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“No? Well, then what makes you stop?”
“Mom.”
“I get that.” He nods, staring ahead at the road. “I guess I just go to the darker side of things.”
“Yeah.” I chuckle. “So what happened?”
Chapter 23
Lix assists the woman out of the SUV. A mix of purple, red, and yellow runs along the left side of her face. Skin tears, old and new, splay up her thin, frail arms.
She looks like one of the residents at the nursing home after a fall.
“Hi, Mary. I’m Jane,” I say with a small smile, sure to keep my expression neutral.
She clutches her purse and slightly bows her head. “Hello, Jane.”
“I’m going to take you to a nearby motel where we can talk and figure things out, okay?”
“That sounds fine, dear,” she replies in a genteel manner.
I carry her bags to the truck, toss them into the extended cab, and then offer my hand to help her climb into the driver’s seat.
Five minutes later, I assist her again to get out of Cole’s truck. We get inside the motel room, and I lock the door.
“Would you like some water?”
“That would be lovely.” She clutches her bag, looking around the room.
I unzip my duffel bag and take out two water bottles.
“Why don’t we sit down?” I suggest pointing the bottles at the two chairs and small round table in the corner of the room.
She pulls the chair out, wincing as she slowly lowers herself onto it.
“Are you alright?” I set the water down. “Do you need to see a doctor? We could go to the hospital.”
“I’m okay, dear.” She slowly places her purse on the table, straightens her shirt, and ends with an overworked smile.
I study her for a few seconds, then sit down. “Mary, do you know where you want to go from here?”
She stares blankly at me. “Oh, no.” She blinks. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Do you have anyone you could stay with? Somewhere your husband wouldn’t know to look for you.”
“Oh, dear. My husband has been dead for four years.”
“I’m sorry.” My heart skips a beat. “I didn’t mean to be presumptuous. I just thought—”
“It’s okay,” she says with a gentle smile.
“Well, what about any children? Are they aware of what you’ve been going through? Could you reach out to them?”
Her shoulders drop. She touches trembling fingers to her mouth. “My apologies.” She bats a few tears from her eyes. “This has been very difficult for me.”
“I understand. Well, to be honest, Mary, I don’t. I’ve never been in your situation. But I want to help. I want to get you somewhere safe. So if there’s anyone you can think of?”
I grab a tissue from my bag and hand it to her.
