“It was the simplest language she had to express what she needed to, but when the worlds left her mouth they brought tears back into her already puffy eyes.
“I do love you, Babe, but you violated me trust. It’s something we can fix, just not right now.”
Abe gulped, nodding.
“There are things...” she continued, struggling to speak clearly “...there are things I need to fix too. I know. I need to see Carlin, I need to deal with... everything going on in my head. I need help--” Her words were choked off at the last word, that simple phrase she wasn’t sure she’d ever uttered before in her life.
Abe made a sound that might have been a sob, but when Ida looked at him he was gasping in relief, gasping like a half-drowned man who’d found land. When his eyes met hers, she knew he saw her strugg
