Heart, you've been searching Heart, you've been longing for A way through this life To end this terrible fight Waiting for the dark to rain into a glorious light
Heart, there's a reason Heart, there's a season The time is near I long to make it appear To take away this endless day That keeps you bound to your fear
And all the while you're searching for the answer, Well the answer's before you Blinded by the lie that says I'm not here Well I'm right here, I love you...
To love you - Take my world apart.
Nick opened his front door to find a frazzled Kindlin on the doorstep. Her hair was tousled and her forehead had a scratch on it that was bleeding. But it wasn't her physical appearance that scared Nick the most... her eyes appeared to be sunken and full of fear.
"Kin??" Nick's eyes were wide with his own terror. He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her inside, immediately wrapping his arms around her fragile, and shaking, form.
Nick realized just how hysterical she was as she began to sob, almost convulsing in his arms. He couldn't make out anything of what she was trying to relay to him, but he knew she was trying to tell him something important.
"Shhh... Hon, calm down... Whatever it is, it'll be okay," he spoke quietly, smoothing down her hair with his hand.
Finally Kindlin calmed down enough to speak, though her voice was still wavering and her body was still trembling against him, "I-I was... I was attacked."
Nick's eyes widened again, this time with anger. He knew he had to be calm and collected for Kindlin, though. He pulled away from her gently, his hands resting on her shoulders, "You're bleeding, Kin," he murmured, touching her forehead lightly.
Tears grew in Kindlin's eyes again, "I was so scared, Nick..." her voice sounded like she was far away. Suddenly her eyes connected with his again, "I must have gotten scratched during the... the..."
"During the what, Kin??" his eyes blazed with hatred for whoever had done this to her. Had she been raped? When had she gotten scratched?! During the WHAT?
"During the attack. That's all."
He led her into the kitchen and sat her down at the counter, standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face, "Kindlin, how did you get away from, from him?"
There was a pause, and finally Kindlin got up the courage to retell the story, "I was at that dumpy store, because the main one is being remodeled. And I had just finished shopping, and I was packing the groceries into the back of my car when I heard something behind me. I turned around, but didn't see anything, so I went and unlocked my door, and suddenly somebody came up behind me and grabbed my hair and started pulling me away from my car..." her lip trembled as she spoke. "I... I tried everything, I was kicking and screaming and moving around, trying to get out of his grasp, but nothing was working and no one could hear me. I even tried pepper spray, but nothing stopped him... so... so I reached up and um..." She lifted her fingers to his face, showing the small pieces of muscle strands buried deep under her fingernails, "I pinched him just below the arm pit... really hard."
Nick gulped, but said nothing as he looked at her fingernails.
"That gave me enough time to knee him, until he was in too much pain to try and get me... I ran to my car and left, quickly."
Nick pulled her into his arms and held her tight, kissing her ear through her hair, "Oh Kindlin... I knew something was wrong. I was reading a story to Ashley, to help her sleep better, and I suddenly had the strangest feeling in my stomach... I knew something was wrong, but I checked on all the kids, and they were all fine. So I called your cell phone, but it said you were unavailable. Kin, I was so worried. I was about to get all the kids in the car and drive over to your house to check on you, but you came to my door instead," tears were in his eyes as he gazed down at her, so glad that she was safe now. "I don't know what I would have done if something would have happened to you, not to mention how that would have affected the kids..." he paused, before clearing his throat and straightening up. "C'mmon, let's go clean up that cut," he grabbed her hand and led her to his bathroom, gesturing for her to jump up onto the counter.
Nick stood in front of her and cleaned her cut, as Kindlin winced in discomfort. When they were done, they went into his bedroom to call the police.
To need you - I am on my knees.
~ * ~
To love you - Take my world apart.
Nick watched as Kindlin slept in his bed, rolled up in a ball. Every now and then she'd begin to toss and turn and Nick would merely hold her hand and she would calm down. He stayed up for hours, watching her, just wondering what had happened to their marriage before. This was the first time that he had been near her for such a long period of time, in a long while. It was strange to him... after all, she was still his wife... it seemed weird that to be near her felt different.
Finally, at 3 in the morning, he stood up silently and left the room, walking into Alex's bedroom and falling asleep in the spare bed. It was two hours later when Nick awoke to the sound of Kindlin crying down the hall. He got out of bed and walked to his bedroom, being quiet not to wake their children. He opened the door to find Kindlin sitting up, her hair matted with sweat, her clothes sticking to her body. It was obvious she'd had a nightmare.
"Oh, Kin," he whispered, walking to the bed and sitting down in front of her. "It's gonna be okay, I promise."
Kindlin nodded, knowing he was right. She just couldn't get the fear to leave her, "I'm scared, Nicky."
She sounded so frightened, Nick's heart broke. "I know, sweetie," he pulled her close and held her until she fell asleep again.
To need you - Broken, on my knees.
...Then my voice, calling out soft and low, 'Take the doubts within your heart And melt them all like the snow'
Blinded by the lie that says I'm not here Well I'm right here, I love you
Heart, there's a reason Heart, there's a season
(Ohhh, there's a reason) (Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh) (Yeah, there's a season) (Ohh, ohh, ohhh) (Ohh, ohh, ohhh-oh) (Oh-oh-ohh... ohh-ohh) (Yeah, there's a season)
-Heart, by Matthew Ward (With: Kelly Willard)
