Friday morning on Aleida's fire escape, she, Gloria, and Diane are leaning on each other and joining hands as their legs dangle out the railing's gaps and they hold onto the bars. "Yo, we're all broken in our own ways..." Gloria starts out.

"True that!" Aleida concurs. She gestures between herself and Diane. "We both wanted to run away from child abuse land and we were both poor, single mothas, but we parented differently, so it's like the same coin, different sides."

Diane nods. "You're right...I couldn't put food on the table for a while when Alex was little, so we both had to learn to starve to get used to it, or we'd save money and only have one small meal per day. Like...not out of meanness, but the poverty was so stressful and we had no clue when our next meal would be."

Aleida points at her. "Sí, sí...but I bet you never lost your cool with your daughter like I did."

"Not really, no. Hey, uh...when I was a teenager, though, I used to be forced to give blowjobs or handjobs to pedo teachers so they'd give me a passing grade if I was failing. Especially since I needed to pass to graduate...those pigs who called themselves my parents didn't care that I failed in school since I was still pretty. I also had to give the Nazi a blow job so I wouldn't get raped. He was about to stick a literal candle up my sensitive area...the flame had already been blown out, but the wick was burning hot. Frieda broke into his house before he could cause any permanent damage, but I've woken up screaming from that nightmare so many times, lemme tell ya..."

"Another sick similarity between us! My mom would make me sell my body to earn money. I was fifteen. The first time I refused, she beat me with an iron. I got a tattoo in the shape of a wolf on my ass to cover the largest burn scar," Aleida mumbles.

"Jesus, that's terrible. Y'all's folks were the worst," Gloria comments and her heart cracks for them. She squeezes both of their hands comfortingly. "What, did they take pleasure in your pain or somethin'? Arturo did with me. He got off on being an abusive piece of garbage."

"Probably," her friends mutter.

"Rod the Clod was no better...he took me to an abortion clinic when I was thinking of having one, guilted me into motherhood as a teen. He showed me the dead fetuses and I didn't want Elena and Ceci to ever look like that, so I let them live," Gloria says.

"Ugh, Phyllis and Edward told me that my period is something that happens when you get an abortion; Satan is removing the baby from you...and then they let me go through an abortion when I was fifteen and proceeded to put the-the bloody fetus into my lap! It was so disgusting and sad..."

"Ew, I can imagine! Those evil mothafuckas," Aleida growls.

Tears prick Gloria's eyes. Diane and Aleida appear to be just as horrified and upset. "That's awful, Diane! It's hard for me to really hate Rodrigo, though, since my daughters wouldn't be here otherwise. I know it's a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body, but I'm glad I didn't get rid of the girls."

"Yeah, but he forced you to keep them and then ended up snatching them from you! If it were me, I'd despise his guts forever," Aleida mutters.

"I can't stand Lee, but at least he gave me Alex."

"I feel the same about Rodrigo, since I got Daya from him."

Diane sighs. "Well, I was used to the gore, because at my former parties as a child, they had me swinging around naked by a rope, like they were sacrificing me...they and some guests were cannibals, and they were taking chunks out of my breasts when they grew bigger..."

"Oh, god, so gross!" Aleida pretends to gag. "That's hella twisted and vile!"

"I'm real sorry," Gloria murmurs. "So malicious..."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Diane mumbles.

"I remember being in prison for a night...it was so hard and smelled like somebody passed gas..." Aleida wrinkles her nose. "One time, I only had forty dollars in my bank account and an old bus map when I was running away from home."

"Wow, that's rough..." Diane states.

"I'd go through the five boroughs of New York to find my kids if they ever went missing and I'd never let one of them get put into foster care again. I learned my lesson after Daya was taken from me."

"That's great to hear! Honestly, Lei, I'm proud of you." Gloria beams at her. "How much you've progressed in the last month...y lo siento we didn't have a celebration for you finally being clean for sixty days, but I don't think you were ever real addicted to heroin itself, but Cesar...and with him, there happened to be packing heroin."

"Nah, it's cool, I understand." Aleida exhales slowly. "Cesar was like a drug, though...because I knew he was bad for me, but I still loved him. Gracias a Dios I don't anymore!"

"Wonderful news...'cause you got Leon now and you gotta do what's best for your kids, which is dumping Cesar forever!" Diane cheers and the other two women join in. "Thank god he's dead."

"Yeah, 'cause I just realized that Cesar, Duardo, Paco, Pepe, or other members in the drug ring could've ratted me out for packing heroin at any time, but they never did!"

"Maybe Cesar tried and people he told it to were just dismissing him as jealous, since he had no solid proof!" Gloria says.

Aleida whoops and pumps her fist in the air. "Yesss! Rot in hell, motherfuckers." They all giggle together.

Gloria blows out a huge breath. "Well, Rodrigo's nothin' compared to Arturo. I ain't sure how mis niños weren't afraid of that monster if he was doing all these wicked things to me. Like I was shaky when I was near him and shit...and the countdowns and dressing sexy in the house and all. Maybe they didn't see it as being that bad, but it was." An involuntary shiver goes through her. "They probably believed him when he told them Mamí and him were playing a game."

"That's horrendous what he put you and your chicos through," Aleida tells her sympathetically.

"Yeah, such a nightmare!" Diane comments. "I'm relieved for you that it's over. We can all finally breathe."

"Mm-hm, but like I told you before, and I'm repeating this since I haven't shared it with Aleida, but I'm worried about how I look underneath my clothes, what with all the scars and bruises from my abuse. I think of my naked body as ugly and so marked up it's scary...if Fahri and I ever get to that level, I'm gonna have to really caution him about that. No matter what you ladies say, I'm not that attractive-"

"You are, Glo!" Aleida insists. "Don't talk about our best friend like that! You have so much to offer...besides your beauty, you got your smarts and a heart like pure gold."

"That's right! You're speaking to women who have all kinds of injuries in different stages of healing, and we're not always that confident with ourselves either, but in my case, I try to remind myself that I've always been lovely, but it's those monsters' fault that my skin is so screwed up. Only a jerk would judge me for that. Same goes for you. I know that Fahri would never be cruel. He understands all the trauma you've endured. I'm positive that if you two ever got to an intimate stage, he'd be totally gentle and assure you that you're beautiful."

Aleida gestures to Diane. "Hella true! He seems like a real man and he respects you a ton! Him taking y'all's relationship slow and not making any moves unless you do, is total proof of that."

Gloria beams at their words. "Aw, gracias, mujeres...you've made me feel better!"

Thanks, ladies

"De nada!" Aleida says with a wide smile.

"Welcome!" Diane chimes in. The three of them wrap their arms around each other in a group hug.


It's hard to go back to the bodega for work after what happened, but Gloria and Lourdes do, anyway. Fahri and Leon are there for protection. Benny and Julio are with Frieda. Gloria smiles at Aleida, Daya, and Blanca's mother Trina when they come in and wave at her. Her grin drops when she spots her douchebag ex from her teenage years. Rodrigo has some lady with him, but the girls she had with him aren't present. She's not too shocked; Elena and Ceci wouldn't want to go into their birth mom's store.

"Ay dios mío, I can't believe it...es Rod the Clod!" Gloria hisses to herself. Lourdes gives him a dirty look. He just smirks at Gloria as he passes them.

"Who is that?" his new woman asks.

"Nobody."

"I should kill you!" Lourdes practically yells at the bastard. Fahri clenches his hands into fists, goes up to Rodrigo, and stares him down, but he just walks away.

"I'll help!" Gloria chimes in. She narrows her eyes at him. "How the fuck dare you, pretending you don't know me when you stole my baby girls from me!" she screams.

"What the fuck you doin' here, pendejo?" Aleida snaps as soon as she spots him.

"Oh, shit, it's you!" Trina grumbles.

"Whoa, you dated him, too?" Daya asks, and Trina nods. Daya turns to her mother. "This is my dad?"

"Mm-hm..."

"You know, Aleida, at first, I did think you were hot, but then I started to notice all your flaws...buck teeth..." He tries to touch her slightly open mouth, but she smacks his hand away. "Those bags under your eyes don't do you any favors. Even your daughter is ugly and fat...jeez! Look, she's so big she needs a wheelchair to get around!"

"Don't talk about us like that, motherfucker!" Aleida yells before Leon can defend her.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Leon storms up to him and punches Rod in the face, but the red-haired woman catches him before he can fall.

"Yeah, and are you blind? I was shot, asshole!" Daya shouts.

"You used to date both of them?" the unknown lady asks him while helping him keep steady on his feet while narrowing her eyes at Leon. "Aleida and Gloria?"

"He sure did, and he went out with me, too!" Trina informs her.

"Well, this is weird. Let's go, Rod! You don't need to be around all your unhealthy exes."

"Excuse me? He's the toxic, manipulative one!" Gloria hollers.

"Uh-huh, and a cheater as well!" Aleida snaps as Leon takes her in his arms. "Scram, gringo!"

"Fucking cabrón," Trina mutters as they leave.

"That's right, moron! Get outta here!" Fahri hollers after them.

"Hey! I guess I just missed some smaller ghosts of your pasts," Boo comments as she lets herself and Pennsatucky into the bodega. "What pricks! I heard so much commotion as we got closer!"

"Never heard of a boo talkin' about ghosts, usually, it's said the other way around!" Pennsatucky jokes as she picks up a package of Ritz crackers and examines it. "I'll get this." She hands it to Gloria to ring up.

"You got puns, kid," Boo mutters as she ruffles Pennsatucky's short hair. "Are you alright?" She looks between Gloria and Aleida.

"Yeah, we're fine," Gloria assures her.

"Cool!" Pennsatucky comments before leaving with Boo.

"How does the hottest man in the world pick someone like me when there are much prettier girls?" Aleida asks her boyfriend in a broken voice, and Gloria's heart sinks at the realization that one of her best friends doesn't have high self-esteem, even though that's how she acts on the outside.

Leon kisses her cheek and her temple softly. "I wish you saw yourself the way I see you...because you're drop-dead gorgeous. Forget him, he's nothin' to any of us."

Aleida beams and a pink blush colors her cheeks. "Gracias..."

"De nada."

"I was about to pop him one for brushing you off like you didn't exist!" Fahri exclaims.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Gloria murmurs. "He ain't the worst person in the world, just a scumbag. The cruelest monsters are finished for good."

"I'm relieved about that!"


"How dare you punch my daughter in the face and then come to her funeral! You're no kind of friend at all!" Bill Chapman sneers and his face goes red with anger. "I bet you killed her too, you psycho!" He grits his teeth while wagging his finger at Lorna. They're outside Storky's, where Lorna and Blanca have just gone on a double date with their boyfriends. "Now, I have no evidence, but if I find out you did-"

"I didn't murder Piper!" Lorna interrupts his tirade. "She and I got in a fight, that's all! I'm sorry for hitting her, but she made a pass at Vinnie! I'm on meds now, so I don't do stupid stuff anymore!"

"Whatever." Bill scoffs and walks to his car.

"Such a douchebag!" Vinnie cups Lorna's chin and strokes her cheek with his thumb while kissing her forehead. "You alright?"

"Yeah I am, you're the sweetest." Lorna shrugs. "Piper probably told him, she was such a daddy's girl. He had a right to be mad at me."

"Still, that was pretty badass what you did! I knew I always liked you!" Blanca holds up her hand and Lorna slaps her palm. Both girls giggle together and the guys snicker.

"How I'd love to rob that rich loser blind!" Diablo rubs his hands together and everyone cracks up. "He won't even know what's missing!"

"The Chapman parents are so stuck-up that they deserve it! I've really wanted some of old lady Carol's jewelry for a while now," Blanca jokes.

"Same here!" Lorna says.

"Bill's watch is nice, too," Vinnie chimes in.

"Yeah, and some of his fancy suits," Diablo adds with a smirk.

The couples stroll to the bus stop, each one holding hands and exchanging kisses. They're going to meet Pennsatucky and Nathan later for ice cream at King Kone.


"Thanks for taking care of 'em, Frieda!"

"My pleasure." The older lady grins at Gloria. "They were good, in case you were wondering! We had fun, didn't we, kiddos?" She pats them on the back.

"Yeeeeaaaaaaah!" Benny and Julio shout together while jumping up and down and hugging Gloria's legs. She picks up Julio and leads Benny to the couch. They all sit down across from Frieda, who's on the armchair.

"I was like a cub scout leader! We went for a hike in the wilderness," Frieda informs her. "I taught them some cool songs!"

"It was really fun, Mama!" Benny informs Gloria.

"We're going on a bear hunt!" Julio shouts and claps with glee. "That's my favorite!"

"Awww, I'm so happy you guys had a good time with Frieda." Gloria's eyes start to well up with joyful tears. All the scary things they've had to experience are finally over. She quickly wipes them away and tousles their hair before bringing them in for an embrace.


While Diane is cleaning up at The Sparrow Tavern, Piper's father storms up to her. "It's all your fault, you know!"

Diane continues scrubbing the sticky table with a wet rag. Her hair is in a bun with tendrils dangling down the sides of her face. "What the fuck are you talking about?" She barely looks at him.

"You let Alex be such a lesbian that it extended into her friend's grandmother figure!"

"I...who? You're blaming me for nothing. What business it is of yours that my daughter likes other chicks?" She scoffs. "You're fucking pathetic."

"Hey, don't take that tone with me! I'll be a bit more clear!" Bill raises his voice. "My mother is Celeste, and that Hispanic woman, Lourdes, is having disgusting thoughts about her!"

"You can read minds now?" Diane asks sarcastically. She stares him right in the face. "You don't know shit. Even if Lourdes is solely into women, or bisexual...that's not even an issue or anything you need to share, and if you really respected your mother, you wouldn't care who she's vibing. Alex has nothing to do with it! She's my daughter and I love her, no matter what. Your nasty words about her are totally uncalled for. So you can fuck yourself, scumbag!"

"I don't appreciate your language! You left me for Charles the cop, who looks like a caveman, by the way!" he snarls spitefully.

"Excuse me?" she asks darkly with her middle fingers raised in the air and a grin that told him exactly what he could do. "I've had more than one boyfriend between you and my man. I didn't dump you for nobody, I just plain hated you. Go straight to hell."

Bill scoffs. "You're completely overreacting-"

Diane sets her fists on her hips. "Oh, really? I am? You neglected me when I was at my worst, like you were being an asshole just because you could! You let me cut myself! You just...you said I would need to clean up my injury after I was done and not get any blood on your precious kitchen floor! Your yelling scared the fuck outta me! Then, when I was having a silent panic attack while sitting on my bed, you'd push me off hard and get angry at me when I didn't answer you!" She chokes up, but wills herself not to cry. "I-I never loved you anyway and you've been a huge jerk as long as I've known you, but you should've at least pretended to like me and be my friend!"

"Oh my god." He groans and runs his hand down his face. "You can't let this go! I've moved on, it's been two decades now! It's not like I broke your heart...we just weren't meant for each other. Why are you unleashing all this shit on me?"

"'Cause I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I was before!"

It had happened over twenty years ago. They were a couple for half of their senior year after Frieda killed the Nazi. Phyllis and Edward had forced Diane to go out with Bill and she couldn't stand him because of his bigoted and misogynistic views. He also flaunted his riches and he knew that once she left their rule, she'd be poor and he'd make her his little trophy wife. She'd never have to work again, but she didn't wish to marry someone she wasn't in love with. She'd never met his mom back then since Bill was embarrassed to date her and have people know they were an item. When he met Carol in college, he forgot about pursuing Diane any further, which was a huge relief.

"Is this really you?" Bill plops an open issue of Playboy on the coffee table in front of Diane. She peers at it and a lump builds up in her throat. There's a photo of her breastfeeding a one-year-old baby. "This is in no way a sexual activity!" He sounds like he's trying to taunt her.

"Yes, that's me, and I know it's not," Diane mumbles, closing the magazine. "I found this little Jewish girl in that Nazi's closet when I used to live with him. I secretly held her and shushed her crying when he got closer...I tried escaping the house with her, but we were both locked in. The monster found her eventually, and...and first, took pictures of me giving her milk, but then...he strangled her to death right in front of me." She blinks and wipes away oncoming tears. "He said it was my fault and arranged it so that we'd both be in Playboy."

"That's gross and completely inappropriate, Diane!" Bill snaps.

"I know!" She wails openly and covers her face. "It's not like I had a choice..."

"You're weak, that's why it took you seventeen years to finally try to escape your nightmare. Maybe you liked it a bit, even."

Diane's heart shatters as she starts to sink into a panic attack. She's used to this douchebag behavior from him, but it doesn't mean she isn't hurt by it. "My home life? N-no, I didn't." Her breathing is fast and uneven. "I-I was scared every day...I grew up in a cult, you have no idea what it's like..." She cries hysterically and reaches out for him when he starts to get up. "Hold me, please..." Her begging is useless; he never comforts her when she's sad. She doesn't know why she even bothers to pathetically ask him to. He's cold and abrupt with her, in fact.

"I can't deal with this. I'm leaving you there until you calm down. Christ almighty!" He stomps off.

She feels so emotionally dead and extremely detached from Bill, and him treating her like an object didn't help, either. At least this one doesn't hurt me physically...she thinks.

"Lee was the first boyfriend I sobbed over, but I was so sad about what you were doing to me. It's not a big deal that you weren't interested in me at all romantically, but you were so mean...like some childhood bully!"

"Get over it!" he thunders and she jumps. "You're actually really hot now. I'd cheat with you if you were up for it."

She scowls at him. "Not a chance in the world. I've got a man, and he's fantastic...he's a million times better than you were." She glances down meaningfully at his crotch. "Bigger, too, if you catch my drift."

"Don't get cocky now. Pun intended." He smirks and guffaws, but she doesn't laugh along with him.

"That was a fucking burn, I was insulting you!"

"Well, don't turn it into a fight!"

"Why do you hang out with those types of people?" he asks later.

"Whaddya mean? Lila and James?"

"Well, you know, they're not...they don't look like us!" Realization dawns over her; of course, he's judging them for being black. "Don't make me say it..."

She scoffs. "Lila used to be my girl, but now she and James are good friends of mine. You don't gotta be racist about it."

"I'm not! I'm fine with you secretly dating Lila for now, since it's just a phase, but if you carry on with that gross behavior after we graduate high school, I'll report it to your parents," Bill threatens her. "Be glad I'm not lurking around wherever you go like that Nazi was doing. He'd kill Lila, too, but I won't. You don't even have to sneak, you can have happy kisses with her whenever you're not with me."

"We're gonna drift apart once I'm at Julliard. We both know you have no real feelings for me. Why would you even give a damn about who I'm with?"

"You'll always be mine, sex doll," he breathes against her neck as he constricts her with his arms. "The only good thing about you is your tits." He never kisses her anywhere except her breasts and vagina, and he only does anal in the dark with her. She squirms, but he tosses her on his bed and starts stripping her naked. "Turn around, I don't wanna see you!" She does so while he turns out the light. He soon rips her underpants down her thighs and pounds into her hard and fast while gripping her boobs, his fingernails digging into her flesh. That's when she disassociates. She's sore when he's finished, but she's been through this so many times that it's normal.

He's not a dangerous person, but he simply isn't there for Diane in her times of need and he's so homophobic and racist that they can never have a decent conversation without him bringing up what a bigoted dipshit he is by complaining about kids who he deems different than him. He doesn't respect anyone except those who are straight, cisgender, rich, white blonde-haired, and blue-eyed like himself. She's never asked Frieda to kill Bill since she figures he'll eventually find someone in college since they're going to separate schools, him in Connecticut and her in New York. Her parents no longer care since she's free of them, and she'll have to call her brother to take her to Julliard and pay for it. They don't give a damn if she falls off the face of the earth since she's eighteen now, but she's afraid if she sees them again, they'll beat her to death.

"How'd you lose the desire to control me?" she asks.

"I'm over it. I don't wanna focus my attention on only one woman." He shrugs. "I'm getting older and it's not a good use of my time. I've got Carol and Cal now...I used to have Piper, but not anymore. Now, Carol has no problems with being a housewife! I don't know why you did..."

"I'm not her. I had dreams, to work and earn my own money instead of only cook and clean and take care of kids."

"I'll pay for you to go to college," he decides aloud.

"No thanks," Diane mutters. She knows it's just him wanting to have power over her. He enjoys that. "My brother already offered and I took him up on it."

Bill scowls. "Whatever, I tried to be nice, have fun being homeless or someone's dirty maid!" He then walks away from her.

"Hey, babe, this guy bothering you?" Charles asks as he comes into the bar.

Diane shakes her head no, extremely happy to see him. She runs to him, squeezes him tight around his middle, and buries her face against his chest. She can feel his steady, soothing heartbeat on her cheek. Charles holds her and she loves that she feels so secure with him. He'd never rush her into anything and he's been so gentle with her and understanding about her past. "Not anymore." She beams when he caresses her hair and kisses the top of her head.

"We used to date and she's having a difficult time with this insane grudge she has on me."

"Well, you didn't work out, obviously...and you must've fucked her up good, seeing as how she's trembling in my arms. Plus, I heard her yelling at you from outside while I was leaving from my car in the parking lot! You didn't treat her right at all. I oughta punch yo stupid ass unconscious!"

"Honey, it's not worth it," Diane tells Charles as she strokes his prickly beard. "It was a long time ago...but you have my full permission to knock his teeth out and give him a good shiner or bloody nose if he bullies Alex!"

"Alright!"


"Hello...I don't mean to interrupt your dessert, but my name is Champ Silvers, and my friend Chas would like to talk to you...Doggett, right?" A skinny man with blonde hair and pale blue eyes stands in front of their table with a wide grin on his face and his hands on his hips.

"Who? I don't know no Chas," Pennsatucky answers.

"He's told you a story about me...the Judas Priest one." Champ scratches the back of his neck. "You really don't remember?"

Realization dawns on Pennsatucky when she figures that Chas is short for Charlie, which had been her rapist's first name. "Yeah, that was his, uh...biggest regret. He said some bullshit like he missed the concert a few years ago 'cause you challenged him to drink thirty Coors Light cans and he vomited everywhere. He likes girls on their period, that's what he told me when I had mine!" She puts her head in her hands, not wanting to think about the monster who raped her for the rest of her life. "Just tell him to leave me alone, man. I got enough to deal with."

"I thought he said he loved you."

"You don't rape somebody you love!" Pennsatucky snaps through gritted teeth, and Chas looks surprised.

"Oh...I'm so sorry," he tells her guiltily. "I'll just...I'll go."

Nathan pulls her into him, tucking her under his arm and she instantly feels safe again and not so exposed like she was a minute earlier. Blanca, Diablo, Lorna, and Vinnie give her supportive smiles and the girls hug her.


"So, you wanna tell me about this fool Rodrigo?" Fahri asks as he takes a seat on the sofa in the Diaz home.

Gloria nods and sits beside him, hugging her knees to her chest. "He knocked me up on purpose...he had previously destroyed the condom before putting it on. I tried hiding my pregnancy from Lourdes, but she found out eventually. I was responsible enough that she wasn't too upset, but she did demand to meet him. He talked to me about how we would start a family, but to Lourdes, we would just say we're giving it up for adoption, so it wouldn't look like I was being pressured into keeping my babies forever. I was falling out of love with Rod the Clod as the months went on and once I gave birth, I held my baby girls close, feeling so much happiness with them in my arms." She gasps sharply when she feels tears coming on, but she won't let them interrupt her story. "Suddenly, he...he took them from me, saying I didn't even want them in the first place. He told me to go off to college and abandon my daughters, and that I got what I'd been praying for all this time." Gloria sniffles and leans into Fahri, who gives her a comforting hug. "Then, he just left me in the hospital bed, sobbing. Lourdes said he just drove off...I told her the truth a few days later. She'd known he was a slimy pig all along."

"God damn it, Glo...you didn't deserve that. I'm so sorry that happened to you!"

"Yeah, so they got a whole new life now, without me. I ran into 'em a while back at my bodega, and they acted like I didn't even care about them! Of course I do...but I don't blame them for feeling that way. It's their dipshit father's fault, obviously...but I don't know how to make amends, so it's mine, too. If I contact them, they'll accuse me of stalking and harassment. If I don't, their dad will have proved them right about me. I wish I did a better job at keeping in touch with them."

"Maybe just wait for them to come to you?"

"They won't," Gloria says defeatedly. "Their dad has ruined them for good and I should've tried harder to get them back when they were babies. I'm honestly just venting."

"I've always believed it's never too late for anything," he insists gently. His heart breaks for her and everything awful that she's experienced.

"Sometimes, it is. Just hold me, okay?"

"I will," he murmurs.

"Arturo was a lot worse." She curls into him and he embraces her. "It was a long time before I could shower by myself with the door unlocked or without flinching in terror every few seconds, since Arturo would always appear out of nowhere and rip open the shower curtain, wielding a knife high over his head, as if he was going to attack me with it, like in Psycho." Gloria blinks rapidly and sniffles in his arms with the side of her face on his chest as he ever so gently caresses her hair. She deserves this. "He berated me for swearing in front of my boys...he said it was because ladies don't curse and I was setting a bad example for Benito and Julio. He mocked them, too. He even ruined Hide and Seek for the little ones. He'd play it so whenever I got spooked by him and hid myself and sometimes the boys for a while, he'd count to whatever number and then find us in various spots of the house. He'd throw rats at us...sometimes, we got bit and scratched...that's why I'm so frightened of 'em. I know many people are, but I get a panic attack even seeing one on screen. I'd scream out loud, naturally...he scared me, and Benny and Julio noticed that. I was completely powerless when it came to him."

Sadness comes over Fahri and he frowns. "I'm sorry, Glo, I've felt like that a lot! Well, he was a horrible excuse for a human being! I'm relieved that he got burned alive."

"Me too! I, um...I just want them to enjoy things that kids love doing...but how can they soon not be afraid of something that's supposed to be fun? They're traumatized by the game if a grown man plays with them, so even if they're slowly starting to trust you, we can't play it. Unless we make it like teams, you and I work together to find the boys, or if you don't mind concealing yourself and letting them discover where you are first?" Gloria asks.

A corner of his mouth lifts. "Sure, that sounds fine! Whatever you and your tiny dudes are comfortable with. You guys are completely safe with me."

She brightens. "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome!"


"I had that nightmare again...about the awful Nazi boy...trying to...rape me," Diane shares at Lourdes' therapy session on Saturday with just herself there. She doesn't wish for her boyfriend or Alex or their friends to hear about this since it seems too personal. It's just another thing that makes her look like a victim, and she doesn't want anyone to see her like that. Charles already knows, and of course, Frieda does too. "He was getting revenge on me for allowing his grandfather to get killed...and I know Frieda stopped him, but...he's still alive. Once he recovers from his injuries she gave him, he could hurt me again. I'm scared, Lourdes." She wrings her shaking hands tightly and leans forward. "Even though he's in juvy..."

Lourdes shakes her head and frowns. "I'm sorry, Diane. I hope he gets killed in there!"

"Me too. It reminded me of the first time I was about to be sexually assaulted back in college," Diane mumbles. "He even threatened my family...if I didn't change his grade and let him and his disgusting friends eat at my restaurant! Then, I had a nightmare about those twisted sisters...they were in prison..." She can remember it so clearly now.

Barb takes off her sleep mask, her brow furrowed, and gets out of bed. A guard named Ginger cuffs her wrists. A little later she leads Barb up the stairs to an isolated room with a single bed and a toilet. Carol sits on one of the beds in one of the cells staring upwards. As Ginger brings her to the cells, Barb pauses and stares at her sister through the window. Carol spots them and disbelievingly puts on her glasses. She stands. Ginger unlocks the cell door then gestures to Barb who holds out her wrists. Carol gawks as Ginger uncuffs her. Ginger pulls the door open. Crossing her arms, Barb enters the cell, her puzzled eyes fixed on Carol. Carol stares back. The two sisters stand, facing each other on opposite sides. Ginger leaves.

Diane whimpers. "I really need a hug..."

"Okay, I'll give you one." Lourdes wraps her arms around Diane and hums to her for a while. Diane feels content after that and she and Lourdes separate.

"Thanks! Hey...Frieda is my birth mom!" Diane informs her cheerfully, in a slightly better mood than before.

"That's great!" Lourdes exclaims.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45! So, after this is ten more chapters right in a row because I wanted to get it posted before 2021! Take your sweet time reading :)