The pain in my head had dulled to a barely noticeable throb. The blaring of Gabe's alarm clock woke me up at the usual five in the morning. Gabe had not said much to me since he brought me upstairs yesterday, so I was surprised when he climbed on top of me after he turned off the alarm. I smiled when he held my face in his hands.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said.

"Good morning," I said.

He leaned down and kissed me. When he pulled away, I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him back down. I could feel him chuckle against my lips.

"I love waking up next to you," he said softly.

My smile grew wider. Gabe kissed my forehead before getting out of bed. I sighed, feeling the coldness of the air without Gabe's heat, and climbed out of bed. He handed me a dress and a cardigan, and I got changed.

I woke up Jared and changed his clothes. I carried him on my hip as I walked down the stairs. I set him down in his highchair before I started making breakfast. Gabe kissed my cheek before sitting down at the table.

After we ate, we got into the car and drove to Noah's. Jenny was clearing the dining room table as we walked in. Noah was off to the side talking to Taylor. Their voices were hushed and I could not make out what they were saying. Taylor's eyes were on the floor as he nodded his head. Gabe nudged me with his elbow when he saw me staring.

"Sorry," I said.

I went over to the sink and helped Jenny wash the dishes. My hands were in the hot soapy water when Taylor stepped away from Noah. I couldn't help but look over my shoulder as Taylor walked across the kitchen and over to the basement door. Gabe cleared his throat, and I looked back at the plate in my hand.

I listened to Gabe's footsteps as he walked up behind me. He put his hand on my hip. My heart pounded as he whispered into my ear.

"Don't be nosy," he said.

I bit down on my lip and nodded my head.

"Good girl," he said before kissing my cheek.

Gabe, Dylan, and Noah all went out the back door. I looked up through the bars on the window above the sink. They were walking out toward the barn. I let go of the breath I was holding onto.

The basement door opened. Jenny looked over to the door, and I followed her gaze. Taylor was holding onto Emme. His arm was around her waist and he looked like he was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

Emme looked rough. Her curls were greasy and matted. Her eyes were red from crying. I could see that her wrists were raw and bleeding, and I knew she must have been fighting against the ropes. I did the same thing when I was stuck down there years ago.

Taylor pulled Emme forward and she stumbled. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Emme closed her eyes and did not try to push him away. He did not pay attention to us as he carried Emme up the stairs.

"I hope she's okay," I said quietly.

"She will be," Jenny said. "Taylor is going to take care of her."

I sighed and finished washing the last of the dishes. Jared pulled on my pant legs, and I looked down and he had his hands up wanting me to pick him up. I dried my hands on the towel before carrying him on my hip. Jared kept his thumb in his mouth and rested his head against my chest.

"Do you think her baby is okay?" I asked.

"We wouldn't do anything to hurt her baby," Jenny said.

"Should we do something?"

"Taylor will tell us if we need to do anything."

I nodded. I carried Jared over to the living room and set him down on the couch. I picked up one of his teddy bears and handed it to him. He clutched it to his chest. I kissed the top of his head, and he began to play with his toy.

Jenny and I split our cleaning as usual. Jenny said that she would clean the kitchen, so that left me cleaning the rooms upstairs. I grabbed one of the brooms, went upstairs, and began to sweep the floor. I made my way down the hall, and soon was at Taylor's room at the end of the hall.

I chewed at my bottom lip as I stared at the door. It was not closed all the way. There was a sliver of light coming through the cracked door and into the hallway. My heart pounded as I looked behind me to see I was alone. I held onto my breath and tightened my grip on the broom.

Taylor and Emme were behind that door. I knew that Taylor would be taking care of her, but I wondered if Emme would be fighting him. Would she finally realize that this is her family? Would she no longer scream and cry all the time?

I leaned forward and peered through the crack. If Gabe knew that I was doing this I would definitely be punished. The last time I saw Emme was when she gave me a concussion, and I needed to know if she was feeling better now.

Emme was lying on the bed naked. Taylor was sitting on the edge of the bed and was washing Emme's face with a cloth. Emme's eyes were barely open.

"I love you so much," Taylor said. "Don't make me ever do that again."

She reached up for his hand with the cloth. Her fingers wrapped around his arm. Taylor leaned down and kissed her lips.

"Just rest, sweetheart," he said. "You and the baby need to rest."

Taylor leaned down to kiss her again. He stood and grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed. He covered Emme's body, ran his fingers through her hair, and kissed her cheek. Emme groaned as she curled into a ball on her side.

I stepped back from the door. My knuckles ached from how hard I was clutching the broom handle. I walked to the middle of the hallway and returned to sweeping. I hummed to myself and turned my back to try and make it look like I was not listening.

The door opened, and I did not turn around. The floor creaked under Taylor's feet as he walked down the hall.

"Lindsey," he said.

I stopped and turned. I bit down on my lip as my chest tightened. Fear overtook my body that he saw me spying and was going to tell Gabe.

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked. The tension eased from my chest. "Keep an eye on Emme, okay? She's really weak and scared right now."

"Okay," I said.

"Go tell her she's not alone."

I froze for a moment, and Taylor raised a brow. He lifted his chin and gestured over to his bedroom door. I did not move, so he grabbed the broom from my hands.

"Go," he said.

I nodded and walked toward the bedroom. I opened the door, and Emme did not move. I looked back over at Taylor and he nodded before walking away. I let out a deep breath as I stepped into the room. Emme stayed curled up on her side while I walked over to the bed. I sat down on the edge. Emme groaned when she felt the bed dip.

"Taylor," she said. Her voice was soft and wobbly.

"It's Lindsey," I said.

Emme's eyes opened. Her brows creased in worry. She pushed herself up with a shaky arm. I put my hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down onto the bed.

"It's okay," I said. "I just wanted to check on you."

"You're not mad?" she asked.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Because I hurt you."

I touched the back of my skull where I had collided with the tub. It was still sore, but the painful headaches had gone away.

"I could have hurt your baby," Emme said.

My hand went over my stomach.

"The baby and I are okay," I said. "Just like how you and your baby are okay."

Emme sighed. She cradled her flat belly with her hands. She closed her eyes and collapsed down onto the bed.

"My baby," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Your baby," I repeated. "You will have a beautiful baby boy."

"How do you know it will be a boy?"

"Just a feeling."

I readjusted the blankets so that they were covering Emme. I had yet to tell her what Taylor had asked me to say.

"We love you, Emme," I said. "I'll be here if you need anything. You're not alone."

A tear rolled down Emme's cheek. I reached forward and wiped it off her pale skin. She grabbed my hand when I started to pull away.

"Stay with me," she said. "I don't want to be alone."

My lips pressed into a smile. Emme was trusting me, which meant that she was soon going to trust our family.

"Okay," I said.

I climbed over Emme to the other side of the bed. I slid under the blanket. I wrapped my one arm over Emme and held onto her while she cried.