Finding Nymphaea's Haven

POV Nymphaea(Delilah) Something isn't right. This isn't where I'm supposed to be. I should be home in bed sleeping. I remember laying down after putting the twins to bed. How in the hell am I at a green house? As I look around, I realize it's not any ordinary greenhouse. It's the old green house I owned at a home I never wish to go back to. That green house was my little paradise. That is until that dreadful day. I hear the sound of a crash. Like something had been broken. As I walk to the far corner of the green house, I see a broken flower pot. Shattered on the ground in front of the table, it was sitting on. Then I see it. Making me frozen in place. There's blood on some of the broken pieces. 'This can't be happening. This isn't real.' I whisper to myself. Not being able to speak louder still. The soft whimpers break me out of my trance. I look up to see a horrifying act of crime just a few feet away from me. A man hovering over someone lying on the ground. Neither of these people is moving. The one on the ground is making the whimper sounds. You can tell this person is hurt badly, and the one responsible is standing with their back to me. I begin to move closer to them. I want to help that person laying there. I want to save them from this awful person just looking down at them. I stop moving when I see the man stand completely still all of a sudden. As he turns slowly to face me, I catch something that makes me whimper as well. It's him, I know it is. I recognize that huge scar and class ring on his right hand anywhere. I begin to panic. It clicks in my brain after realizing who it is. This was a memory. That person is lying on the ground helpless... is me. Before he turned around to be face-to-face with me, I shut my eyes closed tightly. I don't want to relive this. I want this nightmare to be over with now. I hear footsteps moving closer to me. My breathing becomes ragged and shallow. He may not have his hands wrapped around my throat, but it felt like it. As if he was choking me with his mind. Yes, like some Darth Vader s**t, but that is the effect this man has had on me for years now. I feel his hot breath against my ear. Making my stomach tie in knots. My knees begin to tremble. 'I will find you. I will take back what you took from me.' I hear him whisper in my ear. Feeling the urgent sense to run away. I shake my head at his statement. I can feel the tears beginning to roll down my cheeks. Fearing for what is about to happen next. 'Once I do that, I vow to make you disappear. You won't be safe for long, my lily pad.' He says his voice growing louder and more distorted before the first time. I have always hated that pet name he gave me. Made me sick to my stomach when he would say it. He knew it, too. He loved having that type of control over me. He played his sick twisted games on me whenever he pleased. Before I can say anything or even run, I feel his hand wrap around my throat then. Slamming my back against the wall. He's trapping me there so he can do whatever he wants to me now. As I'm panicking, trying to remove his hand from my throat, I see it. The cold, dark, empty look in his eyes. I suddenly woke up in time for me to catch myself from screaming blood horror. I woke up to find myself drenched in sweat. I study my surroundings. I'm back in my decent size bedroom. My black long dresser by the wall next to the door. My vanity in the corner where the book nook window is across from my bed. 'It was just a dream. It's a horrible dream.' I thought to myself as I started getting my breathing under control. I look to see what time it is. I realized I woke up two hours early before I needed to be up. So I decided to use this time to do some exercises. Usually, working out after a nightmare helps me calm down. After I worked out for an hour, it was a little after six. I hop in the shower before getting dressed for the day. Once I was done showering, I dried off and got dressed. Wearing a dark brown long-sleeved shirt, a white tank top underneath. Dark blue jeans with brown high boots. I left my long black wavy hair down. Letting it air dry it looks better that way. I decided to wear some make-up since I could see little dark bags forming under my blue eyes. I took a quick look at myself in the mirror once im done. I notice my figure is a little smaller around the stomach. My thighs are looking firm and my ass more rounder than usual. Working out lately has helped my shape so far. If i had a twisted brain, I would think the nightmares were a good thing. It was almost seven when I started breakfast. Making scrambled eggs, sausage links, pancakes, and hashbrowns. It was going to be a good day. It had to be... I needed it to be. It has been a rough few weeks. I mean, why would it not be? This is the second time this year I had to move us since we moved to this city two years ago. But finally, finding a nice little house in a solid looking neighborhood was the first sign I made the right decision. The second sign was getting this job as an assistant for a law firm. Knowing the hours would be criminal, but it would be worth the pay and benefits. Plus, the people there are not the worst. Friendly but serious. Which is understandable, so I do my job and be polite. I can't go starting trouble. Then, I decided to start working at a bar about five miles from the house on the weekends. Job at the law firm is luckily during the week so I can make some extra cash. I've always loved working at a bar. Now that I'm of age, getting to actually be a bartender has always been better than the waitressesing gig. Better tips, too, if you know what you're doing. The third final sign was that I knew someone that I could trust here. Having her live in the same town just a few blocks away from us is a life saver. I have known her since we were kids. Just lost touch when she moved our fifth grade year. Luckily her and her family moved back to where we grew up our freshman year. We got to graduate together. Unfortunately, after I married Brandon, I ended up cutting her out of my life about nine months into the marriage. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It was harder than cutting out my family. But I knew she was the person I needed six years later. Finding out I was pregnant then and that I didn't want to raise kids in this environment I was in with Brandon. Nia and Daisy were the only two who knew what happened and knew not to tell anyone they've been in contact with me. She finally convinced me to come here. It was the best thing I finally did. After finishing cooking and putting the food on the table with milk and juice to drink, I walked down the hallway, opening the door on the right. Walking to a window to open the curtains to let the sunshine in. There's a lilac dresser in front of the wall across from the wall with a desk. The same color as the dresser. Sitting in front of the window. I walk over to the bed with what seems to be thousands of pillows and stuffed animals. There was her little head in that mountain of fluffy mess. Some strands of her long dark brown hair had escaped the blanket flowing around her buried body in the blankets. I pull the blankets and stuffed animals off away from her face. I watched her in a deep sleep for a minute or two before I woke her. I just love watching her and her brother sleep. It's the best part of being a mom. Especially a mom of twins. They definitely gave me a reason to fight for survival and a better life. I owe it to them to give them that. These moments make me realize how her nose is a small shape round looking. Her brother has the same nose. They both have full long eyelashes. Getting both genes from me. I kiss her nose lightly. She doesn't open her eyes, but she starts smiling. Showing off her dimples. I love that they got dimples. My grandmother had dimples her whole life, too. I knew then she was waking up. "Good morning, my beautiful girl. It's time to get up for the day." I say softly to her little face. "No mama, not just yet, please." She groans but smiling still. This girl never gets mad or angry easily. She's just the sweetest easy going kid. Definitely loves to sleep. "Just ten more momma." She holds up all her fingers on each hand. I giggle at her, shaking my head. "No ma'am. It is time to get up. Now, hurry and get up, sweet pea. Breakfast is ready." I kiss her forehead and pull the blankets off her halfway. Walking out, I walk to the room across from hers. I open the door to see her brother already up. His room was set up the same way, but the furniture is midnight blue. I watch him take clothes out of his closet. He is definitely my independent child. He gets mad if I try to help. He loves doing things like these by himself. "Good morning míjo, breakfast is ready." I say to him before I kiss the top of his head. He looks up at me and smiles. Showing the same dimples. "Good morning, mom! Is Myla and I going to get to go to Auntie Nia's today?" He asks me with excitement in his voice. "No baby, Auntie Nia will be picking you both up at the daycare. I've got to go in a little early today, sweetheart." I said to him as I kept my hand on his face. The smile on his face doesn't change. Which is a relief for me. This kid gets mad easily. He's got my temper. When someone says the wrong thing or does something wrong, his face expresses it so clearly, just like I do. "Hey Myles?" I stood at the entrance then turned around to face him again. I was waiting for him to look at me before I continued. "I know it has not been easy for you and your sister, but I promise things will get better. If you can make friends for me today, then I will take you and Myla anywhere next month. Deal?" Holding out my hand to my son for a deal. Bribing this kid always turns out well. He may be five, but sometimes I swear he's a ten year old stuck in that body. He grins at me before walking over to shake my hand. "Deal!" After the kids got dressed and ate, we quickly got everything else done before leaving. It had to be a little after eight when we left the house. Because by the time we reached the daycare, it was twenty after eight. Once we got out and walked towards the daycare, I heard some kids yelling for Myla. It was two girls and a boy. Running to the fence, smiling eagerly at us. Waving as fast as they could. It's nice to see one of my kids acting like her normal self. Myles wasn't having the easiest time compared to his sister. He used to have a lot of friends in his last school. Before we had to move, he started asking all these questions about their father. Who could blame him? I don't ever bring him up, and when he does ask about him, I try to give him a simple answer that will make him happy. They never met their father. He was dead to me, and that is the way I would keep it. I didn't need anything from him when I finally saw his true self. I had to get them away from him, or he would have a new reason to torture me. I couldn't let the kids grow up in that environment. After I walked them into their classroom, I paid what I owed for the rest of the month and then left. I spent the few hours I had before work getting groceries and the necessities we needed. It was a little after eleven I headed to Lucky A's Bar. It was pretty steady since it was the summer and a week before the Fourth of July. It had to have been close to two because Daisy walked over to me, smiling. She works with me here at the bar as a waitress and bartender. She was wearing a baby blue tank top. Making her skin look tan. She was also wearing jeans and boots. Her long red hair up in a high ponytail. Her vibrant jade green eyes popped with the makeup she had done. She's always been a perky, upbeat kind of person. I love that about her. "Hey Lilah!" She says to me as she hugs me. She only calls me Lilah short for Delilah. I changed my name when we moved here. I'm using my middle name and a different last name. I knew I had to take any safety measures to make sure he didn't find us. Nia knew and didn't mind calling me that. My mom liked water flowers and knew she wanted to name me Nymphaea. I absolutely love my name but I knew if I kept going by it Brandon would find me. He never bothered remembering my middle name he always thought it was Rose or Lilah. He only liked calling me Lilypad. "Hey Daisy! Just in time for the rush." I smiled while handing her a black waitress apron. She gave me a smudged look. I knew she didn't want to be here. After all, she was busy having fun with the new hunk she's picked up this month. I don't blame her. If I was more social and actually put a little more effort into my appearance, I would be landing guys like she does. After an hour and a half of solid rushing around, it finally slowed down. Giving us a chance to complete daily tasks. When I had a minute, I called Nia to check in on the twins. They told me about the paintings they did today, and they worked on writing. I told them I loved them and would see them tomorrow. After I talked to Nia for a minute, i saw someone sit down from my peripheral eye sight. Telling Nia i had to go and we'd talk later. "Can I get a whiskey?"