The old country roads stretched out for miles. I pulled the sun visor down when the bright sun hit my eyes. We loaded Ms. Lindel's old Nissan Sentra up with food we'd serve for supper along with some other groceries for the week.

"Thanks for today," I said. "I really needed this. It was a lot of fun just getting away and seeing downtown Crittendale. It's very different from New Syracuse, that's for sure."

"Oh, I know it, sweetie. That New Syracuse is filth." Her nose crinkled as she spoke the town's name like a curse.

"Yeah, my dad hates it too. Wishes we'd move somewhere close to them," I replied. "I only moved there for my brother, Emmett. I didn't want him to be alone in a strange town."

Little did I know how he'd take control of that town and have the people feeding out of his pockets. Emmett studied business back in college, and he'd always been an intelligent student in school. He just got into a lot of fights then got involved with a hardcore gang back in Chicago, where everything went to hell.

"That's nice of you," Ms. Lindel said. "But is it what you really want?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I questioned.

She shook her head. "Sorry, that was too nosy of me. Just from what I've heard from Adam, it seemed like you don't really want to stay in that awful town."

"Well, I don't live in town," I told her. "I'm out in the countryside, away from all the horrible gangs. It's actually quite peaceful out there. Emmett helped me find the place, actually."

"Ah, I see. That's good."

"Why do you ask?"

Ms. Lindel sighed, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles whitened. "I probably shouldn't be saying this, but it's just... I thought maybe y'all would want the farmhouse whenever I pass. Don't worry, I'm not in bad health or anything. But let's be honest. I'm not getting any younger, and well, I don't think Adrian can handle it all by himself. I know Archie wants nothing to do with it either, and I'd fear him selling the place to pay for his drugs."

"Oh gosh. Have you spoken to your sons about this?" I asked her. "I don't wanna be put in the middle of something like this..."

"Heavens no. They think I'm gonna live forever." Ms. Lindel chuckled. "What I'd want is for all three of them to live together happily, but I know there's more likely a chance of hell freezing over before that happens."

"I mean, why do you think Adrian can't handle it?"

"He works long shifts, so he can't do everything. I have to help too," she explained. "Especially with the animals. I don't see Adrian settling down and having a family anytime soon either. That poor boy just picks the worst partners to be with. The last one was a huge piece of shit. Pardon my foul language, but it's true."

"Hmm. That would be something you'd have to discuss with them about. Who knows? A few years from now Adrian might find someone he wants to settle down with."

"I know. I wanted to bring it up to you, just in case you'd be interested. Later on, I'll talk to the boys about it too. Not right now though. Not with everything that's been going on," Ms. Lindel said.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

I was surprised Ms. Lindel would bring that up so suddenly. Relocating to Crittendale would be weird and Adam would most likely need to find another job nearby. He wouldn't be able to work at their police station either, not unless Adrian pursued a job elsewhere too.

Maybe she just trusted me enough to bring it up? I couldn't tell. She'd been so nice to me so far. I felt silly for thinking she'd resent me for no good reason.

Just as she made a sharp left around the bend, a car sped up behind us. Peering at the rearview mirror, I realized how close the car had gotten. It wasn't until it tapped the back of the bumper when I noticed it was a two-door car too.

Panic welled in my chest as Ms Lindel sped up, mumbled how incompetent drivers could be. Straining against my safety belt, I turned my head back to get a better look at the car. How the hell did she find me here? I hadn't told many people where I'd be, except for my closest friends, and even then, I didn't give them an address.

"I think it's her," I said, my voice barely coming out hoarsely. "She's come all this way to kill me. Maybe you too. I-I never should have come here. I've put you all in danger."

"Nonsense now." Ms. Lindel sped up, swerving tightly to make the next sharp loop. At least the road ahead was straight on, so she could speed up more. "Nobody's gonna hurt you on my watch. Reach in that glove box. If this crazy chick wants to fight, then we will. I ain't afraid to protect us."

Reaching into the glove box, I retrieved a semiautomatic pistol. It was heavy in my hands. Just the thought of shooting the bitch who'd been tormenting us sent a ripple of excitement through me. Imagining her blood being spilled across the pavement brought me more comfort than it should've.

Thankfully, we lost the car that had been tailing us after getting closer to the farm. Ms. Lindel turned the headlights off and parked in someone else's driveway to deceive the bitch after getting away from her. After that, Ms. Lindel returned to the road and got us back to the farmhouse unharmed.

Adam was ticked off after learning about what happened to us while driving home, but I could tell he was relieved too whenever he got up to hug us. It felt like it would never end. I'd never be able to live without the fear of being killed by my stalker. She even found us all the way out in Crittendale County and tried to run us off the road.

I hated how I put Ms. Lindel in danger just by being there. She didn't deserve that. While fixing supper for the family that night, I tried my best not to show how unnerved the incident really made me. I needed to be strong more than ever. Weakness wouldn't help anyone, nor would scaring anyone about my stalker breaking into the farmhouse in the middle of the night to kill us all in our sleep.

After talking more during supper, Ms. Lindel rose from her rocker near the fireplace and gestured for me to follow her.

"Come, dear. There's something I want to show you."

I looked back at Adam who shrugged. He clearly didn't know what she wanted to show me.

Ms. Lindel led me up into her small bedroom. Sunlight poured in from behind the blue bird curtains. I had a small path to walk, as her tiny room held many things–a Queen sized bed, a nightstand, a cedar chest, an old box television set, and a rocking chair. She had a few picture frames hung up on the beige walls of her sons when they were younger. My favorite was the one of Adam dressed up for Halloween as a Power Ranger.

She sat on the edge of her bed on top of the handmade quilt and propped open the old cedar chest. I wasn't sure what she wanted to show me, but when she pulled out a small box, my curiosity got stronger.

"My mother gave this to me on my sixteenth birthday." She opened the box and pulled out a beautiful silver angel necklace with a ruby-shaped heart. "It's been passed down from generations in the family, and now I want you to have it."

"I... I don't know what to say." I accepted the gift, shocked. "Um, thank you. Though, I'm not really sure why you're giving me this."

"My mother gave this to me when I started to lose faith and when my life seemed hopeless. I did some things I'm not very proud of as a rebellious teenager. She worried about me day and night. She wanted me to keep this close as a reminder that I always had a guardian angel watching over me. I thought it was silly at first, but I wore it out of respect for her," she explained. "Whenever I wore it, I always felt safer. My mother wanted me to pass it down to my daughter, but as you can see, I never had any girls."

"But why give this to me?" I asked. "You just met me."

"Oh, we've talked plenty of times over the phone and on Skype. This is just the first time we've gotten to see each other face to face. And Adam talks about you all the time. The first time we spoke, I felt like I already knew you," she replied. "Adam told me about what's been going on with the stalker and how you miscarried. I know you must be going through a tough time right now. You need to know you're not alone, and if this crazy chick tries to hurt you ever again, I'll get my shotgun out of that closet to defend you with."

"I was scared to come here because of her," I admitted. "I didn't want to put you and your family in harm's way."

"Oh, honey. I've already been through hell and back. Your little stalker doesn't scare me. You're safe here and always welcome to stay."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her. "I mean, if it isn't too personal to share."

"You're practically family to me, Everly. I don't mind sharing this with you," Ms. Lindel said. "About a month after my sixteenth birthday, I got involved with a very manipulative married man who I thought loved me. Looking back now, I can see how wrong it was for a man almost triple my age to want anything to do with me. I was still a child myself, but I never would've admitted that. I thought I was all grown up. I wasted three horrible years with David, and he never once tried leaving his wife like he promised me. I was an idiot in love, so I stayed. I used to pray to God to make him love me more like a fool. He only wanted one thing from me, and you do that long enough, accidents can happen. I ended up pregnant."

"With Adam and his brothers?"

"No, sugar. This was a few years before them. The man I was with wasn't happy at all about the pregnancy. It would be proof of his infidelity. So he beat me until I miscarried. I still remember that day so clearly. And how I begged for someone to love and care for me. I gave up on love, on God, on family..." She took a moment to wipe her eyes. "When my mother fell ill, I was able to escape David for a while. It was the best time of my life, being so far away from that bastard. Despite how my own mother suffered from cancer, she still focused all her worry on me. She knocked some sense into me and even went to threaten David herself for hurting me. I had someone who loved me more than life itself, yet I went chasing after some stupid man. She told me to keep that necklace I gave you as a reminder that she would always watch over me before she passed away and to pass it down to the daughter I'd someday have.

"A few years later, I met a kinder and gentler man. We got married and started a family of our own, but I learned having a baby would be more difficult than we thought. So we tried IVF. And, it ended up working a bit too good because we found out not only was I pregnant, but it was triplets. It scared me to death, of course, but excited too. My husband, however, wasn't happy. Him and the doctor tried to get me to consider selective reduction. Instead of having triplets, I would've had twins. They claimed it would be much safer to me and the babies' health. But I couldn't do it. Just the thought of getting rid of any of my babies was too painful. I didn't care how risky it would be. I couldn't let any of them go, not after how hard I tried to have them."

"Oh my God. I can't believe they'd actually try to get you to do that. How could they be so heartless?"

"They were just doing what they thought was right, hon. My husband decided he no longer wanted to be with me or raise a family, so he bailed. He was supposed to pay child support, but never did. I don't know what happened to him, and I honestly don't give a rat's arse. I had all three of my boys, although they were premature. I won't say it was easy, but with help from my family and my friends, I raised them. When I was a teenager, all I wanted was a man to love me. Now I have three young men who love me unconditionally. Love isn't always predictable or just about romance. It's about family."

"You went through so much... And yet you're still able to find happiness. Sometimes I worry that I can't give Adam the family he wants and deserves," I said, sniffling. "I even worry about not being a good mother. Maybe my miscarriage was God's way of telling me I shouldn't have kids."

"No, sugar. It wasn't your fault." She stood up and hugged me tightly. "Only time will tell that, honey. Miscarriages are sadly common, but usually women who have one go on to have healthy babies afterward. And, in your case, that crazy chick caused it. I hope and pray they catch her soon so you can have peace of mind. Nobody like her deserves to live for what she did to you. But I do know one thing for certain. You will be a great mom. You have a good heart and care so much."

"Thank you." I wiped away my tears. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

💀

I took another sip of my warm coffee as an abrasive gust of wind rushed against my face, rustling my hair. The moon peeked out from behind the swaying branches. Adam and I used to meet up all the time at night. With his work schedule and my gang affiliation, it was the only time we could be alone. We'd find 24 hour diners and just drive down vacant roads. I missed doing that. Adam had been stormed with work lately. The aquarium was the first trip we'd gone on in almost three months.

One time, we abandoned everything and took a trip to a village a few towns over. All because I told him I'd never went camping before. He used to go there all the time as a kid with his family. He even took time off from working so we could go, telling his supervisor it was to visit his family in Crittendale. I fabricated a story for Emmett about taking a trip with some new friends. He even gave me some extra cash to spend.

Closing my eyes, I could almost picture myself back there in the lukewarm water. We chased each other around like little kids, laughing until our stomachs hurt. Being together meant abandoning the hardships in our lives. We kept our relationship a secret for almost a year. Not because of shame, but because of safety. If word got out about a gang member hooking up with a cop, things wouldn't have ended well for either of us. But we still took the risk anyway.

I remember how scared I got when nightfall came. All those worries vanished when we crawled inside that tent. Just the memory of that night brought a blush to my face.

My heart ached as I reflected over those better times. How could I bring them back? I still loved Adam. I didn't question my feelings and whether they were wearing away. I knew they never would. But I wished I could rekindle the old sparks we had. That night at the aquarium, we almost did. A new beginning awaited us then, but she took it all away from us. She put out that spark.

My eyes watered. Probably from the wind. I wiped them with the sleeve of my hoodie, letting reality fade back.

"You good?" Archie asked, stepping outside onto the porch.

"Yeah," I murmured. "I think I'm gonna head back inside. It's too cold for me."

The door creaked as I pulled it open and stepped back inside. I kicked my pink boots off before heading back into to Adam's childhood bedroom. He snored soundly, deep in dreamland. He looked so peaceful and untroubled. I changed into comfier clothes and curled up beside him, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

I stroked my fingers through his soft, messy black hair and kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, baby."