"Thank God," she breathed.
Trinity couldn't bring herself to ask the other question on her mind. She ached from top to bottom — it was hard to know for real — but she couldn't be sure if they sexually assaulted her.
"Nothing happened," he said as if reading her mind.
Her eyes met his for a moment and she realized what he was talking about. "I stopped them before anything could happen and I stayed until the cops and ambulance brought you here."
Thank God.If it was even possible, more relief washed over her, and she sunk further into the bed, her whole body weary from the weight she had been carrying.
"Your daughter is quite the smart girl. She told me she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers.” He had a wry smile on his face that caused fluttering in her stomach. “But she decided I was okay since I was going to make you better."
"Yes." Her eyes strayed to the serene child, tears prickling the back of her eyelids.
"You must be very proud of her," he concluded with a soft tone.
"I am.” And she meant it with her whole heart. She turned back to the stranger. Words couldn’t express what she was feeling. “Thank you for… everything. I don't know what would have happened if they actually — thank you."
"That's alright,” the man murmured, and she was glad he didn't try to brush her thanks aside.
For a reason she couldn't quite touch on, it mattered to her — too much.
“Mommy?" The sleep heavy voice was her only warning before she felt the small body collide with hers.
“Careful, Miranda!” The warning was a little too late, though. The two of them embraced, sniffling between their smiles.
???
Trinity stared at the papers in her hand and her stomach dropped. One thing was clear — she couldn't afford yet another hospital bill. She closed her eyes as a sinking feeling jolted through her.
The hospital stay added to her mounting debt. She knew she should just abandon the idea of getting an apartment anytime soon, because despite the second job, she may never be able to crawl out from this financial mess.
Her job!
She was supposed to be at work today!
She needed to call in before she found herself jobless.
“May I borrow your phone?" she asked Michael. They had made the introductions earlier in the day after she had broken up her hug with Miranda.
He had insisted on staying with her in the hospital since yesterday, and since he had rescued her and kept her daughter safe, she couldn’t say no, even though she didn’t understand what motivated him to remain with them — no obligation could be that strong.
But she wasn’t complaining — far from it.
Catching his eyes a few times across her bed and watching his interaction with Miranda when they both thought she was asleep made her feel content. Although she wasn’t at ease with the situation, she was glad to have someone who seemed like they genuinely cared.
The flutter in her stomach had moved onto full on grumblings, but she kept pushing it aside as a reaction to painkillers left her spacy and groggy.
She grabbed the phone from him, her palms tingling at the light brush of his hands against hers — there was no mistaking her reaction to his touch, but she hid it well beneath a scowl, focusing on dialing her new workplace.
When she finished explaining her predicament, the head nurse of the nursing home told her to take a few days off. She returned the phone to Michael and he gave her a sympathetic smile. She was thankful that her workplace had been so understanding about the situation, but she couldn’t afford to take time off of work. Her situation was already bad enough.
Trinity turned back to the pile of paperwork on her lap and groaned. She had to somehow come up with a plan to pay these bills since she didn’t have a single cent to her name.
The thought of returning to the street was not something she had allowed herself to think about since she woke up, but now it was a reality she needed to tackle.
It hit her all at once — the encounter with those men. Every time she closed her eyes it played like a sickening video. Her helplessness, weakness and inability to protect herself and Miranda. She was a mom for God’s sake, and she needed to provide her daughter’s basic needs but failed to do so.
She shuddered, knowing she needed to think of a plan so that they could never be experience that situation again.
