Valorous(74)

“Should I not call you that? You’re not April anymore.”

“No, I changed my name, but you can call me whatever you want. I’m just so happy to hear your voice. You can’t possibly know how happy I am.”

“I think I know,” she says, laughing. “What you said… In the interview, about how you went to the cops because of us… Liv and I, we couldn’t believe it. What you did… What you sacrificed for us...”

“I’d do it again in a minute. He was a predator, Candace. He wouldn’t have stopped with me.”

“A lot of pieces have fallen into place for us in the last week. I’m sorry it was at your expense. You’ve been through so much.”

“Yes, but I’m happy now. So truly happy with Flynn and this amazing new life with him.”

“Can we see you? We want to see you so badly. And we’d really like to meet our new brother-in-law,” she adds with a laugh.

Flynn is nodding. “Tell her we’ll set it up.”

“Flynn is telling me to give you my number—and I wouldn’t have let you go without doing that. He and his awesome assistant, Addie, who is a magician, will figure out the details.”

“I can’t believe I’m actually talking to you. We were so afraid we’d never see you again.”

“I was afraid of the same thing. We’ll work out something so we can see each other soon.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I. I never stopped loving you. Both of you.”

“Us, too. We talked about you all the time.”

“I’m glad to know you didn’t forget about me or hate me. I was worried about what you’d been told.”

“He tried, but we refused to believe him. We knew you, and we knew Oren. We believed you. He always gave me the creeps.”

“Well, you were smarter than I was, then, because I never suspected he was capable of what he did to me.”

“I don’t want to hang up. You won’t disappear again, will you?”

“I think I’ll be easy to find after the events of the last few days.” We exchange phone numbers before reluctantly ending the call, promising to talk again soon and text each other every day. For a long time after, Flynn holds me while I cry tears of unmitigated joy.

“I’m so happy for you all, sweetheart. We’ll get them out here as soon as we can—and as soon as they can do it.”

“I can’t believe I just talked to Candace. I’ve fantasized about how it might be to talk to them again, but I was always afraid to reach out to them because I didn’t know if they’d been turned against me. It would’ve killed me to find them and to hear they hate me.”

“She sounded just as happy to talk to you.”

“I know! Thank you so much.”

“For what? I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes, you did. You dragged me into your life, refusing to take no for an answer, and now I have my sisters back.”

“I hate to point out that you skipped a rather traumatic portion of the story.”

“Don’t you see? It was all worth it because not only did I get you, but them, too.”

His smile lights up his eyes. “You’re so beautiful when you’re happy.”

“Then I must be the most beautiful woman in the world right now.”

“You won’t hear me arguing.”





We pass an absolutely blissful couple of days in which we don’t see anyone but each other and the security personnel who are nearby if we need them, but mostly out of sight. I exchange texts with both my sisters nonstop, and finally get to talk to Olivia when she gets a chance to call without our mother around to hear her. We’re not ready to tell her we’re back in touch. They’re both really busy with school and work, so we’re trying to find a time to get together in the next few weeks.

Every day, Flynn takes me out to practice my driving. He says it’s the perfect opportunity to show me Southern California. One day we drive north to Santa Barbara. Another day we drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, from Long Beach almost to San Diego and back again. We find out-of-the-way places to stop for lunch, and the security detail that follows us helps to ensure our safety and privacy.

Other than a few speechless waitresses and waiters, for whom Flynn signs autographs and poses for pictures, we get away with these outings. As I become more confident, I discover that I love to drive.