━━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

"Hey," Cami squealed as she peeked her head around Luna's door. "Several visitors have arrived, and I saw my parents in the lounge. I believe they're sitting next to your family." 

Nodding, Luna finished wrapping her hair into a tight ponytail and prepared herself for Visitor's Day. She wanted to put on a brave smile to have a good visit with her family. Ten full days since she had seen them, and she wondered how everything has been going since she's been away.

"Thank you."

"Ready?" Cami asked, looping her arm through Luna's. 

"Yeah. Being away from my little girl for this long has been a struggle. This will have long-lasting psychological issues pushed on her, and I hate for Sarah to see me like this." 

"Just smile and be there for them. Sarah needs to see her mother happy."

Cami gave her a quick hug before they walked into the corridor.

As soon as they crossed into the Visitor's room, Luna saw Liberty standing beside the window with Sarah and Vikram sitting on a couch. When Liberty looked up, the three of them noticed Luna and jumped up. Sarah rushed toward her mother and hugged her waist.

"Mommy! I've missed you!"

"I know, baby girl. I've missed you, too," said Luna, holding her daughter in her arms.

Liberty walked closer to her sister with tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Luna . . ."

Lifting her head, Luna sniffed Liberty's sweet cotton candy fragrance off her skin and noticed the earrings she'd given her for Christmas; a set of pearls with diamonds in the middle. "You're wearing them, I see."

"Vikram suggested it to me. I wanted to wear the beads you gave me for my birthday, but he said if I wear these instead it may make you feel better."

"Aw, thank you." Luna reached over and hugged him. "I'm glad you guys are here."

"Sure Luna," Vikram said, giving her a gentle smile. "It's good to see you."

Luna glanced over and watched Cami holding both of her parents, smiling up at them. She had her father's big lips and her mother's beautiful eyes. Cami's father was from Nigeria and her mother was from Iceland. Luna thought those two people created a beautiful and loving person together.

Turning her attention back to her family, they gathered themselves around a square table and sat down. Luna pulled out a coloring sheet for Sarah and looked back at Liberty, who had a frown on her face. 

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. I have a few friends here and now I can see you guys. Things are looking up," Luna told her, putting on a brave face.

She couldn't tell them exactly what's been going on in the facility. She didn't even care to think about it.

"Are you sure?" Liberty questioned.

"Yeah, peachy." 

Luna half smiled and glanced down at Sarah's sheet. She didn't color outside the lines and was now getting better at it. Her birthday was soon, and Luna feared she wouldn't be able to see her. She didn't trust this hospital or what the staff may promise in return.

So this moment was the only time she could be around the people who mattered to her. She even made a colorful basket with plastic flowers in it and cut out Barbie doll figures as a small present for Sarah.

"It still amazes me how long you've been in here. Once you're shown you've made progress by Dr. Kim, you can be transferred to a facility that's in Houston. I'll have arrangements in place." 

"Thank you, Liberty, for everything you're trying to do for me. It means a lot."

"No problem, Luna. You're my sister."

She narrowed her eyes and sighed. "I wonder about my home, and Otis and Julius. I miss them." 

Liberty took Luna's hand and smiled. "Don't worry about your bills or anything at the house. We'll dip into the family account and take care of everything for you. Your dogs will also be okay. I'll talk with Raul to see if he'll watch them for you. If I can remember correctly, he loves them." 

Luna laughed. "He does. Hopefully, he'll watch them for me. He had every time Chase, Sarah, and I took family vacations and we needed an animal sitter."

"Do you know what's going on with your studio?" Liberty sat up straighter and looked at Luna, waiting for her answer.

"I'm not sure. No one's told me anything."

"I went by there with Sarah today, and there was a sign posted by he-who-shall-not-be-named," Chase, Luna got her, "that was disgraceful. I tore it down and put up a new sign as a reason your business is closed."

"I swear, Lib, I have never hated anyone more in my life until that man betrayed me, our family, and my trust. He will not get away with it."  

"If you hate what he's done now, you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you," she warned, her eyes staring into her sister's. "He made sure your payments for the rent were not sent in. I was looking through the bills at the studio and there's an inquiry for a late payment. It's stated that you hadn't paid since March." 

"What!" 

Several people glanced their way. Luna didn't mean to yell so loudly, but she couldn't contain it. It was a good thing that Sarah was coloring, so she could talk to Liberty without her hearing what was said.

"I'm always on time. The bank would get in touch with me about an unpaid bill," Luna whispered.

"Unless Chase diverted your calls. He could have done something on your phone to prevent the calls from coming to you, or he changed the contact number. Either way, he wanted to make you lose your business." 

"He can't do this to me," Luna said, her lips trembling. 

"Do you know why he'd want you to lose the studio?" 

Luna glanced at Sarah as Vikram was on the other side of her, helping her color a sun above her dollhouse. She then turned her gaze back at Liberty and pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head.

There was only one reason why Chase would prevent any of her studio's bills from being paid. 

"Jealousy. Chase was a jealous freak, and he couldn't handle the friendship I have with Raul. That has to be it." 

"Isn't Raul arranged for someone?" 

"Yeah, but that didn't matter to him. Chase was jealous of anyone who came near me. But yet, I caught him with Nia in our bed. He couldn't even take her to a sleazy motel." 

Liberty shook her head. "I'm still surprised you took him back after that."

"Actually, I had mine and Sarah's stuff packed one evening," she said. "He came home early for dinner and saw me loading the Range Rover with our things."

"You were ready to leave him?" Liberty asked, and Luna nodded. "What changed your mind?"

"He asked if we could sit down and talk, so that's what we did."

Luna sniffed as she glanced between her sister and Sarah, then continued. "He led me to believe he'll change. And he . . . he begged for a second chance. Because I loved him, I wanted to give him that."

This was difficult for her to admit because she loved Chase and hoped he'd change. But she also feared after realizing he has given her unknown medication he'd probably done the same to make her change her mind. She shuddered just thinking about it.

"When did this happen?"

"Two days before he proposed to me."

Her mouth opened. "So his proposal was a last-ditch effort to keep you. Wow."

Luna sniffed and nodded.

Liberty groaned inwardly while trying to keep a level gaze at Luna. "He's done so much damage to everyone, and especially for Sarah. Before we came in here, he texted me." 

"Oh, Lord. What does he want?" 

"It was about seeing her." Liberty motioned down to Sarah. "He wanted to see her before we go back to Texas. I texted him no. Not without her mother being around. He tried to beg for a supervised visit. Like at a park or a restaurant or something."

"That will never happen," Luna said. "This hospital was one of his many antics to control me. He always tried to persuade me to do things until I . . ." Luna trailed off, not wanting to talk about her last moments with Chase. 

"Until what?"

"I don't want to get into it right now."

"I understand, but if you need to talk to me or Vikram even, we're here for you. We have your back every step of the way, sis." 

Liberty squeezed Luna's hand, and then she reached over to her, wrapping her into a tight hug.

"What are you guys doing after this?"

"We will stay in New Orleans for two more days and then head home. We'll be back for Sarah's birthday, and we're going to visit haunted mansions and houses we've heard about." Liberty turned her neck to Vikram and smiled at him, then looked back at Luna. "Do you want to hear some good news?"

"Sure."

"We've set a timeframe for our wedding. It'll be around fall next year. But we will also wait until everything is fine with you first. Because Luna . . . You are my maid of honor."

"Aw. That's a great season for weddings. God, I miss doing photography sessions in the fall. The colors are so beautiful and people are more relaxed while getting their pictures taken. I just miss the outside overall."

"Luna," Vikram spoke up. "I'm going to speak to Dr. Kim about having you sent to the location near our place. Over there, you wouldn't have to be so cooped up."

"You don't have to do that," she uttered, her voice cracking. "I don't like this facility, but Dr. Kim may not listen." 

"Mommy?" Sarah said, inching closer to her.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"When can you come home?"

Right then, Luna couldn't hold it in anymore and broke down into tears. Lowering her head on the table, she felt a set of arms and hands grabbing her in different directions. As she glanced up, she noticed Amir standing behind her with his hand running up and down her back. The tears he shed for her had fallen onto her shirt, and then he gazed at Sarah, his lips trembling.

Amir was already emotional about them, and feeling the emotions inside of him, for Sarah's sadness, hurt Luna. The feelings were strong and almost smothering.

Luna couldn't talk to him or truly look his way because then they would notice. However, she noticed something that struck her.

Vikram.

He was staring at Amir. Vikram was a Tethered Soul.

━━━─── • ───━━━