The Fine Line Book One Between Worlds Series

by Tracee Ford

  Robin and Matt stood in the hallway waiting. “I feel completely helpless,” Matt whispered. He dropped his head into his hands and began crying softly.

  Offering unwavering comfort, Robin put her arm around him. “What she needs from you right now is reassurance. She needs you to hold her and tell her that you still love her. She feels like you won’t look at her the same way ever again.”

  “I wasn’t there to protect her,” he whispered.

  They arrived home after 5:30 with Olivia barely speaking the entire way home. The only thing she did say was that she wanted to take a bath as soon as they arrived. So, Robin spent an hour washing her. She repeatedly told Robin she didn’t feel clean enough.

  Matt retreated to the basement taking out his frustrations on the newly hung boxing bag.

  After the bath, Robin helped Olivia get ready for bed. She dried her hair with the blow dryer and then she sat on the floor of her bedroom brushing Olivia’s long wavy hair.

  “Robin, did I have sex?” she bluntly asked.

  “Is that what he told you?”

  “Yes,” Olivia replied.

  “What happened to you isn’t sex sweetheart.”

  “What’s the difference between what happened to me and what sex is?”

  “What happened to you is something you had no control over. You didn’t have the opportunity to make a choice.”

  “I’m not a virgin anymore am I? That’s what Gracia said.”

  “Who’s Gracia?”

  “She’s my stepsister. She’s older than me. She told me that when Kyle had sex with her it was just like with me and that we’re not virgins anymore,” Olivia explained.

  “Olly, did you tell the people at the hospital today about Gracia?”

  “Yes.”

  “Olly, when you’re older and you find someone that you love, you can tell them that you’re a virgin because virginity isn’t something that is taken, it’s something you decide to give to someone. Does that make sense?”

  She nodded and turned around. Wrapping her arms around Robin’s neck, she let out a quiet sigh. “I love you Robin.”

  “I love you too honey and I’m so sorry you have to go through this, but you will get through it. I promise. And you have to believe that absolutely none of this is your fault; none of it.”

  Robin spent the rest of the evening with Olivia, soothing her and offering reassurance of normalcy at the end of such a dark tunnel. Matt stayed in the basement. The pounding sound of his boxing deafened Robin and Olivia at times.

  By 10:00 p.m., Olivia waited in her bed after Robin tucked her in. She wanted to see her father. Robin knew Olivia was afraid that he wouldn’t understand or that he would blame her made her stomach weak.

  Robin walked down the basement stairs slowly still hearing the sound of Matt’s boxing gloves against the leather punching bag. She could smell the sweat mixed with tears. When she looked upon him, the red splotches covered Matt’s face. His puffy eyes looked pitiful and his tank top was soaked with sweat. The gloves struck with force as his anger continued to be unbridled.

  “Matt,” she began as she walked to him, “your daughter is going to bed. You want to tuck her in?”

  Catching his breath, he wrapped his arms around the swaying bag to steady it. Then he turned to Robin and held out his hands so she could help him take the gloves off. While she stood untying them, she watched as the tears continued falling from Matt’s eyes. Looking up at him, she offered an encouraging smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “You sure about that?” he asked skeptically.

  “Trust me, Matt. She’s strong. There are many children that go through this and they come through whole on the other side.”

  Through clenched teeth he continued. “I want to wrap my hands around that son of a bitch’s throat and watch the life leave his body. My daughter will never be the same Robin.”

  “I know you feel like murdering him and I don’t blame you. But, trust me Matt, she will be okay. Look at me. I turned out okay.”

  Disbelieving what he heard, he asked, “You?”

  “I’ll tell you about it after you tuck her in. Right now she needs you. I’ll meet you on the porch.”

  She walked back up the basement stairs, Matt following behind. Robin proceeded through the kitchen and living room to the porch. She sat on the porch swing as the gentle wind brushed across her face. Resting her head against the chain, she realized that she had nearly forgotten about what had happened to her. She had not shared it with anyone in years.

  She opened her eyes and watched the trees sway. The stars sparkled in the night sky like diamonds on a black velvet cloth. It was hard to believe in such a beautiful night after such a dreadful day.

  ****

  Once Matt was upstairs, he realized he didn’t even know what to say. He opened the door to Olivia’s room and looked inside.

  “Hey baby,” he said sweetly.

  “Hi daddy,” she replied.

  He sat on the bed.

  “Are you mad at me?” she asked.

  “No way,” he answered with a firm head shake. “I love you and nothing will ever, ever change that. What happened to you was not your fault.”

  “That’s what everyone keeps telling me. So why do I still feel so bad?”

  “I don’t know baby. I do know that you didn’t ask for any of this.”

  “That’s what Robin said.”

  “Robin’s right,” he continued. “I will keep you safe. Robin and I love you. You know that, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He paused and sighed.

  “Now, do you think you can sleep?”

  “Can Cookie stay in here with me?” she asked.

  “Sure.” He called for Cookie who came running into the room. He hopped up on the bed and curled up.

  Olivia watched as Matt walked out and listened as his feet hit every step going down to the first floor of the house. She watched as Emma walked through the door of her closet and sat down on the floor by her bed. The young apparition offered comfort, too.

  “I’m sorry Olivia,” Emma said softly.

  Olivia nodded as her head rested on her pillow.

  “You’re the first person I ever told,” she said quietly as she looked at the little ghost girl.

  “I’m glad you told them. They will keep him from hurting you again. And now you will be here with me all of the time.”

  “Did anything like that happen to you Emma?”

  “I don’t really remember much.”

  “Thanks for always listening to me,” Olivia said quietly as her eyes closed and she drifted to sleep. Emma didn’t move from Olivia’s side. The trauma opened up a strange bond between the two of them. In fact, Olivia possessed abilities she never imagined were possible.

  The screen door slammed shut as Matt walked out onto the porch. He proceeded to sit down on the swing beside Robin.

  “Took a while,” he said, “but she’s asleep.”

  “She’ll be ok as long as she’s here with us.”

  “What happened to you? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” he asked.

  “Well, there wasn’t really a reason to talk about it.” She began calmly, “I was 12. I was on my way to a family reunion with my Uncle Simon. That’s my stepdad’s brother. He was my favorite uncle. I loved fishing with him and he always bought me things. Not once had I ever felt threatened by him”.

  “Anyway, we were at Uncle Simon’s house gathering things up; fishing poles and the cooler. He was standing in the kitchen filling the cooler with soda when he turned to me.” She closed her eyes as she continued. “He smiled at me. He told me how pretty I was and how it made him sad that I was growing up. He told me how much I looked like my mom. He told me that I was looking more and more like a woman every day.” She opened her eyes again.

  “My mom had already had ‘the talk’ with me about sex and I had a brother who was older. He was busy trying to score every piece of ass he could. So, I wasn’t in
the dark about that.”

  “Simon walked to me and dropped to his knees. He hugged me like always, but then, he started kissing my neck and right there on the kitchen floor, he raped me. I wanted to separate from my body, but I couldn’t, but believe me, it wasn’t for lack of trying. I kept asking him why he was doing this… I cried a little. He kept telling me not to cry and he never threatened me. He never tormented me. I remember he told me he loved me and that sex was the only way he could show me how much.”

  “I knew it was wrong. I felt sick for a very long time and I didn’t tell anyone. I kept it to myself for years. You can’t imagine how hard it was to be around him after that, but I was never alone with him again. I avoided him as much as I could. He tried to get me alone many times after that, but I always stuck close to my brother.”

  “Simon took away from me one of the things I valued most at that time in my life.” She paused. “He took my innocence.”

  With a deep sigh she kept going. “I finally told my boyfriend in high school. Since then, I’ve told only a few people. I didn’t feel like I needed to tell you. The incident didn’t change the way I felt about men or sex or anything like that. Even after my relationship with Brett my feelings about intimacy didn’t change.”

  “I wasn’t the typical rape victim either. My grades were always high. I was an honor student. I played in the band. I had friends. I went on with life. I swore I would never be forced into doing anything I didn’t want to do ever again, but, then I let myself down when I met Brett. And I eventually got past that, too.”

  He touched her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.”

  Silence fell as Robin and Matt continued swinging.

  “Robin,” he began quietly, “when we’ve had sex, has there ever been a time that you’ve felt apprehensive or strange or uncomfortable because of what happened to you?”

  “Never,” she answered. “I promise you, Olly will get over all of this in time. With support and help she’ll make it. She’ll have boyfriends and a healthy life. She’ll rise above it. She has us and she’s strong.”

  “I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling,” he said sadly. “She trusted him. I trusted him.”

  “You need to put it in the hands of the authorities. Hopefully, he’ll go to prison.”

  The quiet sounds of crickets and frogs were drowned out by the roar of a car engine and tires speeding up the driveway toward the house. Robin and Matt looked blankly at one another having no idea who could be coming to the house at such an hour. Hand in hand, they walked around to the front of the house to see Sheryl getting out of the car. Crying and screaming, she literally leapt into Matt’s arms.

  Sheryl sobbed hopelessly, but Matt pushed her away. When he got some distance, he reached out for Robin, so she responded by walking to him and taking his hand.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she cried.

  “Didn’t the police come for him?” Matt asked.

  “They took him down to the station. Matt, he said he didn’t do it. I believe him. Why would Olly make up such a vicious lie?”

  “Sheryl, get out of here.” He pointed to her car, ushering her away. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

  “We’re her parents. We should be the ones to get her through this. She needs help!”

  “Seriously, Sheryl, leave.”

  Glaring at Robin, she yelled loudly,

  “This is your fault you little bitch! Filling her head full of this shit!”

  “Hey, hey, hey! You aren’t going to talk to my wife like that! Robin didn’t cause this. Now get the hell off of my land or I’m going to call the police.”

  “She put this in her head!” Sheryl screamed. “Can’t you see that!”

  “No she didn’t.” Matt replied calmly.

  “Did he confess?” Robin asked.

  Sheryl shook her head.

  “Of course not! He didn’t do this!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Present Darkness

  Matt and Robin were granted temporary custody of Olivia at an emergency hearing. The detective quickly pursued the criminal sexual abuse case and presenting findings to the prosecutor who, in turn, presented the case to grand jury. The DNA evidence, hair samples, and other physical evidence swayed the group of citizens to indict. Once that happened, Kyle confessed to raping his daughter, Gracia, and Olivia. For the next decade, Kyle’s new address would be the state penitentiary.

  Olivia dealt with nightmares, as predicted. She often woke screaming, begging for an unseen intruder to stop hurting her. Robin and Matt hoped it was simply flashbacks and not the dark entity terrorizing her. With all of the excitement preoccupying them, any supernatural events at the house went unnoticed. However, Olivia made it obvious Emma still occupied the home. Robin heard Olivia talking a lot before bed to the little ghost. She didn’t say anything to Olivia about it though. If they gave each other comfort, then Robin accepted that.

  Olivia developed a friendship with the O’Bryan’s granddaughter through the summer also. Emma stayed with the O’Bryan’s on many occasions. Matt and Robin were happy with Olivia’s gradual adjustment. Therapy helped also. Matt learned to deal with his guilt and Olivia began healing. Finally, an agreement was reached in therapy and in the courts that Olivia could visit Sheryl under supervision for a few hours on the weekends.

  In August Olivia started at the local elementary school. She looked forward to it. A fresh start is exactly what she wanted.

  Justice being served offered some closure for Robin, Matt, and Olivia, too. More times than she cared to remember, Robin watched sexual abuse victims suffer unspeakably and then watched as the perpetrator slithered out from under the charges. The outcome in Olivia’s case was rare. The judgment and punishment of the perpetrator happened quickly, which Robin believed, also helped in the healing process.

  One morning Robin lay in bed trying hard to find the motivation to roll out of bed and get dressed for work. She felt drained and could hardly move. As she finally moved and sat on the side of the bed, she felt her head spin and the nausea struck suddenly. Breathing deeply, she fought off the illness as she listened to Matt coming up the stairs.

  “Honey, get up,” he called. “You’re going to be late for work.”

  The nausea worsened as she stood and held tight to the bedpost. The pain in her stomach stabbed her and she sprinted to the bathroom. On her knees in front of the toilet she wretched and heaved. Matt stood at the end of the hall and then realized what was happening. He rushed to her.

  “Baby,” he began, “you okay?”

  She nodded. “It’s probably the flu.”

  He leaned over and felt her forehead.

  Throwing up didn’t relieve the pain. With her head in her hands and a wet washcloth on her neck, she caught her breath. Matt stood in the doorway grinning. A little perturbed that he offered no support, she glared up at him.

  “What are you smiling about?” she asked. “How is this funny?”

  “Are you late starting your period by any chance?”

  “Only by a week or so.”

  Without a word, he walked to the linen closet and pulled out a pregnancy test.

  “I hold in my hand, the answer,” he said confidently.

  “You think I’m pregnant?”

  “It’s possible. We’ve been awfully busy working at it. Maybe all of those late nights and afternoon delights have paid off,” he joked.

  He put the box on the sink and walked away.

  Robin stood at the sink and looked into the mirror. Her thoughts raced. Staring down at the box, she wondered if it could be possible. She realized there was only one way to find out.

  While she let the test result finish, she got dressed. Because she felt poorly, she put on a pair of white comfortable linen Capri pants and a pink short sleeved cotton scoop neck top. Slipping on her white sandals, she felt her face flush again and the ache in her stomach returned. She steadied herself
against the bedpost and choked back the nausea.

  She walked back into the bathroom and picked up the test. A plus sign stared back at her.

  Mixed emotions arose. Happiness and fear abided together. She stood in the stairway for moments as she listened to the conversation in the kitchen. She remembered Matt being dressed up more than usual when he came to her aid earlier. He had told Robin about a meeting with the board of directors. He wore his black pinstriped suit with a white button up shirt and a burgundy tie; his hair slicked back instead of messy.

  “You look good daddy,” she heard Olivia compliment him.

  “Well, thank you.”

  “You need me to brush your hair?” he asked.

  “Robin said she would,” Olivia answered.

  “Robin’s not feeling so great. Why don’t you let me? Go get your hair brush.”

  Robin walked back into Olivia’s room and grabbed the brush. She shoved it into her back pocket. Quietly, she walked down the stairs and into the busy kitchen.

  “Well?” Matt asked anxiously.

  “It was positive,” she said calmly.

  “Are you kidding?”

  She smiled as he ran to her and scooped her up into his arms.

  “Ah, I love you,” he said as he held the back of her head in his hands.

  “We’re having a baby!” he shouted.

  Olivia jumped up, clapping.

  “That means I’ll be a big sister!”

  “Yes!” Robin exclaimed.

  ****

  Robin scheduled an appointment with her doctor for the next day.

  As she sat in the office waiting patiently, she watched the other women and their companions waiting, too. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she too would be sitting in those chairs with a pregnant belly soon.

  After the exam and blood work, her doctor told her she was six weeks along and things seemed well. The doctor talked to her about diet and exercise and the importance of reducing her stress level. As Robin listened to the doctor’s speech, she thought of the house. She hoped things would remain calm there.