She hated herself for it, but she could not bring herself to return to Leah’s after that night. She knew there was nothing she could do to make it stop. But one night, weeks later, she woke up and wished for rain. She wanted a storm to match the one she was feeling inside, but instead, it was dark and quiet and calm, and when she rolled over in bed, he was gone. Downstairs, she put a jacket on over her nightgown and got into the car. She turned on the windshield wipers, hoping for a torrential downpour, but the squeaky scratching noise annoyed her, so she turned them off. The streets flew by as she drove, and the next time she looked up, she had arrived.

Parking across the street, she stared at the house, whose lights were on even though it was two in the morning. She watched from the darkness of her car, and then the front door slowly opened.

They whispered, moving in and out of each other softly, and then he made his way to his car and drove off. She sat motionless, watching his taillights disappear into the blackness. Her hands were clammy from sweat, and she twisted them around the rim of the steering wheel. She could feel it growing inside of her, forcing her to get out and run like she was being chased. She landed on the welcome mat, pounding so hard at the door, she thought she might break through. Then without warning, it opened.

It was the state of Leah’s hair that startled her. The usually perfect curls were untwisted, hanging limp and lifeless down her shoulders.

“Please, Leah. Please. You have to listen to me.” She pushed her way inside, sending Leah tumbling several steps back.

“What are you doing here?” Leah asked, as she tried to pull her robe closed. The robe was clearly too small on her, though.

“You have to end it.”

Leah walked into the kitchen. “Tea?”

Therese ran after her, grabbing her arm. “Leah, I’m serious. This has to end. Now.”

Pouring water echoed around the room as Leah filled the kettle. “First, I don’t hear from you in years. Then you come back into my life and think you can undo everything I’ve worked for and then you disappear again. Now, here you are, in the middle of the night, telling me how to live my life.”

Therese stood up, the colors on the walls swirling through her. She thought it had been days, but maybe Leah was right. Maybe it had been weeks. Weeks of sleepless nights, waking with sweat plastering her hair to her forehead, feeling the danger that Leah was in, but not having the words to explain.

“Please, Leah.” She could feel the tears waiting to fall at the next breath. “Please.”