When all our tears have reached the sea Part of you will live in me, Way down deep inside my heart The days keep coming without fail New wind is gonna fill your sail That's where your journey starts
You'll find better love Strong as it ever was Deep as a river runs Warm as the morning sun Please remember me
Just like the waves down by the shore We're gonna keep on comin' back for more 'Cause we don't ever wanna stop Out in this brave new world you seek Oh, the valleys and the peaks And I can see you on the top
You'll find better love Strong as it ever was Deep as a river runs Warm as the morning sun Please remember me
Remember me when you're out walkin' When snow falls high outside your door Late at night when you're not sleeping And moonlight falls across your floor When I can't hurt you anymore
You'll find better love Strong as it ever was Deep as a river runs Warm as the morning sun Please remember me Please remember me
-Please Remember Me, by Tim McGraw
Kindlin laid on the living room couch, for hours, thinking of all the things that she had done so wrong, after Nick left that Saturday. Why couldn't she let her daughter go, trust her in the hands of the Lord, grieve for her, but continue to live? She'd ruined her marriage because of her own internal burdens that she couldn't let go of. She thought of all the times that Nick had wanted to make love to her, but she'd refused him. How could she make love, the beautiful act that had resulted in Andraya, when her child had died?? She didn't know how that made sense... she just knew that to her, somehow, it did. She also knew that had been a big thing for Nick, because he didn't understand why the death of their child had to interfere with their marriage. He was mourning for Andraya, Kindlin was mourning for Andraya, but they were still married.
Kindlin picked herself up from the couch, finally, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She loved Nick so much. But she'd messed everything up so badly.
~ * 2 Months Later * ~
Kindlin grabbed Aaron's hand as her and her children walked up the driveway to the front door of Nick's condo. She dropped Alex's little overnight backpack on the front step as she rang the doorbell, sighing as Alex tromped through Nick's bushes.
"Stop it, Alex," she snapped firmly, irritated with his poor behavior.
Nick opened the door then, his hair wet from his shower and his shirt thrown over his bear shoulder. Kin sighed in annoyance at his good looks. She wasn't having a good day! It had been hectic, and she was tired and PMSing.
"Ashley, Aisya, get out of the dirt!!"
Nick raised his eyes at her, a smirk on his face, as he hugged Alex 'hello,' "Bad day, Kin?"
Kin sighed, "Sorry. Here's Aaron's bag. The other kids are holding their own."
Nick nodded, "Thanks for bringing 'em over... I'll have 'em back to you by Sunday night."
She felt like she was lending her children out to him, by the way he was talking. She looked at him for a minute, before kissing their children and walking back down to her car.
~ * The Next Week: 9 p.m. * ~
Kindlin stepped from the store and out into the dark, empty parking lot. She suddenly remembered why she hated that store so much. The main Ruskin store, that Kindlin usually shopped at, was closed for remodeling, and the small, dumpy store, that she'd just finished shopping at, was the next closest thing to her house.
As she placed the last grocery bag into the back of her Toyota Supra, she could have sworn she'd heard footsteps behind her... but as she turned around she found nothing but a very dimly lit parking lot. She rolled her eyes at herself, but pulled her pepper spray from her purse anyway. She slammed the trunk and walked to the drivers side, and just as she slid her key into the lock she was grabbed from behind by her long hair.
~ * ~
Nick's stomach tightened suddenly as he was reading Ashley a bed time story. He stopped reading as the feeling grew even more intense.
Ashley looked at him, concerned. She tended to get a very sophisticated 'Are you alright?' look on her face, because she was often very mature and intellectual for her young age. "Papa? What's wrong?"
Nick looked down at his daughter, and forced a smile as he ruffled her long, curly brown hair, that reminded him so much of her mother's, "Nothing, Ash honey. I'm fine. Can we finish the story tomorrow night, maybe? I'm gonna go check on Aaron, is that okay?"
She nodded, always being the most understanding and selfless child that Nick and Kindlin had had, "Sure, Papa. Goodnight, I love you."
Nick smiled down at her with love in his eyes, "I love you too, baby girl." He kissed her forehead and tucked her in, before heading out of the room and down the hall to Aaron's bedroom. He didn't understand why he'd suddenly gotten such a strong feeling from deep within him. It was that feeling that people get when something's wrong, but he didn't know what it could be. He had to check on all of his children... make sure that nothing had happened to them. But as he looked down at Aaron, asleep peacefully, he breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, he hadn't checked on Alex or Aisya yet. He ran out of the room and to their individual bedrooms, finding that both of them were completely safe, and completely asleep.
Nick headed down the staircase, confused. He walked into the kitchen and got a glass from the cupboard, and a can of Mountain Dew from the fridge. What could be wrong? Suddenly Kindlin flashed through his mind, and that same panicked feeling enveloped him. "Oh my gosh," he whispered, grabbing the phone off of the counter and dialing her cell phone quickly.
"We're sorry. This Airtouch Cellular user is currently not available. To leave a message, please press 1 and we will attempt to deliver your message. Thank you!"
~ * ~
Kindlin screamed as the man pulled harder on her hair, and wrapped her in a firm hold, as he attempted to drag her away from her car and away from the store... possibly to his own. She screamed, and kicked, and cried, and flailed, but he was strong and nothing was working. And no one was hearing her.
Oh my gosh, this can't be happening! her thoughts kept returning to her children, and to Nick, who was still her husband - even if he didn't love her anymore. Lord Jesus, please, dear God... help me!
Kindlin suddenly realized she had pepper spray in her hand. Her arms were being held down by the man's arms, but she could still bend her wrist upwards and maybe the spray would go to his eyes. She tried, and heard him grunt, but he continued to drag her towards his Buick. She'd heard of men being in such maddened rages, of men being so incredibly psycho, that pepper spray, nor mace, hardly fazed them.
"Let go of me!!!" Kindlin screamed at the top of her lungs, kicking and squirming as much as she could, hoping that maybe it would stop him. "You stupid prick, get off of me!!!!!!!!"
Nothing was working, and Kindlin was not only scared out of her mind, but was beginning to get pissed off. How could a man be so out of his mind to do such a thing to a woman?! These kinds of things had always infuriated her, and that anger that she was feeling suddenly became overpowering, as she reached her hand up to the tender skin just below his arm pit. She dug her nails into his flesh, with all the might that was taking over her body, and pulled, gouging her fingers into his skin so deeply that muscle strains began to come from his arm.
The man screamed in pain, and Kindlin took the opportunity of his defenses lowering, and turned, kneeing him in the groin with all her might, repeatedly. The man was bent over in anguish as Kindlin continued to punch him, knee him, slap him, and basically beat the crap out of him.
Finally when he was so far gone, and didn't even want to get her in his car any longer, Kindlin ran as fast as she could to her car. She fumbled with her keys quickly, and shakily stuck them in the lock, opening the door and getting in. She began to sob violently as she peeled her car out of the parking lot and onto the main road. She knew her car could go fast, and she was certainly going fast, as she headed towards Nick's condo.
