Read Relentless (Elisabeth Reinhardt Book 1) Online
Authors: Nancy Alexander
Four tiny yellow beaks could be seen peeking out of their woven grass nest barely hidden by unfolding pin oak leaves. Gina, her hair slowly returning to its natural state was curled up in a chair by the window. She was mesmerized as the robins flew back and forth feeding their offspring, warbling their distinctive melodies. “‘It always amazes me to see how naturally animals know how to care for their young,” she mused.
“Uh
huh…parenting is harder for people, isn’t it,” Dr. Reinhardt reflected. The blue eyes moved from the fledglings to her therapist’s face.
“
Subtle,” Gina said smiling, “Very subtle.”
Dr. Reinhardt smiled and said nothing.
“Actually,” Gina continued, “It was pretty good. I saw the Bakers week before last and that was fantastic. And this past weekend my friend Tanya and I went home to Hurricane. My family was overwhelmingly supportive and happy to see me. It was really kind of amazing. I’m glad so glad Tanya went with me. We stayed in a hotel and talked most of the night. It felt like a relief to just be able to say things out loud. It was like she helped me bridge the gap. You know the ‘me’ that I was and the ‘me’ that I am now. She helped ground me in my current life and helped them to see me this way too.”
Dr. Reinhardt nodded.
Silence...
“
Mama is still in the hospital, you know, getting evaluated for a rehab facility. She still can’t walk, but they think she’ll recover.”
“
That’s good,” Dr. Reinhardt said quietly.
Gina nodded and continued, “It was hard for
Mama. Everyone was there this weekend and when I walked into the hospital room, everyone cried, even my big brothers. They just hugged me and cried. We all cried. We couldn’t stop looking at each other. They told me what just happened with the police and Jake and how Mama got hurt and Papa got shot. We talked about the farm and how they were going to manage that now that Papa was gone. They’ve hired some people to take care of things in the meantime. I guess they’ll put the farm up for sale. I’m not sure. I think Clint and Dale are handling that. I guess they’ll sell the livestock and take the dogs and cats home with them. I’m not sure. I think they’re handling it. We talked about what happened back then when I was a kid, what happened to me, where I went, what all of us have been through all these years. You know, catching up with each other. It was good Tanya was there ‘cause she was really an outsider and could ask all kinds of questions that I felt funny about asking. Plus she could tell people things that would have sounded conceited coming from me. You know awards I got and stuff like that. She knows practically everything about me so she just joined in the conversations. It was sort of like a sister from another life…..
“
I met all my nieces and nephews and all my new brothers and sisters-in-law. It was nice, really…. I felt like a stranger, but also like I was family, long missing family. We talked for hours and hours. Most of the time we stayed in the hospital room, but sometimes we left and went for walks or out for a meal. The five of us stayed together the whole time. Other relatives came and went, but we stayed together. It was like we couldn’t get enough of each other.
“
Mrs. Goodwin and Mrs. Eades came by to see me. It was so wonderful to have them there with me. We hugged and hugged. None of us thought this day would ever come. They stayed for a few hours and they helped me tell the story about how the underground network and Family Court Emancipation worked. My sisters were shocked that Mama knew all the time that I had been declared an
emancipated adult
by the court. Mama said she never understood what all that meant. She said she never told ‘cause she was afraid Papa would have killed her. He very well might have, he would have been furious, that’s for sure. That’s part of why I was surprised they never came looking for me. I knew Papa would try to find me if he knew about the court thing. He hated the government. He would have looked for me not because he loved me so much, but because I was his and not the government’s. I understand why Mama would have kept it a secret. What I don’t understand is what stopped Papa from looking for me. Clint thinks it’s because he thought one of the boys did something to me and he was protecting his sons. Patty Sue and Betty Jo said he acted like he didn’t know what went on with the family, but he really did. I don’t know. None of this makes all that much sense to me. He wouldn’t have been protecting Jake that’s for sure, he hated Jake.” Gina said with a shrug, “I guess there are some things I’ll never know.”
Dr. Reinhardt nodded
, “That’s true. What about your mother?” Dr. Reinhardt asked.
“
Mama was really sad and sorry,” Gina replied, “I believe her that she’s sorry. She talked about how blind she was back then. How she was attached to Jake and couldn’t believe bad things about him. She talked about him being her little sister’s boy and she felt she had to be good to him because her sister had died. She always felt bad about leaving her sister behind when she married my Papa. They never saw much of each other after that and that hurt her because they had been so close. She felt if she’d stayed closer to her, her little sister wouldn’t have married that alcoholic she married. That’s why she felt so determined to take care of Jake. Thought she owed it to her sister, like it was her fault her sister died. Crazy thinking, I know, but it’s how she thought. I believe her. Things change. Tanya says that Mama was trapped by the times and by her own beliefs. They think Mama sees it now; that she favored Jake because of her feelings about her sister. We all understand that she abandoned me to Jake. Mama says now she can’t believe she took up for Jake and turned against me. Over and over she begged me to forgive her.”
“
Have you forgiven her? Her and your siblings?” the therapist asked.
“
I’m not sure about that exactly” Gina said thoughtfully, “I’m not sure. My friend Katherine, she’s my friend from church, says it’s good enough that I’m willing to listen and maybe to start again. I guess that’s the place to start. I’ve been without that family for a very long time. I’ve gotten used to it. I was a member of the Baker family and got used to being without them too. Now I’m free to be a member of both those families. I don’t know how this is all going to play out …..” Gina bit her lip and drifted off.
After a long pause, Dr. Reinhardt
said, “Give it time. You don’t have to decide anything right away. You’ll see how you feel now as a competent adult and what you want your family life to look like.”
“I guess you’re right. I’m not in any rush. I’ll see how I feel when I’m with them. The hard thing will be expanding my life to include all these new/old people. I’m used to being alone most of the time, hospital, church, Tanya’s and Katherine’s families. That’s been pretty much it. A limited life for years cause of dear cousin Jake.”
Dr. Reinhardt nodded, “And speaking of Jake, did you meet with the police when you were down there?”
“
Absolutely, Chief Rugger and I are getting to be good buddies!” she laughed, “He updated me on the gang and what’s going on with them. Jake and Custer are in the same prison but they are in isolation. The actual trials won’t be for years, I imagine. Till all the evidence is collected and the exact charges decided. The Chief thinks Custer will testify against Jake and that will make the state’s case. He doesn’t think I’ll have to testify. There’s a mountain of hard evidence against them and a lot of witnesses to things that happened along the way, including Mama and the folks who were at the farm the night Papa was shot. It’s up to the DA. Katherine and Tanya both said they’d go with me if I have to testify. It’s just a relief that Jake is in prison and will never get out. I hope he never gets out,” she added.
“
Speaking of getting out,” Dr. Reinhardt said, “I saw in the newspaper that the twins are being discharged next week.”
“
Yes,” Gina grinned, “that’s another amazing miracle. Both twins survived the separation surgery and are going home with nursing staff round the clock. Neither twin needs intensive care now. Each baby is functioning independently, so they are good to go! It’s been very exciting for the whole staff, the whole hospital, actually. Everyone is so happy about it. More surgeries will be needed in the future, but for now, they are medically stable and can go home and get stronger. It will be a loss for me, though. I’ll really miss those babies. Goeff and I both promised to go and see them once they are home.”
“
So…. How is it going with Goeff?” Dr. Reinhardt asked smiling.
As small smile tugged the corners of her mouth,
Gina blushed and looked down at her hands, “I’ve never had a boyfriend, you know, so I don’t really know how it’s going. It feels pretty good, Tanya says we make a cute couple,” she said with a shy smile. “We really like spending time together.”
“A whole new world is opening before you,”
her therapist smiled at her warmly.
“
I can’t thank you enough for your help, you and your group of rescuers. You literally saved my life.”
“
You are most welcome, Gina. We are truly glad we were able to help.”
“
I was paralyzed by fear for years and years. Once I confronted my history, here with you and learned some things about emotional power and learned self-defense from Gil, I was ready to take him on. That moment was the most powerful moment of my life,” she said. “It was amazing. When I walked through that door and said ‘you looking for me, Jake?’ It was like I was on steroids. It felt great. Greater than great! The backstairs flip-kick and his capture was icing on the cake. For me, it was all about that moment when I walked into the room and confronted him. Now, that was amazing. I think it showed me that I was strong and powerful.” She paused reflecting. “I know I have emotional issues to work through related to the trauma and my family’s abandonment, but I think I’m going to make it!” She sighed happily and smiled across the room.
Her therapist smiled back at her, “
Oh yes, Gina, you are going to make it!”
Ten minutes later standing in her window
, she looked down, she smiled as Gina pushed through the double glass doors and climbed into Goeff’s 2012 silver Audi parked at the curb. Under the shade of the palm fronds, she watched the Audi’s brake lights flash as it proceeded toward the intersection, turn signal blinking. Crossing behind the Audi was a handsome, dark-haired young man with skin the color of toasted almonds. He glanced nervously around as he headed toward the Great Lakes Bank Building. Five minutes later, she heard a bell jingle as her waiting room door opened. Elisabeth Reinhardt strode across the room. Her newest patient had arrived.
Elizabeth
A. Reinhardt, PhD
Great Lakes Bank Building
Suite 315
Chicago, Ill
60601
CLINICAL PROGRESS REPORT
Patient’s name: Gina R Date of Contact: 3/8/2013
Nature of
contact: Office Visit __X__ Phone Call ______ Email ______ Other __________
b) No __X______
Finances ______Health _______ Safety _______ Functioning __________ Moral/Spiritual ____________
Axis II ____none
Elisabeth Reinhardt, PhD ________
Elisabeth Reinhardt, PhD
Date ____
3/8/2012_______________________________________