Chapter 87

• While Steve's call came at a terrible moment, I felt immense relief knowing he was safe. They were both alive. That was all I could grasp onto at that moment. I had been so afraid, terrified even, that I might have to face a future without them. It had kept me awake the night before, worrying about both of them and trying to imagine a life without them. Wondering if I would have the strength to face it. Once I was certain Xavier was going to make it, I had sent countless prayers to the goddess for Steve.
• With some urgency, but not too much because Xavier was moving slowly, we gathered what we needed to pick up Steve. I could tell he was healing. The beast within him was knitting together his muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The broken and splintered bones were fusing back together. His heart was pumping blood through his body, and oxygen was reaching his organs, making them strong enough to heal from internal damages. I knew that process well; while it was a relief to see it happening, it didn't come without pain. Trying to make things easier for him, I helped him put on his shoes. He looked embarrassed, so I didn't try to make conversation. I just did it quickly and quietly. A man of his caliber wouldn't like needing help. Once that was done, I grabbed the keys and a jacket, ready to leave.
• While I waited for Xavier to come out of the bathroom, it wasn't surprising that I got lost in my thoughts. I spent more time lost in thought than any one person should. It was so ingrained in me from the past that it had become part of who I was. I used it as a means to escape the present and to process my emotions and thoughts without putting them out for judgment and ridicule. These days, though, I just escaped into my own mind, lost in thoughts and fantasy worlds.