Chapter 38

McKenna looked over as her girls actually worked together to clean the house and do their chores. McKenna knew that the girls hated having to do chores at the moment, and because of everything they had been through McKenna hated asking them to do chores, but they were old enough to help out around the house and she knew that they would rather be helping than let a stranger come into the house after what they went through. McKenna had caught Jeff actually thinking of bringing someone else in anyway, despite what McKenna and the girls had talked to him about when it came to their concerns and fears.

"Mom, are you nervous about having another baby?" Dana asked out of the blue as she immediately sat down on the couch next to her.

"Yes." McKenna had always tried to be as truthful as possible with her daughters, and the last thing she wanted to do was lie to them about something so trivial as nervousness.

"Is it okay to be a little scared about the changes that might come from another baby coming into the family?" Danielle asked sitting on the other side of McKenna.

"Of course, everyone gets nervous and scared sometimes, it's perfectly natural to feel that way." McKenna said as she kissed both girls on their foreheads. "The best way to deal with it is to talk to your father or myself about what you are feeling and why you are feeling it, so that we can work through those feelings as a family should."

"All right." Dana said nodding her head in agreement.

Danielle seemed lost in her thoughts, almost like she wasn't sure if she agreed with her mother or if she even felt like discussing her feelings or thoughts. McKenna worried more about Danielle than Dana because Danielle seemed to be the one who took things to heart a lot more. Danielle had a way of holding everything inside, until one day she exploded with so much emotion that there was no way she could deal with it all.

"Danielle, remember, no matter what your father and I are always here for you." McKenna said, hoping that Danielle wasn't holding back her feelings on what happened to her and her sister. McKenna hated that she couldn't get her girls to feel comfortable with her enough to talk about everything that happened to them when they had been kidnapped. She often wondered if she was good mother or not, or if she had failed her girls and made it so that they couldn't share what they were feeling or what happened to them with her because they didn't want to upset her. She knew they were protective of her, she just didn't know how protective they were or how to make them see that she was their mother, and that meant that she was supposed to be able to help them work through things that were hard on them, or that hurt them.

Later that night McKenna looked over at her husband and wondered if he had any idea how tough things were getting for the family, especially with the girls. Danielle was still hiding her emotions about the kidnapping and whatever could have happened to her, and Dana still just flat out refused to acknowledge that they had been kidnapped at all. McKenna knew it was time to start looking into getting them to a professional, because she didn't want this to stay inside of them, eating away at their hearts. McKenna knew that something this traumatic could cause long term damage and if it wasn't treated by a professional shrink, than the girls had a real good chance of becoming addicted to whatever they could find to help them forget and feel good for however long possible.

"Jeff, are you awake?" McKenna asked softly.

"A little bit." Jeff murmured as he turned over so that he was facing her.

"I think it's time we get the girls some help. We need to find someone who can work them, someone we can trust and more importantly, someone they can trust, to help them deal with the trauma that occurred to them." McKenna said and she could already tell that her husband wasn't thrilled with the idea but he would do whatever she thought was best.

She wasn't sure how she was going to get someone in place to take care of getting McKenna out of the way, but she knew she had to figure it out soon. She couldn't just sit back and watch Jeff have a family with someone other than her. She as the only woman for him and he knew it, but it was apparent that he wasn't going to leave his wife, not with her carrying their third child and not with them having twin girls together. She could handle being a step mother if she needed to, and she really believed that she would have to because getting rid of the entire family, could drive him to do something to himself, she didn't want that, she just wanted Jeff. She started pacing back and forth, wondering if she should let the third child be born or not, wondering if the baby was a son, something she was sure Jeff would really want or if the baby was another girl, something the girls would enjoy. She didn't know much about kids, but the older kids should be a breeze to handle, because they wouldn't like the type of punishment that she delivered.

"Pretty soon I will know how to get rid of the only woman standing in our way. Jeff, I made a promise to you, that I would love you forever and I would be the only woman for you, and that you would be the only man for me, and I intend to keep that promise." She said as she actually cackled.

Jeff looked over at his brother, who was currently watching the twins play with their mother. He knew that Matt was concerned over everything that had been happening lately, and he couldn't blame him. The thought that the whole family was terrified to let a stranger anywhere near them, was something that no one should have to deal with. McKenna couldn't even handle it when new neighbors dropped by to say hello and introduce themselves, and that worried Jeff more than anything. Now, he was listening to them talk about therapists and special help and he kept thinking, he had failed his family. If he had only been a better husband and a better father, than this wouldn't have happened at all, and that was hit him the most.

"I am going to find a way to fix this, I promise." Jeff said under his breath as he watched his family.

"We will be a family soon, I promise." She said as she stared at the family photo she had stolen and cut out McKenna's face on.