Debt

17: Fix It Up

Listen to the song :)

Abrielle woke up to the sound of Shawn knocking on the pool house door before he let himself in.

"I'm sorry. You sleep," he realized. "I'll come back later."

She stretched and sat up, wiping her eyes. "What do you want?" she wondered. He shook his head, going back outside.

Abrielle got out of bed and padded to the bathroom to relieve her bladder. She could hear Shawn outside playing with Sapphire.

She showered and brushed her teeth, combing her hair before brushing it into a ponytail. She pulled on sneakers and went outside to see what Shawn wanted.

"Good morning, beautiful." He smiled in greeting. "Shayla is here."

"She's here? Really? Are you sure?"

"You'd think I would have a positive ID on the woman I put in my car."

Abrielle went into the house and saw Shayla sitting on the sofa with Evan's head in her lap, stroking his waves. He at least looked less tortured.

Shayla looked up at Abrielle with intelligent eyes and motioned her over. Abrielle couldn't help wondering if her sister-in-law knew something she didn't.

Evan sat up and Shayla got up to hug her sister-in-law. "How is my nephew doing?"

"Good. Nurse Carla said I'm putting on a good amount of weight and the swimming is good exercise. I've been trying to stay in good spirits. She says my moods can affect the baby."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm sorry about your dad, honey."

"Thanks. Um, I'll go make breakfast."

"Nope. We're going out. Shawn was just waiting on you."

"Oh. He's playing with the dog."

Shayla chuckled. Shawn had come in the house about a minute ago. In fact, he was upstairs.

"You need sharper hearing. He just went upstairs."

Abrielle went to look in the backyard, and sure enough, Shawn wasn't there and the dog was in her heated dog house.

"Hey, Shayla. Can we speak in private a minute?"

Shayla followed Abrielle outside, and Abrielle looked around like she expected Shawn or Evan to see them and start listening in.

"How come you talked less to Evan when he came to see you?"

"Oh, honey. You have to understand that my brother was out of the country. Looking for people who wanted to kill him. I talk to my son when I don't have to worry about his uncle. And look, I'm home now."

"I'm happy you're home."

Shayla just smiled and headed into the house. Shawn and Evan were about ready to go. Shawn put his arm around Abrielle and she didn't feel the need to shrug him off. She did, however, reject his kiss.

"It's been a day, Shawn."

He sighed as they got in the car and headed out to have breakfast.

Shayla kept her eyes on her son for a moment. She could tell he hadn't been sleeping. It was why she let her brother check her out of the hospital. She knew enough for now. And being home gave her time to decide what she would do with what she knew.

Even at home, she only spoke when she absolutely had to. And for Shayla to use a normal tone of voice was like she was shouting. It had always been that way ever since the first time that she legitimately checked into the mental hospital when she was nineteen. Sometimes, she did still have nightmares. But with time came healing.