5:68 The Prayer

Philip sat beside Shelby watching the kids play. They had both got what they wanted. The entire family moved into Andy’s house. Andy had agreed with Shelby about the two of them being separated. Once he heard how bad things had been for her before, he had agreed to go with them. He just really hated that he was putting even more people at risk by being there.

He smiled when Fiona toddled over to him. He helped her up on the sofa with them. He loved the boys, but there was something special about little girls. He sat listening to her as she told them a story.

Shelby looked at the two of them and smiled. She was glad that her dad was able to talk sense into Philip and they were all still together. 

The one thing they hadn’t expected with all of this was Philip’s nightmares returning.He had been making good progress with therapy, but this seemed to have sent him backwards.

She watched him with their daughter. She wished that he was able to have a truly happy life. Everything he had gone through still affected him and she knew that even though he was happy, he still had demons that affected his happiness. 

He looked up at her and saw her watching him. “You okay, love?”

She smiled. “I’m just thinking, darling.”

“You want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “Not right now. Maybe after the kids have gone to bed.”

He nodded. If it was something to talk about when the kids were not around, it had to be something bad. He was almost afraid to know what it was.

He sat beside her on the bed as they talked.

“I’m worried, Philip. You had been doing so good the past year. Now all of this has brought back your nightmares.

He hadn’t mentioned them to her, but he wasn’t surprised she knew. It was hard to hide from someone sleeping beside you every night.

“I’ve already talked to the doctor. He said that with what happened at the park and the things happening now, it’s triggered the nightmares again. He said it will probably happen the rest of my life. He knows of soldiers who are triggered by fireworks because it reminds of them of gunfire and combat.”

She held onto his hand wanting to give him support. “Does he know what it is exactly that is triggering them for you now?”

He nodded. “We think it is the stress of someone trying to kill me and putting all of you in danger. I wasn’t able to stop them from killing people in Strangerville, and I can’t stop them now. People I know are dying and I can’t stop it.”