It was dark out when Ivory slipped into a warm bath. She dipped into the steamy water, feeling the aches of the day dissolving as her skin disappeared below the surface. Before long, only her eyes stood on the horizon of the tub.
Earlier, she and Maybella had prepared supper for the group, Henry'd even let Maybella eat with them. He talked with her, asked how she was, how her wounds were; after everyone had finished eating he apologized at the table for what he'd done to her and she'd done her best to fight the tears but in the end she wasn't able to hide them forever.
Ivory closed her eyes and fully submerged herself in the bath. Below the surface, she held her eyes closed for a few moments before opening them. She looked over the smallness of her naked body, thinking of Joshua
