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The thin sliver of ht’s inky black that shrouded Leah as she arrived at the old Victorian-style ho, and she’d been forced to circle the block a few times before she’d found a spot across the street By the ti her lungs and nipped at her face

She reached for the brass doorknob and pushed open the heavy door Warreeted her, and she allowed its eed off her jacket She smiled to the receptionist, a redhead in her late forties with ruddy cheeks and freckles

“Hi, Frances,” Leah said

Frances stood, hands on her wide hips “It’s been a feeeks”

“I was busy at work I kept ether”

“Hey, no worries We’re here all the time, ready to help whether you need us or not”

Leah had joined a support group days after roup had survived an attack from a loved one When she’d been here last, she’d spoken with such confidence to her counselor “I’ve finally taken a giant step toward getting on withDeidre, all the hard-won territory had surrendered to fear “Group still tonight?”

“Six PM like always Go on in; they haven’t started yet”

Leah slid open the pocket doors that led to what inally been built as a private home A circle of chairs, half full, were in the center of as now a led beside a plate of chocolate chip cookies There were a few cooks in the group who brought baked goods when they’d had a bad week Many apologized for the confections, saying cooking was preferable to sitting and worrying Judging by the spread, it had been a rough week

She draped her coat over an e to the refreshment table She filled a cup with coffee and took a seat nearby She always chose a chair that faced the back wall and gave her a clear view of the door Nervous habit

As Leah sipped her coffee, she scanned the group and realized she didn’t recognize the woe from late teens to early sixties A couple of the older women looked as if they had money A few others looked middle income They came from all walks of life

The facilitator, Sierra, was a short woman in her early thirties She had a round face, olive skin, and salt-and-pepper hair that brushed her shoulders She carried athat read Nuy and had opened her counseling center, Homestead, ten years before, after she’d nearly died in a car accident caused by her ex-husband

“Welcome, Leah,” Sierra said as she sat down next to her “How’s it been going?”

“Crazy at work But all good” She’d uttered the last stateood one bit

Sierra nodded, sipping her own coffee She recognized the not-ready-to-talk sht”

“I can’t wait for spring”

Sierra’s gaze roamed the rooin thewith introductions” She nodded to a slim woman ore an expensive dark sweater, jeans, and her thick silver hair twisted into a chignon

The woroup seven years ago I haven’t been here in a while, but I joined because I was in a plane crash eight years ago My husband and son were killed My husband was the pilot, and he intentionally crashed the plane because he kneanted a divorce”

Heads nodded before Sierra turned to the next wo started All had different experiences One woman had been beaten nearly to death by a boyfriend Another had survived a car accident caused by a lover Another a near drowning

“Want to finish up the introductions, Leah?” Sierra asked

Leah glanced at Sierra, knowing the counselor had called her out on purpose Leah had a bad habit of hiding, allowing the conversations to swirl around her “My name is Leah I was nearly stabbed to death by o”

A hush ran through the room They’d all suffered violence at the hand of a loved one

“Leah, you also have an anniversary co up, correct?”

Leah had only shared her details once, a few months earlier It had been a spur-of-the- stripped bare and vulnerable Since then, when she caoing to let her ride for free

“I used to be very outgoing and happy,” Leah said “Now, I’m a bit of a mess Especially this ti anniversary, and I always get extra nervous this ti Deidre thisso she opted to keep that information to herself Maybe one day she would talk about it, but she didn’t think she could do it today

“Why?” Sierra asked

“My ex-husband attacked me on our anniversary”

Since the attack, Leah had felt isolated fro about evil versus experiencing it were very different things Theirs was a sisterhood of the broken Here, she didn’t feel so alone