Kevin tried to wait patiently for Dr. Steep to return, but the more time he spent alone, the less optimistic he felt about the whole situation. Kevin jumped when Dr. Steep finally entered the office.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. It took a few minutes to get Abigail settled in her room and I needed to take some time to brief our staff on the situation.” Dr. Steep said.

“I understand.” Kevin said quietly.

“Kevin. I know this isn’t easy for you. Feel free to tell me what you’re thinking. It might help you deal with it all.” Dr. Steep offered.

“Maybe later.” Kevin said. If he couldn’t be with Abigail, then he just wanted to be alone.

“Fine. The offer still stands. Now Kevin, I have an idea and I hope you’ll agree to it.” Dr. Steep said.

“I don’t know what I can do if Abigail doesn’t want me around.” Kevin said.

“I want you to stay in one of our spare rooms tonight. I can’t say this for sure, but Abigail may call out for you subconsciously throughout the night. If that happens, it may help her open back up to you.” Dr. Steep proposed.

Kevin didn’t know what to think about Dr. Steep’s suggestion. He was severely wounded by Abigail’s words and just wanted to be alone, but in his heart he knew he couldn’t turn his back on her. “What do you think the chances are that she’ll ask for me throughout the night?” Kevin asked. He wasn’t sure he could handle any more rejection.

“I think the chances are pretty good. As soon as she falls asleep her subconscious will take over. At that time, I think there is a good chance that she’ll call out for you.” Dr. Steep said, hoping he was convincing enough. In all honesty, he just wanted to keep Kevin close because he was just as concerned about his state of mind.

“I need to get away from here for a little while, but I’ll return in a couple of hours.” Kevin said.

“That sounds reasonable.” Dr. Steep said as he stood up and placed a reassuring hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Don’t give up on her Kevin. Abigail is just in shock over the news. She loves you and I’m positive she’ll eventually come around.” Dr. Steep said.

“Trust me. I’m not giving up on her. I’ll continue to do what is best for her. I’ll be there waiting for her when she makes it through all this.” Kevin said as he stood up.

“Abigail is fortunate to have you on her side.” Dr. Steep said sympathetically.

“Thanks for everything. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Kevin said as he walked out of the office. He had a few calls to make and then just needed some time alone to think. He needed to mentally prepare himself for the long road ahead.

The first phone call Kevin made was to the detective in charge of Abigail’s case. He wanted to see if they had made any progress, but Kevin became even more discouraged when he was told that they had failed to locate Frank.

The second phone call Kevin placed was to Brian. They had to figure out how they were going to handle this situation. “Hey Brian, it’s me.” Kevin said.

“Hey Kevin. How are things down there?” Brian asked.

“She didn’t take it very well at all Brian. I don’t know what to do.” Kevin said. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Brian what had really happened.

“You do what you feel you have to do Kevin. You know we’ll support your decision.” Brian said.

“I’m going to stick around tonight and probably head back tomorrow. I don’t want to miss any shows.” Kevin said.

“Think about it a little more before you make a decision Kevin. If you don’t feel up to doing a show, we understand.” Brian said.

“I’ll call again in the morning.” Kevin said before he hung up. If Abigail didn’t come around overnight, there was no reason for him to stay. He would just have to give Abigail she space she needed.

The next call Kevin made was to his mother. She had never met Abigail, but had always given Kevin the necessary strength to continue to support Abigail. He desperately needed to hear her reassuring voice to help him make it through the night. “Hey mom, it’s Kevin.” He said as she answered the phone.

“Hi sweetheart. How are you holding up?” Ann asked.

“Not very good mom. I had to fly back to Florida today because Frank has escaped. I wanted to be here to tell Abi.” Kevin said.

“I take it she didn’t take the news very well.” Ann said.

“That’s an understatement. She totally flipped out and told me to leave. She said I’ve done nothing but hurt her.” Kevin said, trying once again to hold back the tears.

“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry. But you have to believe that she doesn’t really mean it. She’s been through a lot and this is probably some mechanism to try and protect herself from getting hurt any more.” Ann tried to reason.

“Dr. Steep suggested I stay there tonight. He seems to think that she’ll call out for me while she sleeps.” Kevin said.

“He’s probably right. Give her some time. I’m sure she’ll come around.” Ann said.

“Mom, I don’t think I can hang around and wait for her to come around.” Kevin admitted.

“That’s understandable. How long can you stay there?” Ann asked.

“The guys are trying to encourage me to stay for a few days, but I’ll see how tonight goes. If she comes around tonight I might stay. If she doesn’t, I don’t think I have the heart to stay.” Kevin replied.

“Let me know what you decide. Maybe I could come out and spend a few days with you.” Ann suggested.

“We’ll see mom. I better let you go. I have to get back.” Kevin said.

“You’ll both be in my thoughts and prayers sweetie. Take care of yourself.” Ann said.

Kevin slowly made his way back to the treatment facility. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face the situation that awaited him and he almost wondered if heading back to the tour was the best thing to do. Just as Kevin thought that, his cell phone rang.

When he answered it, he so desperately wanted to hear Abigail’s voice, but he was disappointed to find out it was Abigail’s friend Julia. He took a few minutes to fill her in on the situation before he pulled over to the side of the road and finally let the tears escape. He felt like someone had ripped his heart out. With his head leaning against the headrest, he silently prayed for Abigail to find her way back into his arms. He felt empty inside as her words replayed themselves over and over again in his head.