He took a deep breath and lowered the knife, then practically fell into my arms. “Sorry, Star. I’ve just been through a lot. It’s so good to see you, girl.”

I held him close within my arms, supporting his weight. “My God, Rick! What have they done to you?” It was good to have him within my arms, to know he was safe and alive.

Then he pulled back to look into my eyes. “You don’t want to know,” he said, then turned to face Annie with an arm around my shoulders. “Annie, thanks for coming through. You’re the best.”

“Did I just hear you correctly? Did you just say...