Page 88 of Gideon
“You remember the woman, though, right?” Delilah asked.
“Yes, as well as a few of the voices,” Talia explained. My eyes went to hers and we shared a look. It was a look of sadness, of shared truths and torture.
“You remember the woman?” I asked her carefully. It was the one part of this whole story I had not shared with Gideon or the brothers. The woman who cared for us while we were in the cabin.
“I do. I remember one of them at least,” Talia answered quietly. The look on her face told me everything I needed to know.
“You remember both of them?” I asked her carefully.
“I remember there was more than one woman who was at the cabin, but I only truly remember one of them,” she answered, with just as much caution.
“But you remember the one who was there most often?” I asked her, still hedging the conversation slightly.
“Why do I feel like the two of you are talking in code?” Delilah asked abruptly.
“Because they are. Now, hush,” Ruth chided, her eyes focused on Talia and me.
“So you know…” I trailed off, hoping she would catch my drift. With a deep sigh, she answered.
“If you mean, do I know that our mother-in-law was the woman who helped to torture us, then the answer is yes,” she answered with a firm confidence that I admired.
“Holy shit balls,” Delilah exclaimed in a near whisper.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ruth echoed her sentiments.
“Yeah, that’s the thing,” I added quietly, sitting back in my chair. The weight of that statement settled over us like a bombshell. It felt good to speak it out loud, to have the last of my story out in the open, at least in some measure.
“Mrs. Temple is the one who held you at that cabin?” Ruth asked solemnly.
“She was. One of them, at least. She was the primary person there for a while, then she seemed to split the duties along with another woman. Mrs. Rivers.” I needed a drink. It may only be mid-morning, but this was a heavy conversation. The more so for how early it was.
“How can you stand to even be in Zion, Naomi? Or you, Talia? After all, you remember?” Ruth asked quietly.
“I don’t remember as much as Naomi, but in all honesty, it’s been easy. My parents here in Zion were kind to me, at least. I didn’t even remember anything until recently, as you all know,” Talia answered.
“But you remember everything, Naomi,” Delilah interjected.
“I learned during my time in the cabin that it was better to keep your mouth shut and play the part. They tried to wipe our memories from us, but I was eight. I had solid memories that weren’t easily replaced. So I played the game. And I’ve continued playing that game ever since,” I answered gravely.
“And then to be married to the child of the people who not only kidnapped you, but abused you,” Ruth exclaimed softly.
“Oh, ha! The abuse didn’t stop there,” I chuckled derisively. “The people who I called parents here in Zion were just as bad, though in a completely different way.” I didn’t need to explain further. Both Ruth and Delilah had come from strict upbringings, their parents the polar opposite from how Talia described her own home life.
“The brothers were raised similarly, as I’m sure you know. Makes sense, given this new information,” Ruth answered, her eyes unfocused, as though she were piecing the entire story together.
“I honestly thought when I married Gideon that I would get a miniature version of his father,” I commented. “I’m happy to be proven wrong.”
“We all are,” Delilah agreed.
“As much as it feels good to have someone to talk to about all of this, can we change the subject?” Talia asked with a small smile.
“Fuck yes,” Delilah agreed loudly. “Let’s talk about this whole baby business!”
“That’s right! How are you feeling, Talia?” Ruth asked excitedly. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, glad to have the focus off of me for a while.
“So far, so good. A bit of morning sickness, which is to be expected,” she answered, her face beaming. The way her hand kept moving to her stomach had my thoughts centered on how I would feel if I were in her shoes. I would be an anxious mess. I wasn’t even sure I wanted children.
“Do you know when you are due?” Delilah asked her.
