Page 28

TWENTY-SEVEN

Erin was up before Kaely. She was still thinking about the nightmare she’d had. She finally knew why she was waking up at the same time every night. Now that she understood why it was happening, would it stop?

Although she appreciated Kaely’s help, she was a little embarrassed. Talking to Kaely on the phone was different than having her here. Seeing the reaction the nightmare caused in person.

She brewed a cup of coffee and then sat down at the kitchen table. She needed to eat breakfast, but she wasn’t really hungry. After downing her coffee, she got up and found a box of cereal. She poured some in a bowl, added milk, and made a second cup of coffee. She was halfway through her cereal when Kaely came into the kitchen. She looked well rested, as if last night hadn’t happened. How could that be?

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning,” Erin echoed. “I’m sorry about...”

Kaely held up her hand. “Don’t you dare apologize again. I’m here to help you, remember? When we get back from town today, we’ll talk more about what happened, okay?”

“All right, but... it’s hard for me.”

Kaely smiled. “I know, and that’s okay. You can trust me, Erin. I’ve had my share of hurt and confusion. If there’s anyone who understands, it’s me.”

“I realize that. I appreciate that you’ve been open with me and shared the difficulties you’ve had. It helps, it really does.” Erin sighed. “I guess that’s the one saving grace we have when life has been challenging. It makes us more understanding of others. Still, I think I’d rather be clueless and happy.”

Kaely grinned. “Me too.”

“At least I know why I’ve been waking up at the same time in the morning, although I can’t understand how my mind knew what time it was when I’m asleep.”

Kaely shrugged. “Trust me, I’ve heard stories stranger than that. Our minds are capable of a lot more than we realize.”

“I guess so. I can’t believe it’s taken this long for me to remember. I go through that night in my mind, again and again, but until last night, I didn’t remember seeing the clock. All I could recall was seeing Scott down. I’d just gone to check on him when a man came out of the building next to the street where he lay. He was yelling and screaming about his daughter. I didn’t want to leave Scott, but another officer said he’d stay with him, so I followed the man inside. I was actually angry with him. We went into his apartment and into his daughter’s bedroom. She was... she was lying in her bed, across the room. A bullet had come through the wall and hit her in the head. She was dead. He screamed and yelled at me to help. I called for a bus, but I knew it was too late. The father blamed me. He called me a murderer. Said I killed his daughter. At first, I thought he was wrong. I was certain it was a bullet from one of the gangs. But later when they examined the bullet... I guess I’ve told you this before.” She stared at Kaely.

Kaely reached over and covered Erin’s hand with hers. “I’m so sorry. You’re going to find a way to deal with this, Erin. It won’t go away, but you’ll be able to get past it. Tonight, we’ll talk about it. I really want to help you.”

“Thank you.” Erin sighed. “I’m sure you’re getting tired of listening to this over and over.”

“No, I’m not. We’re making progress. The worst thing you can do is to stuff your feelings—and your nightmares—inside yourself. It’s like when you cut your finger and someone tells you that leaving it uncovered will help with healing. You’ve got to uncover the trauma so you can heal.” Kaley reached over, tore a paper towel off the nearby spindle, and handed it to Erin. She stared at it, confused. It was then that she realized her cheeks were wet. How does someone cry without realizing it? She thanked Kaely for it and hurried up the stairs to change clothes.

Kaely watched Erin leave. She’d trained as a behavioral analyst and knew that Erin was suffering. She wasn’t certain how deep her depression went, but Kaely was definitely afraid for her friend. She really did believe that remembering the clock was a step forward. But what next? She was running out of options. Uncovering the trauma in Erin’s mind was one thing. But Kaely truly believed Erin needed what only God could give her. Yet, she wasn’t allowed to bring Him into their discussion.

“God,” she whispered. “You need to help me. I believe You have a plan and that You put me in Erin’s life for a reason. But I’m not sure what to do next. I’m trusting You to touch her. To bring her to a place of healing. She needs You so much. I’m not capable of doing what You can.”

Kaely ate a quick breakfast and checked the weather forecast. Sure enough, a storm was moving their way. It was hard to tell just how many inches of snow to expect. Down through the years, Kaely had learned how imprecise forecasts could be. Major storms turned out to be nothing, and light snow ended up a foot deep. It was hard to know how this one would end up, but the winds were certainly a concern. In an area like this, the wind was blocked some by the trees. But it could still wreak havoc when it was as strong as predicted.

She was grateful they had time to go into town today and that Erin had agreed to come with her. She needed to get out among people. Eat at a restaurant. Act normal. Buy stuff. There were so many cute shops in Sanctuary, Kaely was hopeful it would help her get her mind off of the night that had caused her so much pain—and the requests from her agent and publisher for more books. She’d heard Erin’s phone vibrate quite a bit since she’d joined her in the cabin. Erin never answered it. Kaely caught her checking her phone a couple of times, but she’d never seen her call anyone back.

Last night had been disturbing. When she was awakened by Erin’s screams, she’d run into her room and found her sobbing and shaking, disoriented and breathing so quickly that Kaely was afraid she was going to pass out. She was hopeful that the nightmares would stop now that she’d remembered the clock in the girl’s apartment. But the underlying trauma was still there. It seemed to Kaely that Erin still had a lot to deal with. All Kaely could do was follow the Holy Spirit and let him guide her. He was the Healer, and He was the only One who could set Erin free.

Kaely finished her breakfast, and then got up and headed upstairs to her room, praying quietly that God would order her steps and give her wisdom during the rest of their time together. From the things Kaely had noticed in Erin, it was possible that her life hung in the balance. And that made Kaely cling to God as hard as she could. This was a fight that must be won.