“Yep, just like your brother. You both need to work on human affection, but I can promise you, I’ll save a real hug for another time.”

I realize as she starts to pull me up with her what she’s doing, and surprisingly, it works. Within a moment, I’m on my feet, and Ivy has her arm wrapped around my waist in support. But that’s only the first stage of the battle, and walking becomes another challenge with my legs stiff and uncooperative. It isn’t until I’ve managed five steps that my body begins to relax slightly, and we traverse the distance into the bathroom with slow but certain progress.

Ivy leads me to the bathtub, and I grip the porcelain as my knees bump against it.

“Are you okay?” Her hand hovers near my arm as she releases me, and I nod.

“I’ll be okay, thank you. You can go.”

“Oh, no.” She shakes her head determinedly. “That’s not happening. I’m not going to leave you in here to fall.”

“I won’t,” I say, but even as the words come out of my mouth, we can both hear the lie.

“Another De La Rosa trait,” she mutters as she turns on the water. “You should know I’ve become a pro at managing stubbornness, so your protests are lost on me. Just remember, it wasn’t that long ago the roles were reversed, and you were watching me in a similar situation.”

She sets the plug into place, adjusts the water again, and then comes to stand behind me. I’m wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts, and it isn’t without difficulty that I take them off. Getting naked in front of my sister-in-law isn’t on my top ten list of things I ever wanted to do, but it’s either her or Antonia.

It’s not until she helps me out of my shirt and discards it on the floor that I hear the quiet gasp from behind me. And then it hits me.

My scars.

I suck in a sharp breath and wait, tension blooming in my chest. It isn’t as if I’d forgotten they were there, but I had become used to not hiding them with Judge, and even Lois. I wasn’t thinking about Ivy seeing this part of me. Now that she has, there’s no turning back.

“Mercedes.” I feel her trembling hand on my shoulder, emotion choking her voice. “My god. Who did this to you?”

I dip my head, too choked up to speak myself. I’m so fucking tired of crying. I don’t want to spend one more second like this. Ivy seems to understand that, and she lets me have this moment, not pushing it further as she changes tack.

“Let’s get you in the tub. I’ll help you wash your hair.”