Page 121 of The Valiant Knight
“I had one person I could call, and when it became so overwhelming, I sent her a text. I told her I was done. Elizabeth came and found me. She let me lie in bed and cry. She protected me when I was too weak. I learned in that moment that one good friend, or two, is all you really need. If you reach out and they come, you’re loved enough that you should stay. You stay for them, until you have a reason to stay for yourself.”
Gabby wiped her eyes.
All the people there were broken.
She’d been abused, Finn had a fear of abandonment, and Graham had issues too.
“Every day I fought, and it wasn’t easy, but saying goodbye to a friend who would hurt because I was a coward kept me here.”
Graham understood.
He’d promised Gryphen he’d stay, and he was fighting to keep that promise. Although, he was one travesty away from bottoming out.
“Then, I met my wife,” Tony said, pulling his phone out to show the man.
On the screen was a gorgeous woman with pretty eyes, and a caring smile. With her, there were two little ones. One favored her mother, and the boy looked like his dad.
“She’s lovely.”
He tapped it.
“She saves me every day. I had to chase her down, because I knew she was worth it. I knew that I couldn’t do this without her. She’s my peace and calm. Because I chased her down, I eventually found out the truth about my mother. She didn’t leave me. She was taken, forced to bear children, and then, was murdered.”
Graham was so sorry.
“Doctor, I don’t have words.”
He did.
“So, she led me to the truth, and that led me to my children,” he said, flipping to the next screen where there was a little girl holding a spider, and a boy smiling with his grin. “So you fight, and you keep fighting because what is now, is not always going to be forever.”
Graham went back to shoveling. Without saying another word. That was a lot to digest.
Tony went over and handed Gabby a tissue from his pocket.
“You okay, Honey?” he asked.
She leaned against him.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Finn was watching her, and thinking about what the man said.
He was tired of being alone.
It was time to take a chance. As soon as he could, he was going to make his move. Whether she had three days or three hundred, he didn’t want to wonder what could have been. Maybe he was meant to move fast with her.
It appeared his mind was made up.
For the next twenty minutes, they meticulously kept shoveling with Tony giving them instructions.
When someone’s shovel hit something, they all stopped.
It wasn’t down six feet, and that was alarming for Tony. It meant that it was buried hastily.
“Be careful,” he said, as the ground beneath their feet started to crumble.
Both men jumped, and managed to get out of the hole before whatever was over Ceit gave way.
