“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” his mom asked, drawing his attention away from Hannah.
“Not really. We ate just before we landed, and neither of us have our full appetites back yet. We’re supposed to eat small meals and slowly build back up to a normal eating pattern. Even Jason is still only having smaller bottle sizes, though he’s getting high-calorie formula, I think.”
“You need high-calorie food as well,” his mom said as she eyed him. “You’re too skinny. And so is Hannah.”
“I’m sure you’ll take care of that in no time, Mom.”
Ryan and his dad laughed at his mom’s vigorous nod.
“I accept the challenge,” she said. “But first, I’d like to meet Hannah and her little one.”
“You’re going to love her, Mom.” Ryan hesitated then added in a lowered voice, “And I really think she needs that.”
His mom gave him a gentle smile. “I figured that might be the case from what we found out about her when we realized she was going to be released with you. The fact that she’s here instead of with her own family speaks pretty loudly of her situation.”
Ryan nodded. “Well, she has no family, from what she’s said. I hope it’s okay that she stays here until she feels comfortable moving on. I kind of told her that she could.”
“Of course, she can, son,” his dad said, reaching behind Ryan’s mom to rest his hand briefly on Ryan’s shoulder. “Our home is her home for as long as she needs it. I just hope that you’ll be making this your home for a little while as well.”
“I’m not ready to go back to Minneapolis just yet,” Ryan reassured him. “I don’t think they’ll expect me to be back at work right away.”
“They’d better not. You deserve a break. A long one.” The frown that had accompanied his mom’s words faded to a gentle smile. “Now introduce us to Hannah and her boy.”
As the three of them headed over to where Hannah was seated, Belle saw them coming and got up from her seat to settle on the carpet beside Mitch, leaning into his side when he slipped his arm around her. Out of everything that had happened, Mitch and Belle being married was the thing that reminded Ryan of just how long he’d been gone. He was sad he’d missed their wedding but seeing Mitch so happy with Belle more than made up for his sadness.
“Hannah,” he said as they approached her. “This is my mom, Emily, and my dad, Steve.”
His mom took the seat that Belle had abandoned and smiled at Hannah. “Welcome home. It’s so great to meet you and your little one. Jason, right?”
Hannah nodded, her gaze lingering on his mom’s face before she turned to smile at his dad. “Thank you for opening your home to us. I hope we’re not inconveniencing you.”
“Not at all,” his dad said. “As you can probably tell, we have plenty of room. Everyone keeps moving out on us, so it’s nice to have a few of our empty rooms filled. Consider this your home for as long as you need it.”
Hannah’s brow furrowed, and Ryan saw her bite her lip as she looked down at Jason. Though they’d talked a lot while they were in the cell together, the one thing she’d avoided talking about beyond stating that they were both dead, was her relationship with her parents. From what little she’d said, it seemed she’d been close to her dad even though she’d been young when he passed away. Ryan wasn’t sure the same could be said about her relationship with her mom.
“How’s Jason doing?” Ryan asked, hoping to ease the emotions he guessed were near the surface for Hannah. After being basically on her own for the last year, he was sure that being around his family was overwhelming at best, anxiety-inducing at worst. “Does he need another bottle?”
“I can prepare it, if you like.” Ryan looked over to see Sammi standing at his side. “Just point me to it, and I’ll get it ready.”
Ryan slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her another hug. “Hannah, this is my sister, Sammi. She’s a nurse like you, and she has a one-year-old, so she knows her way around a bottle.”
Hannah looked up at her and gave her a smile that didn’t look altogether steady. “I think the formula and bottles are in a bag by the door. Or there might be some in the diaper bag.”
“No worries, I’ll find it,” Sammi said. “How many ounces does he get?”
“We’ve been trying to give him two ounces every couple of hours, but he didn’t take a full feed on the plane.”
“How about I make two ounces and then he can just drink until he’s full,” Sammi suggested. “Let me just go find the bag. If I have questions, I’ll come back and ask.”
“Thank you so much,” Hannah said.
“It’ll be nice to have another little boy around. Dalton was the last one, and that’s been seventeen years already.” His mom reached out to run her fingers through Jason’s dark curls. “I’ve put the two of you in rooms that share a bathroom.
“Max mentioned that he’d arranged for a night nurse, so she can stay with him in the room at night, but during the day, if you want to rest in your room while he naps, you can leave the bathroom doors open, and you’ll be able to hear him when he wakes up. Later, if you’d rather have him in your room with you, we can move his crib.”
“I hope that it won’t take too long for me to get my strength back. Emma, the doctor that met me in Kabul, is going to do bloodwork and other stuff, so if my levels are low—and I’m pretty sure some are—she’ll be able to help me get those back to normal.” Hannah hesitated. “I’m not sure what kind of sleeper he is as others took care of him most of the time.”
“Well, we’ll just pray he gives you a break and is a champion sleeper. I had a couple of those. Ryan was a good little sleeper, and so were Sammi and Danica. Makayla was my worst one, by far.”
“Which surprises no one,” Ryan said with a laugh as he glanced over to where Makayla sat with Grace and Bennett. It seemed the family was taking their time introducing themselves to Hannah, probably trying their best not to overwhelm her.
“This is true,” his mom agreed. “She was my slightly hyper, overly emotional little drama queen. I have to say that I’m thankful, however, that her little Stephanie is much more laid back.”
“She must take after Ethan then,” Ryan said, realizing as he did, that if he was around for any length of time, he’d have more opportunity to learn things like that about his nieces. This would be the longest he’d stayed at the family home since he’d started working at BlackThorpe.
“Would you like something to eat, Hannah?” his mom asked. “We’ve got plenty of food.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“If you do get hungry, feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge or cupboards. From what Ryan said, the two of you are still trying to get your appetites back, so don’t feel you need to be constrained by mealtimes. If you’re hungry, you eat, regardless of whether it’s day or night. And don’t worry about waking anyone up. The kitchen isn’t near the bedrooms, so you’ll be fine.”
As Hannah nodded, Ryan could see a tightness around her eyes and a rigid set to her shoulders. While this was a happy reunion for him and his family, and being around them energized him, he could see that it was draining her. “Maybe we should show Hannah to her room and give her a chance to rest.”
“Yes, of course,” his mom said. “It’s all ready for you.”
As they got to their feet, Sammi reappeared with the bottle. She handed it over, and then, when she heard they were going upstairs, said she’d bring the diaper bag up to the bedroom.
“I’ll be back down in a few minutes,” Ryan told Mitch.
His brother nodded. “I’d love to chat for a little bit.”
“Definitely,” Ryan agreed.
Upstairs, his mom led them into a room that was connected to the one next to it through a bathroom. Both were a good size, and he could see why they’d chosen them, considering there would be a night nurse who would be helping Hannah.
“All the things we received from the aid organization are in those boxes ove
r there. We didn’t open any of them, but I trust you’ll find that they contain what they should.”
Ryan could hear the edge of anger in his mom’s voice and wondered what was causing it. Had there been some bad interactions with the organization? He doubted they’d say anything in front of Hannah, but he intended to find out what had transpired.
“And through here is Jason’s nursery,” she said as she led Hannah through to the other room. “The girls had several things to pass on. Hopefully it’s not a problem that some of them are pink. If you need anything more, just let us know.”
Ryan was surprised at how much stuff they had set up in the room. In addition to the crib, there was a change table, a swing, and a rocking chair in the corner. The bed was still in the room as well, so it was a bit crowded, but Jason didn’t need a ton of space just yet.
While his mom was showing Hannah around the nursery, Ryan went back into the other room. He’d noticed that there was a large easy chair there as well as a desk. He went to the desk, grateful to see a laptop sitting there. From the look of it, it was a new one. Had she had one of her own before the kidnapping? Maybe it was still in her boxes.
Either way, she would have access to the internet and her email whenever she wanted. He saw two more boxes on the desk and smiled when he realized one was a phone, and the other was a tablet. These were no doubt gifts from Max.
“We’ll leave you to get settled now,” his mom said as they came back into the room. “Did you want us to take Jason for a bit?”
“I think we’ll be fine, thank you.”
His mom wrapped her arms around Hannah and held her for a moment. “You be sure and let us know if you need anything. As of today, you’re part of the family, and we take care of each other.”
Hannah nodded but didn’t say anything, keeping her head bent.
“I’ll be staying here at the house too,” Ryan told her, wanting her to know he wasn’t just abandoning her—even if it would have been with his family. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
She nodded again, holding Jason close, his bottle clutched in one hand, but she didn’t meet his gaze.
He turned to his mom. “I’ll be downstairs in a couple of minutes.”
She hesitated a moment before nodding and leaving the room. As soon as it was just the three of them, Ryan moved to where Hannah stood and wrapped his arms around her, sandwiching Jason between them. He wasn’t able to hold her close, but that wasn’t his intention.
Looking at her standing there, he’d sensed she needed the physical reassurance that she wasn’t alone. Coming from a family where physical affection was liberally given, he couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to have spent the last year with the only physical touch she received having inflicted great pain.
“You’re safe now,” he told her. “And any offer my family has made to you has been genuine. Don’t be afraid to take them up on it.”
She nodded but kept her face down, her cheek pressed to the top of Jason’s head. Pretty sure that she wasn’t in the mood for conversation, he just tightened his arms briefly, then released her and Jason.
“We’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” Ryan reminded her, then left the room, softly closing the door behind him.
As he made his way downstairs, Ryan considered finding his mom and broaching the subject of Hannah’s belongings, but he decided to put it off, eager to spend a bit of time chatting with Mitch and the others. Soon enough he’d have the whole story, and then he’d decide if he should tell Hannah.
“She seems really nice,” Belle said when he rejoined them. “But wow, I wouldn’t have recognized her from the pictures I found of her on the internet from back when she was first kidnapped.”
“You mean because of the scar?” Ryan asked. He’d noticed she had a tendency to keep that side of her face turned away.
“No, not that. She’s lost a lot of weight. I mean, you’ve lost weight too, but not like she has.”
“Well, considering I only had a few months of limited food whereas she had over a year, it’s safe to say she would have lost more. It’s probably a blessing that she started out with extra weight.” He looked toward the entrance to the living room and the stairs that lay beyond. “I just hope that she starts to eat more. Her energy levels won’t rebound if she doesn’t.”
“It’s only been a day,” Sammi reminded him. “Like you said, she’s gone without a sufficient amount of food for a lot longer than you have. It might take her longer than you to recover from that, but she’s a nurse. She’ll know the importance of not just eating more food, but of eating nutrient-dense food.”
“How did you feel when you realized who she was?” Mitch asked.
“To be honest, I didn’t realize at first. She just told me her name was Hannah, but she didn’t give any details. I was a bit leery to trust her, particularly since we were being held in a pitch-black cell, so I couldn’t tell if what she was telling me was the truth or not. The first time I actually saw her was when we were rescued.”
“So you didn’t realize when she told you her name who she was?”
“No, but then when she began to give a few details, I put it all together. I was shocked, to say the least.” Ryan went on to recount his time in captivity, sparing some of the more difficult parts since he knew his mom was listening. She didn’t need to know about how he was initially treated. That would only serve to upset her, even though it was all over.
Eventually, his body began to lose the adrenalin-fueled energy he’d been running on since they’d arrived home. He still wasn’t hungry, but he forced himself to eat a sandwich that his mom made for him. At some point while he was eating, the night nurse arrived and, after introducing herself, she went upstairs with Maya and Sammi.
Once he was done eating, Ryan followed them up to see how Hannah and Jason were doing. He wasn’t too surprised that Hannah hadn’t come back downstairs.
The door to the nursery stood open, so Ryan walked in. The nurse was listening as Hannah explained the instructions Emma’s husband had given for Jason. The little guy was wide awake in Maya’s arms, his eyes big as he took in what was going on around him.
Once the nurse was fully briefed, she took Jason and assured Hannah that he’d be fine with her. Ryan had no idea how night nurses actually worked. Would she sleep while Jason slept? Or was she supposed to stay awake the whole night, even if he slept right through?
“Why don’t you come downstairs and have a little something to eat?” Sammi suggested once the nurse took charge of Jason. “I’m sure you’re tired, but having something to eat before you go to bed might help you sleep better.”
Hannah nodded, giving Ryan a quick glance, then turned her attention back to Sammi and Maya. “Yeah, I’m a bit hungry.”
“Great!” Sammi said with a smile. “I’m sure we can find something that will hit the spot for you.”
“I’m really not that fussy,” Hannah said as she followed them out of the room.
Ryan decided to stay with Hannah until she returned to her room even though he was starting to drag. He didn’t expect her to stay downstairs too long because she still looked tired herself.
“Would you like a sandwich or some soup?” Ryan’s mom offered when they joined her in the kitchen. “We also have mac and cheese. What strikes your fancy?”
“Maybe just some yogurt and toast?” Hannah said as she sat down on one of the bar stools at the island counter. “That seems to be what sits best in my stomach, to be honest.”
“Sure. That makes sense. We have twelve-grain bread, or would you prefer whole wheat or white? I have to have all the varieties on hand because everyone around here has a different preference.”
“Twelve-grain is fine.”
“With just butter? Or would you like peanut butter and/or jam?” his mom asked as she pulled two pieces of bread from a bag and popped them in the toaster.
“Peanut butter would be nice.”
“Do you have a crunchy or cre
amy preference? Again, I have both.”
“Uh…crunchy is fine.” Hannah seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the choices. He supposed it made sense since, for over a year, she’d had no choices at all.
“Good choice,” Ryan said with a grin. “That’s my personal favorite.”
Maya got a yogurt from the fridge and handed it to Hannah along with a spoon. “This is the one I like the best.”
Hannah bent to read the label then gave Maya a quick smile. “I’ve never had it before, but I do like lime.”
“I hate to run,” Sammi said, “but we need to get Ella home for bed.” She gave Ryan a quick hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “So grateful that you’re back safe and sound. Love you.”
“Love you too, sis. Thank you for everything.”
“Anything for you. We’ll be back again tomorrow.” Sammi laid a hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “Hope you both sleep well tonight.”
After Sammi left, Maya made his mom sit down while she made them both tea. Ryan wasn’t interested in tea. It had never been his favorite, and it was even less so now after having had to drink it each day when all he’d wanted was coffee. He was happy to settle for a glass of cold water right then, but he planned to have a big cup of coffee in the morning.
“We don’t have to do it right away,” Ryan said as Hannah ate her toast, “but at some point, we need to get your birth certificate and then see about getting your driver’s license and also signing you up for Manitoba Health. That is, if you plan to stay here.”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t really have any other options, I don’t think.”
“The aid organization might contact you with options,” his mom said. “But I’d recommend that you not consider them.”
Hannah lowered the piece of toast she’d been preparing to take a bite of. “Really? Why’s that?”
“Let’s just say that in conversations Max’s assistant and Steve have had with them, it seemed they were more interested in the publicity your release could bring them, and how they could utilize it. Of course, it’s your own decision, but I can’t help but think you need time before you’re thrown into whatever they have in mind for you.”
A Little Ray of Sunshine_A Christian Romance Page 11