“You are safe here.
“It’s alright.”
“Stay here as long as you want.”
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
It takes me a while to calm down and stop shaking. I pull away from her embrace and put distance between us, refusing to meet her worried gaze.
The room is cloaked in silence and tension with unspoken words. I can practically hear their hundreds of questions and it makes me distressed.
I tug on my sleeves.
“Sit down with us for a moment,” Carol says. “We just need to talk.”
I look at both of them and slightly nod my head.
We leave the kitchen and walk into the living room. They sit on the sofa and I take a seat opposite from them.
“What happened last night?” Carol asks, in a soft voice.
My tongue glues against the roof and it takes everything in me to not get up and run away. These people are linked to the guy I love. I can’t avoid them or hide from them. But it physically overwhelms me to share about my family life with them.
“I… I’m sorry I’m here. I understand it’s your home and I can’t just come here and —”
“That’s not an issue, dear.” She gives me a genuine smile. “You can always come here because you’re someone close to Heath.”
I nod.
“I’m asking you this because of the way you arrived. It was raining and late at night and you were crying… something big must have happened.”
I tightly clutch the ends of my sweatshirt, trying my best to not lose it.
“My mother…she didn’t want me to stay. She kicked me out,” I tell her in a low, quiet tone. “And I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
I hesitate to meet her gaze and when I do I see tears glisten in her eyes.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” I add hurriedly.
“No! No.” She tries to rise but her husband grabs her arm and shakes his head. Understanding flows between them as theystare at each other. One look and they know what the other one is saying.
She takes a deep breath, then says, “You canalwayscome here. We don’t mind at all.”
I don’t believe her but I nod anyway.
“I’m sorry for troubling you. It wasn’t my intention.” I feel so awful for bringing my problems at their doorstep.
“It’s no trouble, dear. We’re just worried about you.” She coos. “How can your mother do that? I don’t understand.” Anger carries in her tone.
I twiddle with my fingers, hesitating to tell them the truth.
Just do it.
Heath loves you.
Even if these people won’t like you and judge you.
I realize I don’t have anything to lose. I have someone who will be there for me anyway.
