Chapter Thirteen: Bend And Not Break

"Where is she?" Matt screamed into the phone. A week had passed since Paige and Jake moved. "She didn't show up today!"

"I don't know, I really don't," Jimmy said.

"You liar! I went to her house and she's gone. All their stuff is gone. This is just going to get her arrested. She can't keep my daughter from me," he slammed the phone down.

"This is not going to be pretty," Jimmy told Manny.

"We should probably get a restraining order," Manny said. "Make sure he stays away from us."

"I'll do that first thing tomorrow morning," he said. "I have to get to work. Are you sure you'll be okay while I'm gone?"

"I'll be fine. As soon as the kids wake up we're all gonna go down to my work. I haven't checked on everything in awhile. Emma could probably use the help," Manny explained.

"Okay, I love you." Jimmy kissed his wife and headed out the door.

"I love you too!" she called after him.


A few hours later, around ten o'clock, Manny and all the kids arrived at the adoption agency that she owned. Lily, Lucas, and Jonathan headed off to the game room that Manny added a few years ago. She wanted to be able to bring them with her to work on days like this. Manny went into her office and set Isabella's car seat down to unbuckle her. She lifted her daughter up and put the car seat in a corner on the floor, then headed to her best friend's office.

"Hey Em, what's up?" she asked as she entered the room.

"Nothing really. Slow day today," Emma replied without turning her chair around.

"You want to hold Bella?" Manny asked her.

"Sure." Emma slowly turned around in her chair and Manny gasped.

"What happened?" Emma had a huge bruise on her cheek.

"It's nothing," she replied, lifting a hand to her face.

"Who did that to you?" Manny asked. "Was it JT?" she said accusingly.

"Of course not Manny! Why do you walk around assuming things?"

"If it wasn't him, then who was it?"

"I visited my parents the other day. You know, to tell them about the baby. Jack and I were playing baseball and the ball hit me in the face."

"Emma, you shouldn't be playing baseball when you're pregnant!" Manny scolded. She handed Bella over to her friend.

"I know, it was dumb. But I just wanted to spend some time with my brother. I can't believe he's at Degrassi now," she said, changing the subject.

"I know, it's crazy. Well, I came to get some work done and see if you might want to watch Bella while I do."

"Sure, that sounds great," Emma told her.

"The rest of the kids are in the game room if you want to visit them," Manny said.

"How is Jonathan doing with his therapy?"

"He hasn't made any progress. He comes home every day happier and happier, but I think he's just putting on a show for us. I don't think he'll ever walk again," Manny said sadly.

"I'm so sorry about that," Emma said genuinely.

"He's not sorry, so I guess no one else should be. He's taking this really well. He's not feeling sorry for himself at all." Manny turned to leave.

"Hey, one more thing. How are Paige and her family?" Emma asked.

"They're doing great. The kids love the new house and have made some new friends. Paige and Jake love it too." Manny left the room to work for awhile. She stayed for the entire day, up until the point where she knew Jimmy would be home from work soon. She rounded up the kids, and went back to Emma's office with Isabella's car seat.

"Thanks for watching her," she told her best friend.

"It was nothing. She's a great baby. I hope my son or daughter will turn out like her," Emma said.

"Hey, promise me you'll go home soon," Manny requested. "You and the baby need some rest."

"You shouldn't worry about me you know. I'll go home in a few minutes, I promise. I just have to clean up this office a bit. Bye guys," she said to the kids. "Bye Manny." With a sigh, Manny led the kids out of the office to the elevator. Despite everything Emma had told her, she couldn't help worrying about her.


I catalog these steps now, decisive and intentioned,
Precise and patterned specifically to yours.

I'm talented at breathing, especially exhaling,
So that my chest will rise and fall with yours.

I'm careful not to wake you, fearing conversation.
It's better just to hold you and keep you pacified.

I'm talented with reason, I cover all the angles.
I can fail before I ever try.

Try to understand, there is and old mistake that fools will make.
And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away.
So won't you hold me now? I will not bend, I will not break.
Won't you hold me now? For you I rise for you I fall.

I am fairly agile. I can bend and not break.
Or I can break and take it with a smile.

I am so resilient. I recover quickly.
I'll convince you soon that I am fine.


"Jimmy, I'm gonna go back to the office," Manny told her husband. Isabella had woken both of them up, and they were in her room. Jimmy was trying to rock her back to sleep.

"But it's one in the morning!" Jimmy protested.

"I forgot to bring something home with me and it's been bothering me all night. It won't take me very long, I promise," Manny told him.

"Fine, but you better hurry. Call me the minute you get there and the minute you're leaving to come back home."

"I will." She kissed him and ran to their bedroom, quickly getting dressed. Then she popped her head back into Bella's room. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes," she said before leaving.

It only took Manny a few minutes to get to the office. She swiped her card at the door and typed in the security code. She decided to go up the stairs instead of using the elevator. It was only a few floors. Instead of heading to her office, she went straight to Emma's. What she saw confirmed all of her suspicions. There was her best friend, fast asleep on the couch in her office.

"Em, wake up," Manny said, nudging her. Emma slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Manny?" she asked, alarmed.

"What are you doing here Emma? I thought you were going home," Manny pressed. She wanted the truth.

"I guess I just fell asleep here. I was going to take a little nap. What time is it?"

"Emma I want you to stop lying to me! I know you're lying. Why are you always here?" Tears began streaming down her best friend's face. "I'm sorry I yelled, I just…"

"Manny you were right. I feel so dumb, like it's all my fault," she cried.

"Like what's your fault?" Manny asked.

"When JT lost his job, he started drinking. And it wasn't just one drink a day. He's an alcoholic now. And he…he…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"He hits you, doesn't he?" Manny asked her. "All the bruises, all the excuses…" Emma nodded her head and Manny rushed forwards to hug her.

"Em, I'm so sorry. I thought something might be up, but I really didn't think JT would ever be like this," Manny said.

"It's not your fault; it's mine. I shouldn't have pushed him to get a new job so quickly. It's the reason he hits me. I pick fights when he's drunk because it makes me so mad," Emma explained.

"Don't ever say that again! It's not your fault that he hits you. JT needs help, and I'm going to give it to him. But you're going to come live with us. He could hurt you and the baby and that's a chance you can't take. I just don't understand why he'd ever hurt his own wife and child." Emma had a strange look on her face. "Oh Em! You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No, he still doesn't know. He thinks I'm just fat, which is another reason that he'll hit me. He said I'm not pretty enough for him anymore." Tears poured out of her eyes and she broke down. "Manny, I don't want to be with him. Whether he gets help or not. I just can't do it anymore. Does that make me a horrible person?"

"Of course not Emma. You can annul the marriage since you haven't even been married that long. We can do that tomorrow. For now, let's just get you back to my house. You can sleep in the guest room. We'll come back for your car later." Manny helped her friend up and they took the elevator downstairs.

"Manny, there's one more thing I didn't tell you. The reason I'm pregnant…" Emma started.

"Is JT even the father?" she asked.

"Yes he is. I just…I didn't want to…"

"He raped you?" Manny yelled.

"He…he just forced me a little. I didn't think of it as rape. He's my husband Manny. I still love him and I'm not going to press charges," Emma explained.

"Rape is rape Emma! No matter who does it to you." Manny was so angry because it had happened to her twice.

"I don't want revenge or anything. I just want him to get help," Emma said.

"You're a great person Emma. Not every woman would be as understanding as you are. JT is lucky."

"Let's just go home," Emma sighed, getting into the truck. "I'm lucky to have you Manny," she whispered before falling asleep with her head leaning against the window.

A/N: Okay, I want you guys to tell me if Emma's baby should be a boy or a girl. I haven't decided yet, and I thought I'd ask. The song is "Bend And Not Break" by Dashboard Confessional and they own it.