"I can't," Linda whimpered. "I made a promise before God. I swore to stay with him through sickness and health, through good times and bad. I can't break that vow. If anything, it's my fault this happens. If I was a better wife, he would never—"
"Do you hear yourself right now?" Catherine said, clenching her hands into fists. "How can you blame yourself for what he does? It's not your fault. It's his fault! He's the one who chooses to drink and gamble and beat his wife and daughter."
"But—" Linda whispered.
Catherine bent over the bed, putting her face close to Linda's, "It's not your fault. It's his fault."
A hand closed on her shoulder and pulled her away from the bed. She turned and found Maria giving her a warning look.
"I think you need to calm down," Maria said quietly.
