Avenging Laura (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Highlander watched as the doctor went and got Laura. While he hated the idea that they would need to wait a little longer to go home, he understood the doctor’s reasoning. They needed to relearn and rebuild what they had lost.

If they just jumped into things despite their time apart, it would be sliding back into what was familiar. They couldn’t do that again. They wouldn’t survive it next time.

When Laura sat down next to him, he gave her a warm smile and reached over to take her hand into his. He wanted her to know everything would be ok. When she gave him a warm smile back, he knew she was ok.

“Laura, thank you for waiting. I talked with the Lt. about a couple of things. I know where your head is at. I wanted to find out where he was at. You’re both on the same page, but I want to make sure you’re going to continue to work on what needs to be worked on. The Lt. agrees with me on this, so we’ve come up with a plan that I want to run by you.”

Highlander watched while Laura looked between him and the doctor. He watched as she fought the battle with herself between falling back into old patterns and trusting that everything was going to be ok.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I want my family back. I want my job back. I want to be healed as best as I can be.”

Highlander listened to her words and knew she was telling the truth. She was finally ready to heal that little girl part of her that had been so badly damaged.

“Good. Because these are going to be the hardest things for you to do. They need to be done for you to heal. You’ve done a major part of it with the shadow work, the mirror work, and the journaling.”

Highlander wanted to cringe at what was going to come next. Even he didn’t like what needed to be done, but knew it was what needed to come.

“What do I need to do, Dr. Hancock?”

“I want you to write eight letters. One to your mother. One to Joe. One to your biological father. One to your brother. One to your sister. One to David. One to your ex-husband and one to your grandmother. In each letter I want you to tell them how you feel. I want you to tell me in depth how what they did to you as a little girl, a teenager, an adult hurt you. In the one to Joe, I want you to tell me how his leaving when you needed him the most hurt you.” Dr. Hancock put up her hand when Laura started to protest. “I know you don’t blame him. But I also know a part of you, a very small part of you, does. I need you to tap into that part and tell me what you want to say to him but can’t.”

Highlander watched as Laura looked over at him with a slight fear in her eyes at that revelation. He knew she was angry with him for leaving. He also knew she felt it had to happen to get her to wake up.

“Ok. Then what?”

“Then I want you to send me a video of you with each letter that you have written. I want to see the words, Laura. Not just a few pages smashed together. I want to see words. Once you have shown me the words on each paper, I want you to light each letter on fire and let it burn in a fireproof bowl or pit. I want you to burn those angry words, those angry feelings and let them go with the wind. Then I want you to scream, loudly into the night. Let it all out. Then I want you to tell them, ‘I forgive you.’”

“Excuse you?”

“Laura, she’s right. Just because ye say that ye forgive them doesn’t excuse them for what they have done. It frees you from their grasp, their hold. It frees ye!”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you, Lt. He pretty much hit it on the head. By forgiving them, Laura, you’re releasing their hold on you. You’re breaking the chains they have on your soul. While I know your grandmother, brother, and new biological father aren’t a part of their trafficking ring and weren’t a part of the abuse you faced, you have anger toward them for not protecting you the way your inner child feels that they should have. This releases those walls completely. It heals that little girl and frees up space for your husband and your kids in your head. In your heart. In your soul.”

Well damn. She was deep.

“Once I do this, then Highlander and the kids will come home?” Laura’s voice sounded almost childlike that it nearly broke Highlander’s heart.

“I think we should date,” Highlander said, remembering what Dr. Hancock said.

“I think we skipped that phase when we started living together and got married.” Laura chuckled, making him chuckle just a little.

“Aye. We did. It changes nothing, lass. I want our marriage. I want our family. I have to agree with Dr. Hancock. We need to find each other again. I know deep down that I love ye and always will. I think we need to relearn each other. We need to rebuild our trust in each other. If I’m not on an assignment, I think we should have two date nights. One with the kids and one with just the two of us.”

“Can’t we do that with you living at home?” Laura started to panic.

Highlander could hear the panic in her voice. Pulling her into his arms, having her sit in his lap, he held on to her until she calmed down.

“Lass, if the kids and I come home while we do this, we will both fall back into old habits. Old patterns. All the hard work ye have put in to heal that little girl inside of ye will be for naught. Nothing changes the fact I love ye, Laura. But we need to do the work to make us work. I am willing to do it if it means ye are healed and we can truly be a family.”

“Is this because of the rape?” Laura retreated into herself as she looked into his eyes.

“No! Ah, Laura. That will never take ye away from me. The only person who can take me away from ye is ye. Ye are the only one who can shatter my heart into a million pieces. I’m willing to do the work, whatever the doctor feels that ye need to do so that ye are healed. That is all that I want. When ye are ready, and I mean truly ready, then I would love nothing more than to wrap myself around ye. Be inside of ye again.”

“Ok. I can do it.”