A Familiar Prison

Chapter 27

"Oh, Gwen! You know it's not true though, right? We all love you and we want what's best for you. None of us think any of those horrible things in your dream. Please don't believe them." Gwen had just told Katie about her dream, and Katie was trying to reassure her the best way she could. "G, you know you can always talk to me about anything. I'm always here for you."

"Yeah, I know. I just... I got in this headspace and couldn't get out... I'm still struggling to get out of it to be honest. I just... I feel like I can't trust myself on what's real and what's a dream anymore."

Katie thought a moment. "Something I've heard- look for a clock. If you look at the clock multiple times, and you keep getting different times, but no time has passed, it's most likely a dream. Or, pinch yourself. You won't feel it in your dream."

"I may have to try one or both of those. I don't want to have another dream like that again. I was heartbroken. My sister and AJ both wanting to never see me again? It hurt." Gwen looked down at her hands, attempting to stop the tears from coming again.

"G," Katie put her hand on Gwen's, "you know your sister. You know AJ. They both love you so much and would never hurt you like that. Ever." Katie, having met Jessica at a few different gatherings at the Pinkerton house, knew she was a kind soul and would never wish harm on anyone. "Can you promise me this— you aren't going to do anything drastic, that you'll talk to me before you shut everyone out? Please?"

"I'll try to. It may take a while, but I'll try to talk to you."

"Good. Now, let's head back inside. When is your appointment with your therapist?"

"Tomorrow afternoon." They stood up and headed back inside.

AJ was clearing off the table from their dinner. "Hey. You ladies okay?"

"Yeah, we're good." Katie smiled. Gwen nodded and smiled as well. AJ could tell she was still shaken up— her smile didn't go to her eyes.

"I'm about done cleaning everything up. Did you want to play a card game?"

Katie shook her head. "No, thanks. I have some work I need to do."

"Gwen? Do you want to play something with me?"

"Sure." Another forced smile.

Katie left the room. Gwen sat down at the table while AJ grabbed the cards. He sat down and started shuffling.

"So, what did you want to play?" AJ looked at his love.

"Umm, I don't know. What did you have in mind?"

"Hmmm." He stopped shuffling and put the cards down. "Maybe instead of a card game, we do something else. Would you join me on the couch please?"

"Okay..." she looked at him quizzically.

They sat on the couch. He took her hands. Her heart started racing nervously. "I just want to let you know how much you mean to me, and how beautiful you are." She blushed and shook her head, looking down. "Honey, you are. I have a little confession you may or may not have known." Her heart sped up and she looked at him. "I had a crush on you from the first time I met you. You took my breath away then, and you take my breath away even more now." He put his hand on the side of her face and kissed her. "Baby, you have always amazed me. These last couple years, though, you have amazed me more than I ever thought you would. You have been so strong throughout this whole thing, and it makes me so proud of you." He pulled her into an embrace.

"But I haven't." AJ barely heard Gwen speak.

"I'm sorry?" He released her and looked at her.

"I haven't been strong. That's why I'm having these nightmares. I am not strong, I'm weak, and my subconscious is even telling me that." Tears we're running down her cheeks.

He cups her face with both of his hands. "Baby, no, not at all. Please don't think you're weak from any of this. You are not weak. You are the only person I know of who went up against two psychos twice, one of them three times, then they add in their deranged grand baby and you beat them each and every time. Honey, you may not see it, but everyone around you has. We all admire you for what you've been through, and the fact that you're still here and they're gone only proves your strength."

He takes her hands in his and brought one up to kiss. He then has her turn so she was leaning back into him. He wraps his arms around her and rests his head on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek.

She closes her eyes and leans back into him more. She did love this feeling of being in his embrace. She opens her eyes and turns her head to kiss him. She then sits back into him again and relaxes more than she's been relaxed in the past few days.