"Hi Tina, how are you feeling today?" He asked her.

"Much Better thanks" Tina replied.

He thought she sounded a bit stronger than the last time they spoke.

"Are you feeling up to a visitor? Because there is a little girl outside that door who is just dying to see her mommy?" Angus said.

"Angie?" Tina said…Tears welling up in her swollen eyes.

"Yes, but Tina? – I have to tell you something first…Angie was involved in an altercation this morning. It seems there are a handful of girls at the home she’s been at who don’t like other kids who are, shall we say, different?…Um things apparently came to a head this morning, and Angie was hurt..”.

Tina tried to sit up, her eyes wide with fear. Oh God no, please, not her little girl.

Angus held his hand out.

"Tina, it’s ok, it’s ok…She’s not badly hurt. But she does have one heck of a black eye, and some bruises over her body. I just wanted to warn you, so that when you see her, you won’t let your reaction scare her, ok?"

"Ok," Tina replied, calming down a bit.

Angus went back to the door and opened it. Slowly Angie entered the room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw all the equipment surrounding her mother. Then she saw her mother, and it took every ounce of strength she possessed to not run over to her and throw herself into her arms.

But Angie was pretty sure that by the way her mom looked, just a mere touch on the hand would break her…And she didn’t want to do that…

"Angie! Baby! – Come over here" Tina said, holding her hand out to her daughter.

As Angie walked up to her mother, Tina winced when she caught sight of Angie’s black eye.

When Angie reached the side of the bed, she put her small hand into Tina’s.

"Mommy I’ve missed you! Are you ok?" she whispered.

"I am now baby..” Tina answered, aching to take her little girl into her arms and hold her…God, she would do anything to erase these past few days in their lives…

"I was so scared for you," Angie said, looking at her mother.

"I know baby, but it’s going to be ok now…Henry is going to get help with his drinking and he is so very sorry for what happened…" Tina said, trying to sound convincing.

Angus wasn’t sure if it was for Angie, or herself.

“When can we go home mommy? I don’t want to go back to that place?”

Tina was just about to answer her daughter when the door opened and Dylan walked in, quickly followed by Mikey and Henry…

"ANGIE!!" Mikey cried, scooping her up in his arms, "God, I’ve missed you!" He said truthfully…His eyes filling with tears of joy and relief…

“What happened to your eye squirt?”

“Some nasty g-girls hit me M-Mikey!”

“Little Bitches!!- I wish I had been there!! – But it’s gonna be okay Ang I promise…”

He kissed her cheek the he put her down, and Henry knelt down in front of her…

"Angie," He said, tears welling up in his eyes, "I don’t even know what to say honey…I am so sorry for all of this happening to us…It’s all my fault…My drinking made this happen…But I’m gonna stop…I promise you all…None of this is your fault…Or Mikey’s, or your mom’s…It’s my fault…My doing…I let this happen…But I swear when we get home things will be different – Can you ever forgive me?" He asked, his voice cracking, as he broke down crying…And didn’t even try to hide his tears…

Dylan couldn’t believe the complete and total shit that was spewing out of this mans mouth!! – And worse yet, his family seemed to be buying it! – God if she had a dime for every time she had heard an abusive partner say those lines she’d be a millionaire!!

Angie didn’t know what to think…She looked at her mother, who was visibly crying, and she looked up at Mikey, who also had tears in his eyes…

Then she looked back at Henry… She had never seen him like this before. He seemed so weak, so broken, and so sorry…

She didn’t know what made her do it…But she put her arms around Henry’s neck then, and hugged him…

And it was at that moment Angus and Dylan knew they had lost…