Aunt Tabby refused to get me discharged early since I refused to contact Valerie or Nixon during my hospital stay. I wasn't ready to talk to them again because all of my secrets were out in the open now. It took another six hours to get home but I was glad to be in this cruddy house. Aunt Tabby and I settled into the house together enjoying a new sense of peacefulness. I took the medicine the doctor prescribed for my injuries to help ease the pain radiating through my body. As the medicine took effect my body fell into a deep relaxing sleep.

I woke up with feeling groggy with the throbbing pain in my body returning tenfold. I was surprised to find that Aunt Tabby left a tray on my nightstand with a water cup and two round pills. There was also some toast that was surprisingly safe looking on the tray that didn't taste horrible. I was grateful for her kindness but that didn't mean I would trust her in the kitchen anytime soon.

It was nice to have Aunt Tabby's undivided attention throughout the day. Aunt Tabby was always too busy with her fiance to notice me. It wouldn't last because Aunt Tabby loved Samuel too much to keep him away forever. Until Samuel returned I planned on enjoying my Aunt Tabby's company as much as possible.

I spent the morning chatting with Aunt Tabby about the new painting supplies I wanted. She added the list of my art supplies to her grocery list. After spending my Saturday watching TV on the couch conversing with Aunt Tabby I was ready to paint.

I went upstairs then changed into some casual clothes to prepare myself for a paint session. I found Aunt Tabby in the living room to let her know my plans. Aunt Tabby looked down at the engagement ring in her hands with a twinge of sadness. I knew that she was regretting the situation already by her actions.

"Have fun painting", she remarked as she plastered a fake smile onto her face. It was clear that she was unhappy but she was doing her best to hide it from me. I raced across the hallway to leave Aunt Tabby to her own thoughts Since the last time I stepped in my paint room my world changed drastically. No matter what the circumstances were the smell of paint always calmed my soul.

I put together a palette of colors that reflected the image in my head. I dabbed my paint brushes across the canvas to create the image that haunted my mind. I swirled together dark drowns with midnight blues. It flowed out of my soul with such force that paint splattered in every direction. A storm raged from my shaky hands as I bathed in my inner turmoil.

I sat for a long time on my chair spewing out my negative energy. Each stoke felt like my guts were ripped from my stomach. The lines of colored painted ebbed and flowed into a distinct pattern. I captured the crunchiness of the leaves, the darkness of the night forest, and the trees from that night sky. I didn't stop until every last detail from that memory bled onto the canvas.

I stared at the finished product haunted but freed by the image. The dark starry night looked different from the other paintings. Two birds flew in the dark night sky with wide black wings. I was unsure of the new image but accepted that something inside me was changing. I left the painting on the easel finally satisfied with my painting.

I grabbed the other paintings from the closet forcing myself to look at the images together. If I placed the images side by side, I noticed different features about each image. The images were not the same at all but a continuation of each other. I hung the paintings in a row to create a wide canvas of the night sky.

I traced my hands along the paintings searching for answers to my minds image. I felt a headache emerge between my eyes as I tried to remember. I left the paintings on the wall but didn't look at them further. My memory was trying to tell me something but my brain couldn't put the pieces together. If I left them hanging up perhaps someday my memory might return about that starry night.

I wandered away from the paint room to check back in with Aunt Tabby downstairs. I put away my painting material, pulled off my paint covered smock, and closed the door behind me. I changed into a long sleeved black t-shirt with grey sweatpants to relax downstairs.

I heard hushed voices from someone near the front door. The hushed voices appeared to be arguing with each other. I peered around the corner from the coat rack to see Samuel standing across from Aunt Tabby with his hands in the air. I wondered if Aunt Tabby finally saw Samuel as his true self. I started to walk away from the corner but stopped when I heard my name.

"Rowen will be fine. Come on Tabitha. How much time does she actually need to recover", Samuel hissed softly. Samuel stepped towards Aunt Tabby but she swatted his hands away vigorously. Aunt Tabby twirled the engagement ring around her finger like she did earlier this afternoon.

"Samuel. She needs me. You are the adult here. Respect my decision to hold off on this right now", she stated in a stern tone. She took the ring off of her finger to hand it back to Samuel with shaky hands. Samuel did not take the ring back but pushed her hand away vigorously.

"God damn it Tabitha. I have been waiting for years to make our relationship official. I'm done waiting for you. It's over. I'm sure that little slut is happy now", Samuel said bitterly. He turned towards Aunt Tabby with clenched fists than punched the wall next to her face. I felt sorry that Aunt Tabby had to see that horrible side of him. I never imagined Samuel revealing himself to Aunt Tabby but it was clear that it was over now.

"Leave before I call the cops", Aunt Tabby said in a shaky voice. She backed away from Samuel's grasp to a safe distance from him. "I'm serious. Never come back", Aunt Tabby stated roughly. Aunt Tabby did not cower in fear in the face of danger; she faced it with her head held high. I wanted to be strong too, I wanted to step out of my secret hiding place, but I wasn't ready. I wondered if I would ever be ready to face the real demons that hid in my shadows.

"Don't worry I won't be coming back for you", Samuel said as he smiled eerily. "Tell that little slut she will pay for what she did to me", Samuel stated in a calm tone. Samuel ripped open the front door disappearing from our lives for the time being. Aunt Tabby stood for a few moment with a blank expression on her face. I tried to leave but hit into the coat rack making an alarmingly loud noise.

"Rowen, you can come out now", Aunt Tabby said as her face returned to normal. I stepped out from the shadows with unsteady feet. "How much did you hear", Aunt Tabby sighed. Aunt Tabby looked defeated as she stared into my eyes. We both deserved a break from the craziness that happened around us in these past few days.

"I heard it all", I said loudly. I walked over to Aunt Tabby, wrapping my arms around her tightly, hoping to heal both of our wounds. "I'm really sorry that he hurt you", I told her solemnly. Aunt Tabby had a right to find happiness in her life with a man who treated her right.

"Don't be sorry. He is scum, Rowen", Aunt Tabby said. "Who does he think he is? What does he think he will accomplish by threatening you?", she asked out loud. I didn't have any answers for her about Samuel. Aunt Tabby pulled away from my embrace with a fierce expression in her eyes.

"I will protect you Rowen", Aunt Tabby said in a determined voice. I knew that Aunt Tabby couldn't protect me from everything. I wanted to tell Aunt Tabby just that but I didn't want to ruin this bonding moment. She believed in a world where things got better eventually; I knew better. Something in my gut told me that Samuel wouldn't back down unless someone was dead. Until that happened I planned on relishing the the tiny moments of happiness; there was no promise of tomorrow.