The darkness and terror that followed Valarie into the house caught Samuel's attention. Valarie moved in slow motion, everything had slowed down. She settled herself as best she could and entered the lounge. Valarie knew he had called her, but she felt the need to ask him about it. 'Did you call me?' "I was wondering if you're okay." He turned to her only to see her pale, gray face staring back at him. He moved closer to her, but not close enough to touch her. He could see her anxiety and distress. He wanted to get even closer, but she took a step back and away from his scrutinizing eyes, asking multiple questions at once. He pulled back slightly, enough to reassure her. He didn't want it to get in the way, but he knew he had to release the buildup that was happening. Valarie couldn't stop herself from retreating, she had been doing so for so long, that despite the need to talk she found it difficult. She wanted to stop, to let him feel her, know her fears, but familiarity can act as a barrier that prevents change. It seemed easy to slip into what she knew and was used to, despite the pull of desperation that beckoned her. In the past, Samuel would have been very cautious in responding to his signals. But how could he not answer now? Memories of when she got into bed rushed to her nerve endings, sending sensations throughout her body. The fear that reassembled itself in him met the fear that cloaked Valarie's face, in fact her entire body. This time his retreat would be temporary; he slowly approached her again, “Valarie let me help you, I need to know you're going to be okay.” Valarie raised her hands to her face; he made the mistake of closing his eyes. She was back in the hospital, her cries had turned into sobs and sobs tur...... middle of paper...... at the same time she needed her children. The family had met and talked about how they could better support her. Initially she didn't mind the support, but after a while she started to refuse the help and kept turning people away. Poor Celia, she blamed herself for the accident and no one could tell her otherwise, no matter how hard they tried. She missed Jerry beyond words and taking care of the twins was very challenging. It wasn't long before he turned to the bottle and any medication he could take to try to ease the pain. He spent more time in bed and could not bear two crying children. It was Leah who had worried so much that she had entered the house when Celia refused to open the door. She was so shocked by what she found; there was no doubt he was having a nervous breakdown. The twins returned to Leah, Pete and Celia returned to the mental hospital.