Blake stands at the bottom of the steps as he watches Gwen walk up to head to bed. Today was a long day, her first full day out of the hospital. He walks around checking all the locks before heading up himself. As he walks by Gwen's room he notices her light is still on so he goes to knock, that's when he hears her crying. He would recognize that sound anywhere. It's the sound of his heart breaking. He knocks, opening the door just a crack.
"Gwen are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm ok." She says in between sniffs.
"Really cause it doesn't sound like it." He says as he push the door open
Gwen is sitting in the middle of her bed with the photos Blake had gotten out of the storage box scattered all around. Blake walks over to her bed moving some of the pictures and sitting next to her. She turns and puts her head on his chest wrapping her arms around him. He starts rubbing circles on her back.
"Wanna talk about it?" He asks
"I miss them so much." Sniff back a sob
"If you don't mind me asking, why haven't you seen them?"
Gwen turns leaning her back against Blake's chest and picks up a picture of, what he thinks, must be her with her mom and dad. Her hand shakes as she looks at the photo. Blake rubs her arm hoping to give her any amount of comfort and support he can.
"We" she starts but stops
"I" she starts again but stops
"Gwen it's ok take your time. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
They sat there for a few minutes in the quiet Blake rubbing Gwen's arm.
"Gavin and I had been together a year and a half when he left." She takes a deep breath before continuing "My mom never liked him. She only tolerated him for me. We had been dating like six months when it all happened. He had one of his famous blow ups before storming out of my parent's house; so my mom and sister-in-law took me in the kitchen. Jen told me she had seen Gavin kissing another woman at a bar one night. She had gone out for girls night and he was at the bar with some other women. I didn't even let them finish. I screamed at them. Told them they didn't love me if they were willing to make stuff up like that. I yelled at them asking why was it that they couldn't just be happy for me, that I had found a man who loved me. I stormed out after him but he had already left with the car so I walked down the street and called an Uber. When I got home he wasn't there. He came home that night late and wasted. I told him the next day what they said and he promised it was a lie that he would never do that to me. I believed him. I haven't seen them since. He left right after I went in for treatment and I haven't had the guts to call them."
"Gwen it's not your fault he manipulated you."
"But it is my fault. I believed him over my own mom. What kind of person turns their back on their mom, on their family?"
"One that's desperate to be loved. Gwen he had you in his grasps. He manipulated the situation it's not all your fault."
"Thanks Blake. I just miss them so much."
"No one said you couldn't call them now. I think it would be good for you Gwen. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, I promise, but the more support you can have the better ya know."
"What would I even say. I bet they are so disappointed in me."
"I guarantee you they miss you more than anything. How about this. Tomorrow if you aren't feeling too bad, I'll sit here with ya and ya call your mom. If everything works out we can go see them or they can come visit ya here, whatever works to get you back to your family."
