“Sweetheart,” Lois sits on the edge of the bed and brushes Mercedes’s hair from her face. Mercedes is obviously comforted by her, and I wonder about the affection she’s had in her life. None from her father, that I know. Was her mother affectionate? I know Antonia is a kind, sweet woman. But I also know Mercedes is fairly stand-offish with her. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugs a shoulder. “I need to use the bathroom,” she says in a low voice.

Lois nods, looks at me. I hurry back into the room to carry her, but Mercedes’s eyes widen in panic, and I stop.

“It’s okay,” Lois says. “I can’t carry you. Judge needs to do that, okay?”

“Then I can walk.”

“You can’t. Not on your own,” I say and go toward the bed although at a slower pace.

She pushes the covers off and tries to swing her legs over the edge as if to show she can, but she very clearly cannot.

“I won’t hurt you,” I say and lift her before she can refuse. She has no choice but to hold me and once we’re in the bathroom I let Lois help her and step out. A few minutes later, the door opens, and I carry Mercedes back to the bed. She keeps her face averted.

“I’ll get your breakfast. Give me just a few minutes.” Lois says.

Mercedes turns her untrusting gaze to me, then nods to Lois. Once Lois is gone, Mercedes looks at my discarded pajamas then at me.

“Did you touch me?”

I’m surprised by the cold tone of her voice. The question itself. Truly taken aback. “No. Of course not. Mercedes, I would never—”

“Well, lucky me that one of the Montgomery brothers has found his moral compass.”

I swallow that down. I deserve it and more.

“Did he?” she grits her teeth, eyes wet as she forces herself to hold my gaze. “Did he? I can’t… remember everything.”

“No.” The doctor confirmed he hadn’t sexually assaulted her.

She nods, pulls her knees up and looks down. I hear the relief in her shuddering exhale of breath. She wipes her eyes.

Lois is back then. She’s holding a tray loaded with so much food I don’t actually know how she carried it. It’s clearly all of Mercedes’s favorites.

“Here we are. I brought a little of everything, so you just choose what you like.”

“My pills?” Mercedes asks, looking over the tray.

“I’ll bring them to you after you eat something.”

Lois hands her a cup of tea with honey. Mercedes takes it and sips.

“I’ll come back after my shower,” I say, and walk to the door when Mercedes doesn’t ask me to stay. I’m almost in the hallway when she calls out my name. I stop, turn and wait.