hair and body, she counseled herself that she could still have a great life and tried to make herself stay calm. It didn’t last.
She slid down the shower wall, pressed her hand to her mouth, and sobbed until she gagged. Several minutes went by, and the water started getting cold, but her bout of crying didn’t seem to want to end.
She pulled herself out of the shower, towel-dried her hair and body, put on her nightgown, and brushed her teeth. Her hair was still damp, but she didn’t care. She didn’t have any energy left.
The fan over her bed made a soothing, squeaky sound she was used to. It had always helped her go to sleep in the past. The minutes ticked by as she tried to get herself calm enough to sleep. She would have thought she was exhausted enough from the plane ride and travel between the airport and her house that she’d crash, but the pain wasn’t letting go, and it seemed to expand the longer she lay there.
After an hour, she dragged herself out of bed, walked into the kitchen, and started cleaning. The first thing she did was throw out all the spoiled food in the refrigerator. All the while, she cried or stood staring as the memories bombarded her.
It wasn’t until two in the morning that she felt numb enough to sleep, but her thoughts and then dreams were still all about Cullen.
Chapter Three
She pulled weeds in the backyard when her brother called out for her.
“Hey, sis, you’ve got a few visitors,” Rhys said.
She felt a sliver of hope that Cullen might have come to see her, but it was dashed when Lacey, Nia, and their daddies walked out.
The men stood back, but the women came toward her. She stood, pulled off her gloves, and smiled. She didn’t know them well and had only talked to them a few times, but they all seemed to click, and it was always nice to have friends that got her.
“Hey.”
Lacey and then Nia hugged her.
“We’re so glad you’re back,” Lacey said.
“I’m glad to be back.”
“What took so long?” Nia asked.
God, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it, so she gave them the shortened version.
“I got sick, and it took me a while to get strong enough to fly.”
Both girls’ eyes teared up, and then they hugged her.
“We’re so sorry,” they both said.
“But you’re better now?” Lacey asked.
“Yes.”
“Why haven’t you gained back the weight?” Nia asked.
She wouldn’t tell them that she’d only got the nutrients and vitamins she needed from her feeding tube and not the calories and fat.
“Because I didn’t like the food in Germany,” Hannah said, which was also the truth.
“I’m picky, too,” Nia said.