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ELLIOT CROUCHED IN the grass; dry brittle leaves, scattered at his feet. The crisp, cool air indicated winter would soon take over the valley, but thankfully, the tang of fall still clung to the autumn air like incense.
Elliot clapped his hands, then held his arms out. “Hope, come see Daddy.”
Lexie sat on the steps to the porch of their house and watched as Hope bobbed clumsily across the yard.
“Da-da,” she called in her high-pitched sing-song voice.
She walked, her hips bobbing and swaying on her path to Elliot, almost falling at least twice as her little feet trudged across the lumpy earth and into his arms. She pulled away, holding her chubby, dimpled, hand out for him to see, making it clear that she had something for him. “Weaf,” she said, holding out a golden maple leaf.
Elliot opened his mouth and widened his eyes. “Wow. Where’d you find that? That is the most beautiful leaf I’ve ever seen. Almost as beautiful as your mommy,” Elliot said, smiling. Then he lifted his gaze above her head to Lexie and winked.
“Man, Elliot’s layin’ it on thick,” Phillip said.
Heather chuckled next to him where they sat on the swing with baby Christina, sound asleep in her arms.
Hope giggled and Elliot scooped her up onto his chest.
The screen door opened behind Lexie and out walked her mother with a tray of pie and coffee, her father and Sienna, trailing behind.
“Watch out, Lex,” her father said. “Your mother’s already talking about where to have Hope’s second birthday party.” Her mother swatted at him.
“Mom, she just had her first birthday. Can’t we just take it one month at a time?”
Her mother glared at her husband. “I was just saying how we could have it at the farm, give the children pony rides, that’s all,” her mother said, her tone indignant.
Sienna laughed and came to sit next to Lexie on the porch steps, handing her a cup of coffee. “Your parents crack me up,” she said, nudging Lexie’s shoulder.
“Yeah, they’re funny, alright.” Lexie took a sip of her coffee, her diamond wedding band glinting in the sun.
Sienna and Lexie lapsed into silence, both of their gazes on Hope as she played horsey with Elliot.
After Sienna left Lexie’s house the day she came to tell her she knew about Brent, she moved out of her home with him, took some time off work, and did a little digging. Turns out, Brent sexually assaulted and harassed several of the women he worked with, all of whom, more than willingly, gave reports to the police and consented to testify in court.
After hearing their stories and discovering charges were being brought against him, Lexie reported her rape to the police as well. They opened an investigation and discovered the surveillance tapes at her apartment, which showed him picking the lock and sneaking inside only twenty minutes before Lexie arrived home that night.
Brent was to stand trial next month. Whether he ended up behind bars or not, he was ruined in the way that hurt him most. Sienna took him for everything he was worth in the divorce, using his charges to her benefit and destroying his wallet and his precious career in the process.
Sienna moved to a brand-new condo overlooking Lake Erie, closer to Cleveland but only forty minutes away from Lexie. The two hung out weekly, reinstating their girl’s nights, which now sometimes included Hope. When time permitted, and grandma and grandpa babysat, Elliot, Lexie, Sienna, and her new boyfriend went for a double date.
Sienna’s new beau was William Dixon. He was handsome and kind, soft spoken, and selfless. He was everything Brent wasn’t. And he was entirely enchanted with her, as any sensible man should be.
Sienna laughed as she watched Hope. “She’s just too precious.”
Hope sat on Elliot’s back, one hand gripping his hair, the other smacking him on the back as she squealed. “She looks so much like you,” Sienna said.
And she did. Chestnut hair brushed her shoulders, and eyes the color of melting chocolate, framed a perfectly round face with rosy cheeks. Although there was no sign of Brent, even if there had been Lexie would have loved her just the same.
Sienna stood up abruptly and ran over to Hope, scooping her off Elliot’s back. Hope’s giggles rang out as Sienna tickled her and said, “It’s time for you to come see Aunt Sienna. Your daddy’s hogged you long enough.”
With a contended sigh, Lexie watched on. There was so much love around her, and it didn’t escape her how lucky she was to have such a family.
Occasionally, she still had difficult days, ones where the memories of her rape still crept in, leaving behind the bitter taste of fear. She still had to occasionally fight the wash of shame that threatened to rear its ugly head. But mostly, she was completely and utterly happy. She had finally found herself again. The old Lexie had merged with the new one, creating a stronger version of herself. Like a phoenix, she rose from the flames and ashes of adversity.
The days following the birth of her daughter impressed in her the resiliency of the human spirit, the will to survive, to live. And she recognized the very thing that pushed her back from the edge, the one thing that took hold of her and never let go, growing from seed and fluttering inside her until it thrived.
Maybe all along, she had just been waiting on Hope.