apprehensive , pacing back and forth against wooden floor. the only contact she had held with her husband was short phone calls , letters exchanged. the last time chrissy had seen @goeshard , had been months ago. opening those van doors , a vivid image that still plays in nightmares. but billy was better now. chrissy believed in him, like she always had. for billy dunne , she held an infinite amount of love. graham had volunteered to go get him , making it easier. less of a struggle to get marlee out of the house. chrissy unsure , if that was the way she wanted him to meet their daughter. she was tiny , but already so perfect and beautiful. words would never admit it , but a broken heart still mending was in her chest. she had been through most of it alone , but missing billy missing her birth? the hurt still stung like an open wound. she had spent all morning , anxiously cleaning the small 'home' they had moved into behind the main house. furniture from thrift stores , tightly packed into the one room place. marlene had helped make it a place they could be happy. unable to put into words , how grateful chrissy was for her time spent here on the west coast. helping her adjust to motherhood. there would be no holding back marlene and the choice words she held for her son the moment he was home.
screen door opens , and he's there. everything about them had always come so easy. but all of this , feels different. as if they're navigating a battlefield , waiting for bombs to explode. is it too much to run to him, arms thrown round tight? despite everything , chrissy could never give up on him. she could never learn to unlove him. she makes the choice to stay in floor with their daughter instead. her voice is soft , smile offered. she's careful , like handling a wounded animal. ❛ look who's home baby , wanna say hi? ❜ scooping up marlee , she holds her to see billy. ❛ that's daddy , he's back home with us. ❜
