"Totally. I like my coffee with a little milk. Like a flat white, but I can appreciate a good caramel macchiato," Danika said.
Calla shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Both women laughed. “We’re sorry. We don’t mean to be talking in coffee code,” Elowen said. “It’s almost like coffee drinkers develop their own language.
“We can start you off easy with coffee. If you’re not used to caffeine, it may give you a bit of a buzz.”
"Oh. I'm totally not used to caffeine. It's weird how not used to things I am. I mean, before my parents died, I had a mostly normal life, but I was in high school. Then Brent killed our parents and put them in the ground. I was at his mercy."
Danika shook her head. "Oh, that's awful. I'm so sorry that happened to you."
They entered the house and headed to the kitchen. She felt guilty sitting while the women sliced bread and made drinks. Worry hit hard. Would they think she was lazy?
She was about to jump up to help when Danika brought over a mug of coffee for her. “It has some sugar and milk in it. I didn’t make it too sweet, but you can make it sweeter if you like.”
She nodded, watching them grab more drinks and the plates with bread. The men walked in, and she jumped up, knocking into the table. The coffee in her mug almost splashed out.
Danika took her hand and squeezed. “It’s okay. It’s just Sharp and Griz. You can sit.”
“Do you need to fix them coffee or dinner or something else?”
Danika shook her head. "No, it's okay. Sharp knows how to get his own coffee. You can relax. He knows we're in here talking, and he just wants to make sure you're okay."
She settled back in the chair, still a little nervous to be sitting while the men grabbed mugs of coffee. Elowen took a sip from her mug, then set the mug down and leaned in.
“So your brother became your…guardian isn’t the right word. Were you able to finish high school?”
She shook her head. "No. I came close. I just had one year left. And not even a full year. He never let me go back. He locked me up and that was it."
Danika’s eyes narrowed. “So no one came looking for you?”
She shrugged. “No. We had land. There weren’t as many houses around as there are now. My brother still won’t sell the back acres. I think it’s because that’s where he buried Mom and Dad. He sold other stuff, but not that.” She picked at the napkin she’d been given. “Do you think I’ll ever be normal?”
“Yes.” Danika didn’t hesitate. “It will take a while for you to feel better, but you’ll eventually get used to not being held captive. You’ll be able to live and even thrive.”
The words didn't really sink in. Instead, it was like they bounced off the surface of the only reality she'd ever known. She couldn't trust in the possibility of happiness.
She still had her head down, but looked up just enough to see Danika’s face. “Do you think I could get a job, eventually?”
They both nodded. “Yes. While you’re here, we’ll see what you need to do to get your GED. After that, we can help you figure out what you want to do with your life.”
She shook her head. "That feels like too much. This morning I woke up wondering if I'd ever be free, and now I am. I don't know what to do."
Danika’s squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to do anything. Just breathe and get some rest. You have time to make decisions.”
She nodded, wondering if it really was going to be this easy. How had she found such wonderful people?
“We’re glad you’re here,” Elowen said.
“Yes, very glad,” Danika nodded.
Calla took a sip of the coffee and let it roll over her tongue. She swallowed, then cocked her head to the side. “I don’t think I’d like this if it wasn’t sweet. This is good, but there’s an edge of bitterness to it.”
“Totally understand that. Both Griz and Sharp drink it black.”
Elowen chuckled. “Though Griz will drink a sweet drink every once in a while.”
Griz smiled as he moved to stand behind Elowen, then bent to kiss her cheek. "I do like the dessert drinks every once in a while. Still, I like my coffee black in the morning."
