"That fight was my fault, Sam. Had you not been defending me, you would still be in school."
; "Sweetheart, me kicking that guy’s ass was a blessing. I was forced to face my father and come clean about some things in my life. One of them being I did not want to play football. Football was never my dream, it was my father’s. I’m happier now than I have been in a very long time, Alba. I’m no longer living my life for someone else. I’m living my life for me. You taught me that."
I give him a confused look.
"What do you mean I taught you that?"
Shaking his head. "Look at you. Look at where you’re at. The moment you found out you were pregnant you said fuck what everyone thinks. You faced the challenge head on. And school. School was never for you. So, what did you do. You created your own path. You decided to live your life the way you wanted. Not the way others thought you should."
By the time Sam is finished talking, I’m a sobbing mess, "I’m really glad you finally stood up for what you wanted, Sam. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy for you."
Several minutes later after my tears have dried Sam speaks up again.
"Now that that truth is out of the way, I suppose I should keep going since I’m on a roll."
"What are you talking about?"
"I’m talking about Leah."
"What about her? You said she was doing good."
"Leah is in trouble. I think she needs help. The kind of help I can’t give her. And I’m hoping that you might be able to help. Hell, after meeting Gabriel and some of the men in the club, I’m convinced you can."
Oh god. I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach this has something to do with her family. I just know it. Leah has never come right out and told me any details about her parents. But the way she acts, and some of the things she has said, I’m certain her home life is not good.
"You know I’ll do anything for her, Sam. Now tell what’s going on."
"You know, I wouldn’t normally say anything that would upset you, given your current state, but I feel her situation is time sensitive."
"My current state? You all need to quit acting like being pregnant means I have some sort of disability or that I’m incompetent for Christ’s sake. Now tell me what the hell is going on," I demand with a raised voice.
Taken aback a moment by my raised voice, Sam finally continues, "When I arrived back to our apartment after spending Christmas with my parents, Leah was already home. I wasn’t expecting her until after New Year’s, and she clearly wasn’t expecting me to come home so early. Because when I came home she was in the middle of packing. I could tell immediately something as off. From the moment I stepped into her room and started to ask questions, she did everything she could to avoid even looking at me. I walked up to her and grabbed a hold of her arm to get her to stop packing and talk to me. When she finally turned toward me that’s when I saw it."
"Saw what?" I ask. But not sure I want to hear the answer. Leaning over with his elbows resting on his knees, he places his head in his hands. Swallowing past the knot in my throat. I repeat myself. "What did you see, Sam?"
Looking back at me he answers, "She was beaten, Alba. Both of her eyes were black. One was nearly swollen shut. Her lip was busted. She couldn’t even walk without being hunched over. Even though she wouldn’t let me see, I know the rest of her body matched her face. At first, she refused to tell me anything. But no way was I going to give up. When she realized I wouldn’t back down, she broke. Leah told me everything, Alba, and it’s not pretty." Looking at me with hurt and anger in his eyes, Sam tells me what I already suspected. "Her father did that to her. You want to know why? Because he’s been having someone from his church spy on her. Because of the dress she wore when we went out to the club together. Her father said she was presenting herself like a whore. He also found out she was living with me. A man. She had kept that a secret from her family. Leah had no idea her father had been spying on her."
Standing up from the couch, I begin to pace the living room.
"Sam, please tell me you didn’t let her leave. Please tell me she didn’t go back home."
"Fuck no, I didn’t let her go back. She was going to. Her father demanded she pack all her stuff and return. But after what she told me, and after seeing what that motherfucker was capable of, no way was I about to let her leave. What we did was finish packing up her shit, then we packed up mine and we moved. I found us another apartment on the other side of town. Leah had to quit school. Luckily, I still had some money in my savings to get us by for a while. I was able to find a job in construction. The pay is decent enough. The problem is I can’t hide her in Bozeman forever. Her father is going to find her and she’s terrified of what will happen when he does. She can’t live the way she has been for the past couple of months. She’s scared to even leave our apartment."
Holding up my hand I stop him. "She can come here. Leah can stay with me and Gabriel." I watch as Sam’s shoulder slump in relief. "Why didn’t she come with you? Is she okay being home alone while you’re gone?"
"She said she would be. I tried to get her to come with me, but she didn’t want you to find out about what happened. She said if you started asking questions she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to you. Leah made me promise not to say anything. This was one promise I had to break though. I don’t think her staying in Bozeman is safe anymore. Leah still hasn’t told me everything about her family. Only that they are super religious and strict. All I know is what her father did to her was not anything God would have wanted."
When Sam finishes replaying the horrible event of him and Leah, I stop my pacing and return to my spot on the couch next to him.
"How attached to Bozeman are you?" I ask.
Giving me a thoughtful look, he replies, "I don’t know, I like it well enough. It’s better than living at home. Why?"
"How would you feel about both you and Leah moving here to Polson?"
Sam seems to be pondering my question as I nervously bite my lip. What I wouldn’t give to have two people who have come to mean so much to me move here. When I see a wide smile stretch across his face I know what his answer is and I throw myself at him.