I wouldn’t get close. I wouldn’t let anyone else see that I’d noticed her at all.
Things were better that way.
3
PIPER
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Kerry Winsor:Anyone met the new girl in town?
Comments:
Tammy Jane:Kerry, you’re like a rabid dog.
Kerry Winsor:I haven’t seen her! She moved in but she’s like a ghost!!!
Kelsey Marie:I’ve met her, but I think we should all be chill about it.
Tammy Jane:You should know by now none of us are chill about anything.
Kelsey Marie:Mom, I’m serious. She’s really shy. Honestly, it looks like a breeze would scare her. Let’s make sure she feels welcome and NOT freaked out by us.
Jade Clark:Does this mean we should take down the photo Hugh posted of his ass a while back?
Kelsey Marie:WHY is it still up?
Jade Clark:To ward off demons, obviously.
I tooka deep breath as the video call connected and Scarlett appeared on the screen. She had her usual blurred background and wore a polite smile. Behind that smile was possibly one of the most incredible women I had ever met.
When I found Scarlett online, she’d had a long waitlist, but accepted me when I sent her a letter describing the help I needed.
She’d been good for me. And she’d been the reason I finally moved out on my own.
“Hi,” I said with a smile. “Can you hear me okay?”
Scarlett nodded. “I can. How are you? I like the new background.”
I’d taken time to ensure this one part of my apartment was decorated. My novels were on a shelf behind me, as well as the collection of books by other authors that I loved.
“Thank you,” I replied. “Let’s just not talk about the other walls, which are bare.”
Scarlett laughed. “At least you have one done. I always start with that and it motivates me to do more. That’ll all come with time. How are you feeling about your goals?”
I sat up straighter. Scarlett always kept us on track. We’d exchange pleasantries, but she knew what we were here for.
One of the first things I’d done was set my goals. And they were pretty simple.
I wanted to be able to leave the house. I wanted to be able to handle someone accidentally brushing up against me. I wanted to go to the doctor and have normal relationships with friends.
But most of all? I wanted love.
Ever since I was a little girl, sitting alone in my room, I dreamed of someone coming to save me. Over time, I learned that I had to save myself, but the idea of sharing my life with someone remained. It was almost embarrassing how much I wanted to find the very thing I wrote about.
Scarlett picked up on how much I wanted all of this and made sure we aggressively went after it. Sometimes it was a little too much, but at least I was trying.
“I think I’m on track,” I said. “I even went out yesterday.”
