Savannah
My world had shrunk to the four walls of my father's house. A self-imposed prison.
For three days, my boys and I lived inside a house of secrets. Not even the neighbors knew we were here.
I knew something was coming. A certainty settled in my bones. And as much as my heart ached for Xavier, as much as I missed him with every fiber of my being, I dreaded seeing him again.
I couldn't bear it if he wanted to punish me, to crush what little spirit I had left.
So, I retreated. I went quiet for long stretches of time. I slept a lot, my body feeling disconnected, lacking its usual energy. Thankfully, the refurbished cable TV my dad had fixed distracted my boys. They watched more cartoons than I would normally allow, but what could I do? I couldn't even bring myself to smile, let al
