She became a regular in the gym like before. She met with the police officer, gave him all the information she had from Dina and paid him an advance to begin searching for her biological father. Her empathy towards the helpless compelled her to assist Dina. At least three times a week she volunteered to help at the shelter. She befriended several women and loved playing with their children. And each night she went home after visiting the shelter, she felt renewed and content. Hearing the heartbreaking stories of her new friends made her open up about what had happened to her. She began seeing one of Dina’s close friends, Mrs. Iancu, a therapist who volunteered once or twice a week to speak with the women, counseling and guiding them through the torturous process of healing. What began with a long silence on Tessa’s part—unable to talk about Daniel’s attack for fear he’d haunt her nights again—turned into hours sessions of heated discussions, endless questions and liberating screams at the top of her lungs.
