It only took half an hour for Sayer to show up and collect Jimbo. The girls hugged and more tears were shed as I hustled Salem out the door and we rushed to the airport. Both of us were jittery and anxious as we trudged through security and waited impatiently to board. Since neither of us had slept the night before, nodding off as soon as the plane hit cruising altitude was bound to happen, and when the wheels touched down and we both jerked awake, it was with the knowledge that someone we both loved was hurt, alone, and more than likely fundamentally changed by the recent tragedy she had just survived. It made the vibe between us heavy and thick, but we held on to one another and didn’t let go.

At the hospital it was a little bit of work to get in to see Poppy. There were still a bunch of law enforcement officials running around and the media was lurking like vultures. The nursing staff knew who Salem was right away and started to usher her back, but she didn’t want to go without me. Since I wasn’t immediate family they weren’t going to let me in to see Poppy. I thought it was more important that Poppy see a familiar face than it was to fight the rules, but Salem was having none of it. And in her typical way she charmed and maneuvered everyone that she needed to in order to get me clearance to go into the room with her.

I almost wished I had stayed in the hall. Poppy looked dreadful. Her face was practically deformed from the beating she had endured. Her hair was a tangled and matted mess that had dried blood caked in the strands, and even though both of her eyes were black and blue and swollen to the point that I had no idea how she could see out of them, I could see the weird, hollow cast in the typically glowing depths. She just looked beyond broken, and while I wanted to turn around and pretend like none of it had happened, Salem marched right in and scooped her sister up in a gentle hug as they rocked together around the tubes and monitors that were plugged into Poppy.

There was no regret. There were no useless words of condolence. All Salem could do was hold Poppy as she cried and cried. There was nothing that was going to make the situation, or her sister, any better and Salem knew that, so she just offered up her strength, which was really the only thing that Poppy needed at the moment. I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself, so I just hovered by the doorway and watched the heartbreaking scene unfold. As a man that cared about these two women, who had loved both of them in different ways for a lifetime, it filled me with impotent rage that they were both suffering so deeply and there was nothing I could do about it. If Oliver hadn’t already been dead I felt like I would start a manhunt so I could take him out myself.

Poppy must have felt the heat that my anger and unease were putting off because she tapped the hospital bed next to her hip and motioned me over.

I sat down as delicately as I could and picked up her hand. Her fingernails were all broken off and tattered and there were black finger marks from her wrist to her elbow. Whatever Oliver had inflicted on her, she had fought back like a champ. It was never easy to see anyone like this, let alone someone that was important to you.

“I’m so glad you guys had each other while this was going on.” Her voice was scratchy and sounded like it took a whole lot of effort to make it work. She squinted at me out of her puffy eyes and I could see her sincerity and her heart shining back at me. “I know this had to be pretty hard for both of you.”

I never wanted to lose anyone I loved ever again, but this incident, this act of senseless violence and maliciousness, made it very clear that no matter what choices I made, fate very well might have other plans and loss was just a part of life. It was a far better idea to enjoy the time I had with those that matter than it was to obsess and worry over what would happen when that time ran out.

“All that matters is that you’re okay and that we get to take you home.”

She turned her head to look at Salem and then let her battered eyes drift shut. “I don’t even know where home is anymore. That’s what Oliver kept saying to me: ‘You belong at home with me.’ What kind of home looks like this?” I saw her tremble and saw Salem’s spine go stiff.

“Home is where there are people that love you and need you. Home is where you belong no matter what your faults are or what your life looks like to others. Home is where you can leave but always know it’s there to go back to. Poppy, home is where I am. Home is where Rowdy is. You’re coming back to Denver with us so we can take care of you and get you some help.”

That was the final fight. Salem wasn’t going to let it all rest until she had it out with her father for the final time. She was going to cut the ties, break the strings that kept her and Poppy tied to the past, break them for good. She was going to go back to Loveless.

Everything inside of me wanted to demand that she let me go with her. I wanted to be her dragon slayer, her offensive line, but I knew I had to let her go alone. I had to let her go so she could come back. I had to let her do it alone because it wasn’t my fight. I would take care of Poppy and make sure she was okay while Salem did her best to set them both free.

Poppy didn’t have the energy to argue or talk much more. I knew Salem was going to want to stay at her side, so I left the two of them alone and went to update everyone back home about what was going on. The troops did what they always did and rallied. Rule and Nash told me not to worry about work. Cora asked me if I needed her to pack up the baby and drive down to New Mexico. Ayden told me she would go get the dog and was stunned when I told her my sister already had him. That was going to have to go on the top of the to-do list when I got back to D-town. Everyone was going to have to meet Sayer, since she was obviously going to be a big part of my life moving forward.

It took two more days until Poppy was released and the police were done with her. By that time we were all ready to be back home. Poppy was sick of being poked and prodded and the constant reminders of what had happened to her. She was also arguing vehemently with Salem about her plan to return to Loveless and confront their father. Poppy just wanted her to let it go, but Salem was adamant that she was going to get Poppy’s things and have some final words with their dad. I was trying to stay out of it because I saw both sides of the argument and I knew there was no stopping Salem once she had her mind made up about something. In fact I was going to fly home with Poppy and get her situated while Salem was renting an SUV and driving to Loveless from New Mexico. It was a situation that had both sisters uneasy for different reasons.

On the day Poppy was finally discharged we were standing in front of the hospital waiting for the taxi to take us to the airport and I could tell Salem had something on her mind. She was fidgety, playing with her hair, and wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. After five minutes I had had enough and hauled her to me by her upper arms so that we were eye to eye. I kissed her on the tip of the nose while she dangled there and told her softly,