Back in his room, Howie quietly shed his pants and shirt, then wearing just his boxers, slid into his bed next to Rhiannon. He rested his head on his hand and watched her for a minute. The tension and worry that had etched her delicate features was gone, the tightness around her eyes smoothed away. Howie leaned over and gently brushed his lips over hers, then lay down, slipping his arms around her waist. With a sigh of relief that Rhiannon and Shane were finally away from David, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
The next morning Rhiannon woke up to bright sunlight streaming into the room through the cracks in the blinds. She blinked to clear her vision and became aware of a warm, comforting presence next to her. She turned her head and saw Howie. His breath was soft and even, his dark eyelashes resting on his smooth cheeks. He looked like an angel. As far as she was concerned he was.
Rhiannon tore her eyes away from Howie long enough to glance around the room. Shane was nowhere in sight, but she could hear his voice drifting down the hall and Nick's voice answering it.
"He's fine." Howie said sleepily, his voice muffled by his pillow. He slid his arms around her waist and sighed. Rhiannon turned to face him and smiled.
"Hey." She said softly.
"Morning." Howie grinned and reached up to brush a wayward lock of hair out of her eyes. "You feel better today?" He asked softly.
"More than just better." Rhiannon whispered. "I feel safe. Really safe, for the first time since I met him." She gently brushed her fingers over his lips. "Thank you."
Howie caught her hand in his and softly pressed his lips to her palm. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Later that day Howie and Rhiannon sat in the waiting area of the lawyer's office. Rhiannon was pale and nervous, her good hand grasping Howie's tightly. She jumped slightly when the phone on the secretary's desk rang loudly. The secretary smiled apologetically as she reached for the phone. A few moments later she hung up and smiled at Howie and Rhiannon.
"Mr. Dorough, Ms. Morgan? Mr. Harris can see you now."
Taking a deep breath, Rhiannon got to her feet and started toward the office door, still gripping Howie's hand like a lifeline. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Howie opened the door and they stepped into the office.
As they stepped into the room the lawyer, Mr. Harris, got to his feet smiling and shook their hands.
"Howard, good to see you again."
"You, too, Bill." Howie smiled. "This is my friend, Rhiannon. She wants to file for divorce."
"I see. Well, please have a seat." Bill indicated the two chairs in front of his desk. Howie and Rhiannon sat down while Bill returned to his seat.
"Okay. So, why do you want a divorce?" Bill asked, pulling a legal pad out of his desk.
Rhiannon swallowed hard and spoke for the first time. "He's abusive." She said softly.
"Bill, the broken wrist, the stitches, the black eye." Howie indicated Rhiannon's injuries. "Were inflicted by Rhi's husband last night." He held her hand gently. "He's been doing this since the beginning."
"I see." Bill made a note on his pad. "Are there any children involved in this situation?"
Rhiannon looked at Howie. "I have a son. But David is not his father and he never adopted him."
Bill looked up sharply. "Is the biological father involved in your son's life?"
"Yes, I am." Howie said firmly.
"Howie's always been there. Howie and our son, Shane, only just found out last night that Howie is his father." Rhiannon spoke up. "He's always been Shane's father, even when neither of them knew."
"If I may ask, why did they only find out recently?" Bill inquired.
"David knew as soon as Shane was born that he wasn't his father. He figured Howie must be and he threatened to hurt Shane if I told Howie." Rhiannon said softly.
Bill's eyes widened. "Well, getting sole custody won't be a problem. Howard, you're not interested in pursuing custody?"
"I won't have to. Rhiannon and I are... engaged to be engaged, I suppose you could say. We're just waiting for the divorce." Howie told him.
"That's good. That will help your custody case as well. Biological parents in a stable relationship." Bill wrote on his pad as he spoke. "Alright. I'll get the papers drawn up and sent to your husband." He paused. "I'll try to get this through as soon as possible for you."
"Thanks, Bill. We appreciate this." Howie said, getting to his feet and shaking Bill's hand again.
"No problem, Howard. And by the way, congratulations." He shook Rhiannon's hand, then led them to the door.
"Thank you." Rhiannon smiled, relieved that she was that much closer to being rid of David forever.
