Chapter 7 - A Safe Haven RestoredAt noon, I drove to the hotel to pick up Rebecca. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking rested but incredibly anxious.
"Are they really gone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"They're gone. The locks have been changed."
She nodded slowly, still holding her stomach protectively. I drove us back in silence. When I unlocked the front door and stepped aside for her to enter, she froze.
The apartment smelled of lemon cleaner and fresh air. The living room was spotless. The kitchen sink was empty, the counters shining. The broken glass was gone.
Rebecca walked slowly into the kitchen, tracing her hand along the clean countertop. She turned to me, tears welling in her eyes, but this time, they weren't tears of fear.
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"I'm so sorry I let it get this bad," I told her, wrapping my arms around her. "You will never have to clean up after them again. This is our home. Just ours."
She buried her face in my chest and finally, completely, let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for four months.
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