The principal was holding out her diploma to her and congratulating her. Lacy took the diploma, turned and waved at her family. She looked at Allen, who waved enthusiastically at her. She smiled at his childlike exuberance. She had a real father now. Then she moved across the stage, as they called the name of the next graduate.
She stepped down on the other side of the stage and smiled. “You came.”
Jake smiled back at her, cocked his head sideways. “You doubted me.”
“I doubted myself.”
“So…all graduated and grown up now?”
She laughed and twirled, her gown billowing out. “Next step—college.”
“I guess you did it.”
She grinned “Yeah, I suppose I did. I owe a lot to you, though.”
“You owe it to yourself.”
Her smile faded. “My therapist says I have to let you go now.”
He nodded. “It’s time. I’ve completed my mission. It’s time to move on.”
“What if I need you in college?”
He shook his head, looked past her to Chase, who was craning his neck trying to figure out what had happened to her. “You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Let’s just say I know you better than you know yourself.”
She laughed. “Always such a mystery.”
Chase had made his way down the stairs now and was headed their way. Jake bent over and kissed her on the cheek. “Take care, my love.”
He looked at Chase, who was now only a few yards away. She turned back to say goodbye, but he was gone.
She smiled, touched her cheek. “Goodbye,” she whispered.
***
About the Author
Victoria resides in Northern California with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She loves reading, writing, sewing, live theater, and camping. Lacy’s End is her ninth novel.
Connect with her at www.victoriaschwimley.com
Other Books by Victoria Schwimley
In The Victim’s Shadow
Faith Series
Capturing Faith
Twisted Faith
Crime Solver’s Series
Crime Solver’s Detective Agency book one
Grand Theft book two
Jessica Crawford Series
Coveting Love
Confronting Truths
Author’s note: Domestic abuse comes in many forms. I’ve chosen to use physical abuse to demonstrate the extreme to which a person might go to control someone they’ve promised to love or protect. I’ve also chosen a figure of authority to be the abuser to show that a violent offender might often hide in the face of the public, or use a position of authority to control his or her victim(s).
Below I’ve listed just a few facts about domestic abuse and a short list of symptoms listed on the website of the National Domestic Abuse Hotline. More facts and resources are available by directly contacting them. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, there is help available. Please seek help or tell someone you trust.
The national domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined/
Telling you that you can never do anything right
Keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members
Embarrassing or shaming you with put-downs
Controlling every penny spent in the household
Looking at you or acting in ways that scare you
Controlling who you see, where you go, or what you do
1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the United States has been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.[iv]: National Domestic Abuse Hotline
More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.[vi]: National Domestic Abuse Hotline
Below are just a few sites where you or someone you know can go to get help with domestic abuse.
www.ncadv.org is a national domestic website that offers information, statistics and resources.
www.domesticshelters.org is a website that helps find domestic shelters in a person's area by simply entering their address or zip code.
www.cpedv.org is a website specifically for California. It talks about laws that CA has passed to end domestic violence as well as resources to help find safe havens all across CA.
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