Bonus

'I'm glad they finally got their chance to go, despite the circumstances.'

'Agreed, it'll be good for them. It's so freeing to escape abuse.'

'Absolutely. I felt quite liberated when I was able to finally leave home.'

'Yes, I had the same feeling when I moved to Riverview. Surely things can only get better for them now.'

'I'm glad they'll be away from his toxic influence. He ruins everything he touches.'

'Ugh, I can imagine.'

'I used to hold out hope that things could be different, but that was a long time ago.'

'I'm sorry. It must've been awful for you.'

'Oh well.'

'...I'm nothing like him.'

'Believe me, if I thought you were, I'd have run off screaming.'

'I know... I say that because he must have some desirable quality that I don't. I'm not entirely sure what, though.'

'Because of what you said earlier, about your ex...?'

'Yes.'

'To be bluntly honest, she just sounds like a stupid cunt.'

'When I asked her why she did it, she said she was fed up of me being so wet, and she wanted a "real" man...'

'Oh what bullshit, Tate's not a man, he's a fucking delusional coward who turns even the nicest people away from him with his relentless toxicity. If an abusive narcissistic sociopath is her idea of a "real" man then I hope she's sought out the therapy she so clearly needed. She didn't deserve you.'

'Thank you. I didn't want you to think there must have been a valid reason for her to do it...'

'Fuck no. You don't think there was a valid reason for Roxxi's sister to be so disgusting, after all.'

'No, definitely not. There's nothing wrong with Roxxi; she's a lovely woman.'

'Precisely. And please don't take my remarks about your ex as being denigrating to people in therapy either. I'm in a couple of types of therapy myself, I know it's useful stuff.'

'So am I. I've bloody needed it. I used to be a complete wreck of a person.'

'Me too, I've been a horrible, violent bitch in the past.'

'You clearly changed. You know me, I couldn't cope with violence...'

'I'm still a work in progress though, but I've definitely mellowed over the years. Anger management has been valuable.'

'I'm glad to hear it.'

'Please don't feel Tate's appalling treatment is a reflection of you. It's not. I'm still a newcomer to this family, but I can tell that the others all adore you. Whereas who adores Tate? He and himself.'

'You're right. Thank you.'

'No problem.'

'...What happened with Indigo, anyway?'

'Oh Christ. I don't know, she called me up in a state, demanding I meet her. She mentioned something about wanting to take Abraxas' gun home with her, and she'd clearly been in a fight. She had a gash on her nose and one hell of a bleed.'

'Oh God... Didn't she tell you what happened?'

'Not a damn thing. Anstine and I kept trying to engage her on the drive home, but she literally said nothing. Not even to tell us to shut the fuck up.'

'That's not good at all...'

'No, it's not. It looks like something incredibly fucked up happened. Maybe she just needs a day or two to process whatever's gone on. Maybe she'll open up soon after.'

'I'll have to check in on her tomorrow. See if she's up for talking to me.'

'Good luck. I hope you get through to her.'