Chapter 2 - The Whispers of the Past
The rest of the night passed in a blur of tears
and soft whispers
as I carefully tended to Megan's injuries.
I brought a warm washcloth to the bed
gently dabbing at the bruises
which looked even worse under the harsh lamplight.
Every time I touched her skin
she flinched slightly
reminding me of the terror she had endured alone.
"When did this start
Megan?"
I asked softly
trying not to sound like an interrogator
but needing to know the truth.
She looked at her hands
twisting her wedding ring around her finger
before she began to speak.
"It started three weeks ago
when you started working the overtime shifts
at the hardware store."
She swallowed hard
her throat moving with difficulty.
"Your mother would come over
unannounced
using the spare key you gave her."
My heart sank into my shoes
remembering how I had insisted she have a key
in case of emergencies.
"She told me I wasn't good enough for you
that I was lazy
and that I was going to ruin your life."
Megan's voice broke
and a fresh tear rolled down her cheek.
"I tried to stand up to her
Jake
I really did."
"But then she grabbed me
she pushed me against the kitchen counter
and told me that if I told you
she would make sure you took the baby and left me."
The cruelty of my mother's words echoed in my mind
shattering every illusion I had about her.
"She told me you would believe her over me
because she's your mother
and I'm just a girl from the city."
I pulled Megan into my arms
holding her as close as I could without hurting her.
"I would never leave you
Megan
never."
"I know that now
Jake
but I was so scared
and my body was hurting so bad."
The apartment felt different now
polluted by the memory of my mother's presence
and the secret violence that had occurred within these walls.
I looked at the nursery door
which was painted a soft yellow
and felt a deep sense of failure.
I was supposed to protect them
my wife and our unborn child
but I had let the monster walk right through the front door.
"We need to change the locks,"
I said
looking toward the hallway.
"Tomorrow morning
first thing
I will change every lock on that door."
Megan nodded
leaning her head against my chest
listening to the steady beat of my heart.
"And we are going to find a new place to live
somewhere she can't find us."
But even as I said the words
I knew it wouldn't be that simple.
My mother was a woman of influence in this town
with connections and resources that I could never match.
She had spent her whole life controlling everything around her
including me
until I met Megan.
This was her way of reclaiming her power
by destroying the one thing that made me independent.
As Megan finally drifted into a troubled sleep
I sat awake in the dark
watching the shadows move across the ceiling
May you like
waiting for the sun to rise
and knowing that the war had just begun.
