Chapter 32: Girls’ Night

“After you,” Brooke agreed. “Tell me about the organization you volunteered with. Tell me about the day I arrived.”

“I wasn’t much older than you are now, Brooke. I was a nurse at the time, and I’d seen just terrible things that people went through in abusive homes. I was recruited by another nurse. At first, it was basically transporting mothers and children. But you arrived alone. The organization wanted to place you with a volunteer that understood the need to bury your past. I met you. You were so sweet even though you were very confused. There were bruises, but they healed quickly and completely disappeared.”

“What kind of bruises?” Nathan asked.

A look crossed her aunt’s face, and Brooke almost already knew what she was going to say.

“They looked like animal… scratches, even on your face. They’d been well cared for before you got there. So someone had cleaned them up and put salve on them. Still, I was sure there would be marks left. But, no, not one.”