“So, what happened?”
She offers me a sad smile. “I got Noah. He was only two, and I looked good on paper. I had a stable income and was almost through college. My grandmother, the one who took me to the hospital, was at the funeral and played the part of a grieving mother well, but afterward,she turned back into the monster I knew she was. She knew I’d been granted custody of Noah and tried to fight me for it. It wasn’t to take care of him, no.” She scoffs. “I knew she wanted the money he would have gotten from my parents. They had a small life insurance policy somehow, but as soon as it was over, I gave her what was left. I didn’t want anything from them.”
“Is she still around?” I hate to ask, but I need to know.
“Yeah, she pops up every now and then like a cockroach. It’s never to see us, but there’s always some threat about taking Noah. She can never have him, though. I’d die before I let it happen.”
“I don’t understand how he got in trouble then? He’s a great kid, Cora.”
Smiling, she nods. “Yeah, he really is. Apparently one of the other kids at recess made fun of him. I guess the boy somehow heard or figured out that our parents are dead and was picking on Noah because I take care of him, not them.”
“Are you serious? What a little asshole.” It makes me want to go after a kid, and that’s wrong… I think.
“Yep,” she agrees, making a pop sound at the end. “But Noah and I have this rule. If you tell someone to stop bothering you, and they continue, and you’ve asked them twice, well then you’re free to defend yourself.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah. Apparently, the boy got a group of kids to call him ‘Dead Mama Noah,’ and he hit the kid pretty hard in the face. Supposedly, his nose might be broken, but really, I think it’s because the little asshole’s mom is in the PTA and the dad is a teacher in the district.”
“You’re shitting me?”Note to self: find out who his parents are.
“Nope. So now I’m off, and I don’t want to hire a sitter, so he’s coming with me to the library tomorrow, but I can’t have him in the shop.”
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” She scowls at me.
“I said bullshit. The whole thing. Baby, I can’t undo what’s beendone to you or Noah, but I promised I’d make things better for you, and I’m going to. Go grab what you need for you and Noah, then come on.”
“Atlas, I don’t know?—”
“Nope. Trust me.”
Cora’s eyes stare at me for a minute or two, trying to gauge if I’m serious or not. I’m dead serious. I won’t leave without them. She must see it on my face because she finally agrees.“Okay.”
When she walks back into the house to grab some stuff, I send a text to the guys to let them know I’m bringing Cora and her brother with me. He can hang out in the employee room we have in the back. There’s a TV and stuff, so I know he’ll be fine. The guys and I all learned how to fight and channel our anger, and even though Noah isn’t an angry kid, I know this will be good for him.We’regood for him.
The entire drive back to the shop is quiet. I demanded they ride with me, and I promised I’d bring them back. Cora’s the epitome of a light soul. She’s been touched by darkness, and instead of letting it pull her down, she chose a different path. She’s so kind and good to everyone she meets that you would never know what she’s gone through.
It makes me feel like I’m not worthy of her. Looking at her sitting in the passenger seat, I know I’m not, but I’ll be damned if I give her up. She’s meant to be mine. I feel it in my soul.
After having the crap kicked out of me in foster homes, I fed into the anger. My body is marred with miscellaneous scars and marks from the years of abuse I suffered at the hands of people who were supposed to take care of me. Burns, scars, cuts—you name it, I’m probably wearing it.
Cora carries scars as well, but now I realize most of hers are on the inside.
Pulling outside the shop, I make a plan to get Noah settled and fed. I brought in dinner for Cora as promised, and I also brought extras in case the guys wanted to eat. Grabbing the bag Cora packedfor Noah, I twine our fingers together. Noah walks by her side, silent with a small scowl on his face.
“Well, look who it is!” Kash booms from the front desk. “Finally, something nice to look at while I work. I’m digging the sexy librarian look, Cora,” he jokes, earning a smile from her.
I glare at him as he shrugs his shoulders.I’ll kill you. I mouth the words over Cora’s head. I don’t want to say it out loud, given what she’s already going through. “Guys, this is Noah, Cora’s younger brother. Noah, these are the guys.” I do a quick introduction before herding them into the back.
Noah doesn’t say anything, he just waves.
“You can get him set up back there. The remote should be on one of the tables.”
“Alright, let’s go, punk.” Cora jerks her head in Noah’s direction. “Back here, and don’t touch a thing.”
Nodding, he quietly follows her back to the hallway, looking at everything as he goes.
