Molly nodded. ‘Lovely, thank you.’ She wanted to hang around for a couple of reasons. Firstly, she wanted a breather from the atmosphere at home, and secondly, she wanted to see if Bree turned up.
‘Bree was here today?’
‘Yes, a little quieter than usual, which is unlike her. And I have to remember, as much as I want to take everyone under my wing, solve all their problems and give them their forever home, that I have to stay professionally distanced, even when I don’t want to be.’
‘I can’t imagine how you do it.’ Bree had only been in Molly’s company for a little over an hour and Molly already had a strong urge to take her in and help her get her life on track.
‘These young kids don’t come without their challenges but I suppose that’s just like anyone. Living on the streets is not the start you would want for anyone. I just have to be careful not to overstep the mark and invite them into my home. Sometimes, what you see on the outside is not what you get on the inside. Yet you can’t judge everyone by the same standards. All those people in there,’ Sam took a swift glance along the queue, ‘are unique individuals. In this room are one-time millionaires, business owners, once wealthy musicians, doctors, alcoholics, drug users … and none of them chose this path. Unemployment, lack of affordable housing, poverty and mental illness are all causes – things that take lives off the rails and make it seem impossible to recover.’
‘There’s a former millionaire sitting in this room?’
Sam nodded. ‘Sometimes, there’s an incident in your life that you have no control over and the next minute you find you’re fending for yourself with no immediate help to rely on.’
‘Have you ever got close to any of the people you have helped?’ Molly was intrigued. With the thought of Bree still very much on her mind she knew exactly the reason she was asking.
‘Oh yes. Twice. And each time it was a very different story and outcome.’
Molly grabbed a cup and pumped the tea from the flask then added a splash of milk.
Sam continued. ‘The first was a girl in her twenties.’ She smiled warmly. ‘I helped her to get back on track, invited her into my home and she stayed for me for a while. We got her a job; I bought her new clothes and acted as her guarantor on a flat, which was a big risk.’ Sam raised her eyebrow and blew out a breath as she remembered.
‘We?’ questioned Molly.
‘Me and my husband at the time…’ Sam paused. ‘It started causing problems for us, me being here. Taking on the world and thinking I can solve everyone’s problems.’
‘Oh my, please tell me you didn’t get stung for the flat?’ Molly was wide-eyed, but Sam was shaking her head.
‘No, she is now the CEO of a cosmetic brand and very successful.’
‘So, the help you gave her turned her life around?’
‘Absolutely it did, and I have free make-up for life. However…’ She took a breath. ‘I was naïve and thought everyone would be just as grateful for our help, but the next time I lent a hand was a very different story. I tried to help another person who ended up robbing us blind and stealing our car. I never would have believed this person would be capable of doing this to us. My husband wasn’t happy. He kept telling me there was something that wasn’t quite right and I needed to step away from this person … but it’s difficult. Especially when you see the good in everyone, which according to some is my downfall.
‘Niggles began to start, my husband constantly telling me I had no time for our relationship and that the shelter was taking over my life. Unfortunately, the tension grew and grew and it broke us in the end. I understand why – my personal and professional life should have not crossed over. My husband’s gut feeling was right. Not that I’ve ever told him that. I learned my lesson the hard way and that’s why, as much as I want to get involved, especially with the newbies and the younger ones, I can’t. I have to keep my personal life very much private even though that can be very difficult at times. This place pulls at your heartstrings.’
Molly was listening to Sam’s every word and thought of Cam. Sam’s ex-husband’s reservations were exactly the same as Cam’s. Molly knew that Cam was a loving, caring man who didn’t have a malicious bone in his body and today’s reaction was because he was worried about bringing a stranger into their home. It wasn’t as though she didn’t understand those reservations but her gut feeling was telling her there was something about Bree, and that’s why she was immediately drawn towards the girl. Maybe it was just the motherly instinct in her.
‘Bree can’t be very old,’ Molly began. She knew the girl’s age but wondered if Sam would give her any further backstory on the teen. She cupped her hands around the warm drink and took a sip.
‘Sixteen,’ replied Sam, passing the loaves of breads to the volunteers, who began to slice them.
‘That’s a very young age to be out on the streets. What’s a sixteen-year-old girl doing without a home? Where’s her family?’
Sam looked like she was going to say something, but hesitated.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.’
‘It’s okay, but I really can’t go breaking confidences. This place is their safe place – some stories I know, some I don’t, but all the information I do know, it goes no further.’
Molly nodded at Sam’s integrity. She understood and maybe it was best not knowing Bree’s story. Yet … she was already beginning to worry about the fact that she wasn’t safe inside the shelter with the winds and snowstorm engulfing the streets of Glensheil.
‘Do you want to help serve up the meal, or do you have to rush back?’ asked Sam, lining up the bowls and placing a ladle in the huge pot of stew that was bubbling away on top of the stove.
Molly took a quick glance inside the pot. ‘Actually, I’d love to stay and help and I must say that looks and smells blooming delicious.’
‘Drew popped across with beef from Foxglove Farm. Because of the snow some of his deliveries were cancelled so he asked if we could make use of the meat. There’s even more in the freezer. These people are going to be fed like kings and queens for the next few days,’ said Sam with a thankful smile, handing Molly a white plastic apron and a hairnet. ‘Pop these on.’
The plastic trays that the residents ate off were all stacked on top of each other, and it reminded Molly of a high-school canteen. Sam rang the bell above the hatch, indicating that they were ready to serve, and immediately there was the sound of scraping chairs across the floor. Within seconds, there was a long queue of folk standing in line bumping elbows as they chatted waiting for their turn. Molly looked down the long line then swung a glance towards the door, but Bree was still nowhere to be seen.
