Chapter 79

The car ride home was quiet. Raymond drove carefully, constantly glancing at me through the rearview mirror to make sure I was okay. Sophia sat in the back with me, her hand holding mine, offering silent comfort.

As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed the lights in the living room were still on in the house despite the late hour. The front door opened before we even reached it, and Samantha appeared, her face etched with concern.

"Ms. Claire," she said softly as Raymond helped me out of the car. "We've been so worried about you. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Samantha," I assured her, though my voice was tired. "Just exhausted."

"Belle has been asking about you all evening," Samantha said as we entered the house. "She refused to go to sleep. She kept saying she needed to wait for you to come home."

My heart squeezed at those words. "She's still awake?"

"Yes, in the living room," Samantha confirmed. "I tried to get her to bed several times, but she was adamant. She said she was worried about you."

As if on cue, I heard small footsteps running toward us. Belle appeared in the hallway, her eyes red from crying, her face lighting up the moment she saw me.

"Miss Claire!" she cried out, running toward me but stopping just short, as if afraid to touch me. "You're home! I was so scared. Mama said you were at the hospital and I thought something really bad happened. I missed you so much."

I knelt down slowly, ignoring the soreness in my body, and opened my arms. Belle immediately threw herself into them, hugging me tightly.

"I'm okay, sweetheart, and I missed you too." I whispered, stroking her hair. "I'm perfectly fine now though, so you don't need to worry."

"But why did you go to the hospital?" Belle asked, pulling back to look at my face, her small hands touching my cheeks as if to make sure I was really there. "Were you sick? Did you get hurt?"

"I had a little accident," I said carefully, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to tell her the full truth. "But the doctors fixed me up and now I'm all better. See? I'm home and I'm safe."

Belle studied my face intently, then nodded slowly. "Okay. But you promise you're really okay?"

I nodded.

"I promise," I said, kissing her softly on her forehead.

Sophia moved forward and gently took Belle's hand. "Come on, baby. Miss Claire needs to rest now, and you need to get to bed. It's very late."

"But I want to stay with Miss Claire, mama." Belle protested, though her words were interrupted by a yawn.

"You know you need to go to bed now, Belle. I'll still be here in the morning," I assured her. "I'm not going anywhere. We can have breakfast together, okay?"

Belle looked between me and her mother, then finally nodded. "Okay. But you have to promise you'll be here when I wake up so that we can have breakfast together just like you said."

"Of course, I promise." I said again, smiling at the intelligence from such a very young child.

Sophia led Belle toward the stairs, and I could hear the little girl's voice drifting back: "Mama, I was so scared. I thought Miss Claire might not come back."

"But she did come back," Sophia said gently. "And she's safe. That's what matters."

Raymond helped me up from my kneeling position, steadying me when I swayed slightly. "Let's get you to bed," he said softly.

Samantha appeared with a glass of water and the pain medication the hospital had prescribed. "Please take these before you sleep," she instructed, politely. "And if you need anything during the night, anything at all, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you so much, Samantha," I said, swallowing the pills. "Thank you for taking good care of Belle too "

"Of course, ma'am," Samantha said warmly. "That's what I'm here for and besides, she is such a sweet child. Now, please get some rest."

Raymond walked me upstairs to my room. At my door, he paused and looked at me with such intensity that I knew he was about to say something important.

"Claire, I know I already apologized, but I need to say it again," he began. "I'm so sorry for how I treated Wilson. I let my fear and panic override my judgment, and I almost drove away the man who saved your life. I'll never forgive myself for that."

"Raymond, it's okay," I said, placing my hand on his arm. "You were scared. I understand that. And if I were in your position, I probably would have reacted the same way."

"But that doesn't make it right," Raymond insisted. "And I promise you, from now on, I'll trust your judgment more. I'll always remember that you're the older sibling, and that you can take care of yourself, and you don't need me constantly trying to protect you from everything."

I smiled tiredly. "I appreciate that, but Raymond, I do need you. Just not as an overprotective bodyguard. I need you as my brother, my partner, my friend. Can you be that for me?"

"Always," Raymond promised, pulling me into a gentle hug. "Always."

After Raymond left, I changed into comfortable pajamas and climbed into my bed. The familiar surroundings of my room, so different from the sterile hospital environment, brought a sense of comfort I hadn't realized I'd been craving.

As I lay there in the darkness, images from the day flashed through my mind. I shuddered, pulling the blankets tighter around myself. The therapist's card was on my nightstand, and I knew I would need to call her soon. This wasn't something I could just push down and ignore. The trauma was real, and it would take time to process and heal.

But for now, at this moment, I knew I was safe. I mean, I was home, surrounded by people who loved me.

I closed my eyes and finally let sleep claim me.