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“I know, sweetheart. As soon as you’re able to move, I’ll get you to them. You’re going to need to take it slow. They said you lost a lot of blood.”

Content with my promise, or maybe too tired to ask any more questions, she closes her eyes.

Sitting quietly with her, I text Mad the good news.

After a while, I assume Violet’s fallen back to sleep until she asks, “What about Mom?”

That one word sets my teeth on edge. I was lucky to know a mother’s love until I lost her too young. Violet got to have allthose years that I missed out on, but what she experienced can’t even be considered love. It was petty and cruel.

“Gone. For good.” My words are sharp, yet Violet doesn’t flinch.

She licks her dry lips as she loses herself in thought. There’s a jug of water next to her bed that I’ve been replacing with fresh water every few hours, ready for when she wakes up, and I pour her a glass. After I help her to take the tiniest sip, she says, “The texts were really from her? I’d hoped they were some pain-fuelled fever dream.” Turning her head to the window, she sighs. The sunset reflects in her eyes, her unshed tears glittering in the glow.

“I know it’s supposed to be your call, but I can’t live with myself if I let her anywhere near you again. I’ve been thinking of the best thing to do, and I think you should get a restraining order.”

It’s that or I wring the woman’s neck.

Violet stares at the sunset for a minute longer before looking at me.

“Mad thinks so too,” I tell her. I’ve not discussed it with him yet, but I know he’d agree with it over the alternative.

Violet purses her lips, and I think she’s about to object, but there’s a new fierceness in her eyes.

“You’re right. I’ll get a restraining order.”

I’m genuinely shocked. I thought she would have taken more convincing. Vi’s always been kind and given everyone a second chance, but she’s learning for the better that not everyone deserves one.

“I’ll get Dad to help out with it straight away. I’m not having her anywhere near us ever again.”

“Did she try to come here?”

I was fully prepared to tell her the truth if she needed more convincing, but now that Violet’s already on board with the plan, I don’t want to hurt her.

“Max, please. For my own peace of mind, I’d like to know.”

I’m wrapped around her little finger. “She didn’t. Mad and I got to you, and she called for the ambulance, but she didn’t try to come with us. Dad drove her back to her motel, and we’ve not heard from her since.”

She gives me a quizzical look, and I explain everything I found out about Charity’s recent lodgings.

“Thanks to her, we didn’t get to sayI do.She couldn’t have had worse timing. And these three…” Violet stops herself as she holds her stomach and remembers that the babies aren’t there anymore.

“They’re close, sweetheart. You’ll have them back soon.”

The brave face she’s been putting on crumbles, and she breaks down in tears. “I haven’t even met them, yet I miss them so much.”

“Mad sent me pictures if you’d like to see them?”

My question makes her cry harder.

I hold her as close as I can without hurting her and tell her that everything will be alright. This time, I know it will. She’s alive. That’s all that matters.

“I just want to hold my babies.”

“I know.”

“It hurts. It all hurts.”

I can call a nurse to take away her pain, but that hurt she’s feeling deep inside, that loss, there’s nothing I can do for her until she’s able to see her babies. And she will be seeing them soon because my girl is the strongest person I know.