CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Too numb to move, I sat in my seat in the Kansas City train station staring at Leni's sleeping baby lying in my lap. We had both been abandoned, and my heartbreak caused such physical pain, I thought if I moved, I might break.
I was more worried for Leni than angry. Why did you go, Leni? I asked myself the same question over and over again - even though I knew the answer. The harsh circumstances and constant terror of being a fugitive, and the helplessness of being brutalized with no recourse had destroyed her spirit and sent her into the depths of a depression she could no longer manage. I had stood by and watched helplessly as the flame inside her was snuffed out. She was my companion, my sister, my Jake, and the pain of mourning her loss was overwhelming.
Even as
