“Are you doing okay, sweetie?”
I lift my head to see where the voice comes from and find an older lady standing a few feet away. She is carrying two grocery bags that look way too heavy for her to carry.
“I’m fine,” I lie, “but you look like you could use some help.” I push myself up to stand. “Can I help you carry those?”
“That would be very nice of you.” She hands me one bag. “I don’t live far from here, just another block down.”
I follow the sweet old lady to her building, glad that she doesn’t ask me any more questions.
“This is me,” she says when we get to an apartment entrance. “Set the bag down on the steps for me, please. I got it from here.”
I do as she asks, leaving the bags on the top step. I turn around, ready to walk away, when she reaches her hand out to me.
“Here, take this for your trouble.” I look down at the twenty-dollar bill in her hand.
“It’s fine, really. I’m happy to help.”
“So am I, child. Please, take it. Maybe for a bus ticket out of here.”
“Thank you,” I take the bill from her hand and stuff it in the sweater pocket. “Really, thank you.”
“The bus station is that way.” She points the way we came from a moment ago. “Good luck.” She smiles at me sweetly, and her kindness almost brings me to tears.
I watch her grab her bags and disappear into the building before I turn around and start walking.
After a few blocks, I find myself at the bus station. Walking up to the booth, I wonder if I really have the guts to take the bus, I know I should.
The bus ride isn’t long. Only twenty minutes outside of town, and I’m here, stepping off the bus and onto the street I grew up on.
As I walk to the house I used to call my home, fear swirls around my stomach. I haven’t talked to my parents in so long. They probably don’t even want to see me.
I should go back to the women’s shelter, but that would be the first place Ryder would look for me. Here is probably the second, which means I can’t stay long. Just long enough to tell them the truth and tell them how sorry I am.
Walking up to the house feels like I’ve stepped back in time… a better time. Everything looks the same, my dad keeps the grass cut, and my mom keeps the flowers blooming. There is a wind chime hanging from the front porch, the gentle sound calming my nerves slightly.
Standing in front of the door, it takes me a few minutes to gather my courage to knock. When I finally raise my hand and let my knuckles rap over the heavy wood, my heart is slamming furiously against my ribcage.
Fighting the urge to run, I force myself to stand still and wait.
A moment later, I hear footsteps approaching, and the door swings open. All I can do is stand there, frozen in time as I hold my breath.
My mom stares at me, her eyes impossibly wide as if she can’t believe I’m really here.
“Oh, Penny,” she finally says, taking a step toward me. She wraps her arms around me and pulls me into her in a way that only a mother could. “We were so worried about you. We thought…”
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur into her hair, and she hugs me even tighter.
“Don’t be sorry, honey. I’m just so glad to see you.” She pulls away, tears glistening in her eyes now. She cradles my face between both of her hands, rubbing my cheeks with her thumbs. “We missed you so much, Penny.”
“I missed you too.” More than I can explain.
“Now, come on in and tell me what happened.” She pulls me into the house and shuts the door behind me. Leading me into the kitchen, she pulls out a chair for me. “Sit down, I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”
I take a seat and watch her getting out a cup.
“Ryder didn’t start the fight,” I blurt out.
My mom stops dead in her tracks. She turns and looks at me, confused. “But you said he did.”
