What Mary feared most was Thea turning back out of lingering feelings or pity. She had finally crawled out of a sea of suffering. If she jumped back in, it would be far harder to escape a second time.
Thea was stunned when she heard what Andrew had done recently. For a moment, she felt as though something inside her finally collapsed completely.
She looked toward the yard, where her children were playing quietly, and spoke in a low, steady voice. "My heart is completely dead now. I only hope that when the time comes, he won't come and pester me."
A bitter smile appeared on her face. "I know him too well. When he needs you or wants to use you, he sticks to you like dog-skin plaster. You can't shake him off, no matter how hard you try."
