Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” I managed to get out. “Just… keep my girls safe.”
“You’re all safe.” Violet gave me a soft, kind smile. “Get some sleep. By the time they get here, every woman who comes to us is exhausted. Mostly from trying to sleep with one eye open all the time.”
“Thank you so much.” My voice broke on the last word, but I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”
“Get some rest. Food should be here in ten minutes. I’ll be back. In the meantime, get settled. Maybe take a hot shower to wash the journey away. If you don’t feel like eating, I’ll pack it up and put it in the fridge. Got a fully functional kitchen in here if you want to cook, but most prefer to eat in the dining room. So you can reheat it if you wake up hungry before breakfast.” She looked from me to the girls and back. “You’re safe here, Penny. All three of you.”
She gave me one more comforting smile before squeezing my hands briefly once again, then she left. As the door closed behind her, I looked at my daughters -- Zelda’s defiant stance, Kira’s watchful silence -- and wondered if any of us remembered what safety felt like, or if we’d recognize it when we found it.
* * *
It took us a couple of days, but the girls finally decided it was time to get out and explore our new temporary home. Just as she’d promised, Violet had brought the other women with her. They visited us each day and brought three meals a day as well as snacks and basic groceries. We’d all had a chance to sleep, bathe, and just… breathe. Now it was time for us to begin this journey.
The hallway smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and fresh laundry, scents so normal they seemed strange after the stale cigarette stink of the bus. I perched on the edge of a donated couch in what they called the “common room,” watching Zelda and Kira case the place.
Violet appeared from around a corner, her red hair caught up in a messy ponytail. “Penny, girls, this is my son Caleb,” Violet said, her hand resting lightly on the boy’s shoulder. “He sometimes comes by after school when I’m working late. He’s only ever in the front TV area so he’s available if anyone needs him to run errands.”
“Errands?” Zelda tilted her head to the side.
Caleb shrugged. “You know. ‘Cause some of the moms here don’t feel safe leaving. I try to keep the boys company and be around in case anyone needs something we don’t have in stock.”
“So, you’re a gofer.” Zelda raised a challenging eyebrow.
I thought the teenage boy would bristle at her comment, but he smiled instead. “Hey. Someone in this town’s gotta show women not all men are assholes. Besides. Gofers are cute.” He smirked and, for the first time in a very long time, I saw a spark of the mischievous kid Zelda was before Andy lost his Goddamned mind. Caleb had effectively thrown down a gauntlet Zelda couldn’t resist picking up.
Caleb hitched his backpack higher. “I brought a breakfast pizza, if you’re hungry.” He directed this at the twins, his voice matter of fact. “Figured it’d be better than yogurt or oatmeal.”
“What’s the catch?” she demanded, the phrase so familiar it made my heart ache. How many times had I heard those exact words from her when someone offered help?
“No catch,” Caleb replied with a shrug that looked too adult on a kid who was barely a teenager. “Just… breakfast.” He headed back over to the L-shaped sectional where there was a large coffee table and plenty of room for the pizza box and the small paper plates.
Kira looked up at Zelda, who shrugged, but I knew she was trying to act indifferent. Both girls followed Caleb and the three of them dug in.
“Thank you,” I said, the words feeling rusty in my throat.
Violet shook her head as she smiled. “That’s all Caleb. He’s got a thing about protecting women. Started with me. Bled over to the various women and kids who’ve filtered through here in the last few months since we opened.”
I turned to look at the young man. He had a kind smile and didn’t take offense at anything Zelda said to him, including her calling him a gofer. “I think this is the first time Zelda has engaged with another person other than me or her sister for months. Kira certainly hasn’t been interested in being around others.” Tears filled my eyes, but I choked them back. I didn’t deserve to cry. Not over this. “I should have left months ago. The first time he hit me.”
Violet studied me, her eyes filled with something that looked more like understanding than pity. “You left when you could. That’s what matters.”