LOGINAdrielle Hale Pedro and I walked down to the beach a few minutes ago. I wiped my face to make sure Abby wouldn't notice I was crying, but I think she's known this sight for so long that any slight change in my eyes tells her something's wrong. The sand isn't as hot as I thought. Our house provides good shade for us to walk barefoot. Pedro is quiet, with a distant look in his eyes. I know he's still thinking about the things we discussed inside, and I can't help but feel him reconsider his actions and scold himself. His fingers are intertwined with mine, a subtle hint that he doesn't want to distance himself, but his fingers aren't so attached that I couldn't let go if I wanted to. Abby and Austin are running along the water's edge while Victor takes countless photos of them with his phone. A small smile spreads across my face at how happy Abby and Austin look. That smile has never been brighter than it is now. I can clearly see how happy she is. "Hi." Abby waves to us, a wide smil
Adrielle Hale "Adie…" His blue eyes stare at me, searching for some sign that everything is okay. But I'm not okay. His arms are still around me, holding me to him as if I might slip away at any moment. And I really want to. I remain silent. The room—the environment around us—is silent, silenced by the terrifying tension gripping us. My lips tremble, and I still can't control my breathing. I can't control the tears. "Adie… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please…" His tone is subtle, light. But I hear his concern clearly in his voice. "I shouldn't yell at you; this isn't your fault." "I don't like you yelling at me, Pedro." My voice is tearful. "It makes me relive everything all over again." His hand caresses my cheek, as if trying to show that everything is okay. "Forgive me for yelling. Please." His voice is broken, as if he also realizes how it destroys me to experience this again. "I said it would be a safe love. And I will deliver." I sniff, but my arms are still trying to push h
Adrielle Hale Ross called to let me know about some meetings with other doctors on Monday morning. I can't forget about this. I'm going to drop Abby off at school and get this sorted. With everything going on, I can't forget my obligations, my responsibilities. I know Pedro shouldn't forget his either. I leave the phone on the desk in Abby's room as soon as I get back. The children are busy painting while their parents are silent. I don't know what topic they've brought up, but I imagine it's about the bad things about Leonard. My stomach churns, remembering the things we discovered. The things I saw about the children and what I learned about my own daughter. I'm constantly struggling to control my emotions. I can handle any kind of case in the hospital, but I've never learned how to manage my emotions at home. Maybe it's because the staff and the burden of responsibility are greater at the hospital, but here, at home, my responsibility is to Abby. Victor clears his throat and st
Pedro HernandezI take a deep breath and lower the brush, letting it touch my shirt and leave a white paint mark. It's not something I care much about right now. I leave the paints and brush in the case and straighten my posture. Abby has a desk in her room, and I lean against it as I watch Victor try to think of the best way for us to talk about this. The smell of the waves fills the room and, for a second, makes me wish he could take with him all the hurt we have, the stress we've been through, and all the pain we've faced."Terrible things." My voice is a whisper, muffled by the pain of having to constantly remember how he touched my daughter. "He has several victims. Children, Victor…" I lift my head to look at him.His eyes are wide, fixed on me. Victor's breath is labored, caused by the impact of my words. We both have small children. Two children. But only one of them was touched by that monster."He…?" I know what you want to ask, and I also know you don't have the strength to
Pedro HernandezIt seems the darkness enveloping Leonard and Amanda is denser than we expected. Adie and I remain silent after talking to Brooks. The only sound that reached us the entire way was silence. It seems we're both trying to assimilate that the Williamses are crueler than we expected. I tried to deprive her of this, of seeing the cruel things about the children and the other six victims, including Romina Reyes. This is even darker than I thought and only makes me think about how I need to keep them both safe, away from their actions. We haven't talked about Abby's situation, but I told Brooks we're going to file a lawsuit against him for the assault on Adrielle. I'll ask Jackson to start a new lawsuit, but I need to find the other victims' families. I know who can help me. I know that, with his connections, he'll find them quickly.We're waiting for Abby to say goodbye to my aunts, my mother, and Fernando. Meanwhile, I take the opportunity to pick up my phone and dial Victor
Pedro Hernandez The streets are busy, as they are every day. Cars form lines, due to traffic jams downtown. My plan is to take a shortcut to the police station and look for less crowded routes. Adie is beside me, silent. She was like that during lunch and said very little. Fernando chattered nonstop, making me uncomfortable, always looking for something to talk about. What he said about meeting a woman from his past is still on my mind. Was he talking about my mother? We didn't bring Abby with us; we'll stop by my mother's house to pick her up. "You're quiet," I comment, glancing at Adrielle before turning back to the streets. I touch her hand and caress it. "What's going on?" "I'm fine." His voice is soft, reassuring. "I'm just thinking about Leonard's things. What's in the folder he didn't let me see." I let out a heavy sigh and stare out the window as we stop at the traffic light. My whole body shivers from trying to hide this from her. The photos I saw of the children made my
Adrielle HaleThe person who greets me is my mother. The astonished look never leaves her eyes. She looks scared, and I imagine she is. It's the first time I've let her see the bruises; she doesn't even know about the fights between Leonard and me. I can't hold back the tears; it's as if I'm in a s
Pedro HernandezWith each step I climb, all I can think about is how good it felt to feel Adrielle's touch and her kiss. I've been longing for this for so many years. She's better than I remember. Gentler, sweeter, more affectionate. It seems like everything about her has improved over the years.I
Pedro HernandezI leave home at eight in the morning. Abby's session starts at nine, but the chaotic Los Angeles traffic keeps us from getting there on time without taking too long. On the way, I listen to the local radio station, where the host talks nonstop about Adrielle and me. There are some v
Pedro HernandezLyla leaves the children in a far corner, with a colorful folding table that she arranges, and toys stored in the center, like a trunk. The housekeeper brings a bowl on a tray that also holds juice. I can see that the two children are now enjoying juice and cookies. Adrielle's eyes







