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“Can we stay here forever?”
“Just tonight, bud.”
Because I looked up the usual nightly rate for a room here. Angela gave us a five-hundred-dollar discount. I can’t imagine ever paying that much for a room for one night! Chip grabs the remote for the TV and turns it on while I take Belle out of her carrier, putting her on my bed. She’s still sleeping, so I cover her with a blanket before looking in her diaper bag. There’s less than a can of formula between what I grabbed from the apartment and what was in her bag, which means I will need to buy more before we leave town.
After a quick internet search, I discover that there’s a grocery store near the bus station. Perfect. I can get formula and snacks for our trip. Next, I look at bus tickets. I wish there was a train to Oklahoma, but I’d have to go all the way to New Orleans and then go from there, which is out of the way. The bus trip is going to take over eighteen hours, and that’s if the bus is on time. I groan, wishing I could find a quicker solution. Both kids are going to be miserable by the time we get there. Maybe I should break the trip up? Go somewhere closer before going to Oklahoma.
After searching, I decide that the cheapest route is to go straight to Oklahoma. Once we get there, I’ll look into a place to stay. The cost of living is cheap, so hopefully my money will go further than it will here.
Chip asks, “Can we go swimming?”
“I think the pool is closed for the night. Want to take a bubble bath?”
“Yeah!” He darts into the bathroom and calls out, “Holy cow! I think there is a pool in here, Dove!”
I follow him and laugh when I see him standing in the tub. It’s not a pool by any means, but is larger than the one back home.
“Let me fill up the tub while you get undressed.”
He climbs out, and I get to work filling the tub. Once it’s halfway full, I let him get back in and turn on the jets. He leans back, sighing, as if this is the happiest he’s ever been. My heart pulls. Maybe it is. He’s old enough to realize that we aren’t like other families. Maybe he’s old enough to see how much we’ve been struggling.
“Dove, are crying because you’re happy again?”
I nod, wiping at my eyes. “I am. I’m just super excited that we’re going on a trip. Our bus leaves at nine tomorrow morning, so we’re going to have to get up early so we can go to the store and get some snacks.”
“Snacks?” His eyes light up. “Like gummy bears?”
“Sure, if that’s what you want. And I was thinking we can get some stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, too.”
“And chips,” he adds with a toothy grin.
“Definitely can’t forget the chips.”
I let him play in the tub while I make a list of everything to get at the store. By the time Chip gets out, Belle is awake, and crying for a bottle. She gurgles happily at me as I feed her. I’m so worried that this trip is going to be too much for them. We have to change buses twice. What if we miss one? Groaning, I close my eyes. When I open them, the clock on the wall chimes eight. Nervous energy fires through me. If my father was telling the truth, then Di Bello’s men will arrive at the apartment, looking for me.
Several scenarios cross my mind. Will they hurt my father, wanting to know where I am? Will he even notice I’m gone? Is it possible that they will track me? I paid cash for everything, but there are traffic cameras everywhere. I stand, needing to move. Coming here seemed like a good idea at first, but what if I was wrong? What if I’ve walked right into the den of the beast?
There’s nothing I can do now except wait and see. When Belle is done eating, I reach for my phone. Still nothing from Henri, which hurts. Maybe he had time to rethink what we did and decided it wasn’t a good idea. He is, after all, my professor. I’m sure he’d get in trouble if anyone ever found out what we had done. My face warms at the thought. At least I’ll have those memories to carry me on. I doubt I’ll ever feel safe enough to let someone get that close to me ever again.
Once the kids are asleep, I lay out everything I packed plus what was in their bags at Mrs. McCarthy and then repack everything so it’s not so bulky. I pack all the diapers in the diaper bag, as well as a few changes of clothes for Belle, in case she has an accident. In Chip’s backpack, I pack some of his favorite toys and leave room for snacks.
My schoolbooks stare back at me. It seems kind of silly to have brought them. I won’t be able to do the work remotely. After I miss five consecutive days, the school will consider me delinquent, and my standing will be put on hold. I decide to email the dean, saying that there has been an emergency and that I need to drop all of my courses for the rest of the year. This way I don’t lose all the work I’ve put in. With any luck, I will pick up where I left off. One of these days…
I push my schoolbooks to the side. There’s no need to bring them, but I do pack my laptop. Nine o’clock comes and goes. So does ten. By eleven, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. I know I should go to bed, but there’s a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach warning me that something bad is coming and that I need to be ready to run. I check the bags again and then I peek at Chip and Belle, who are both soundly sleeping.
“You’re being ridiculous, Dove,” I mutter.
There’s a loud knock on the front door. Dread coils through my body. Who could it be? I reach the door, peering through the peephole. The man from the front desk is there, and Angela is at his side.Oh no.
“Ma’am, we can see your shadow. Please open the door or I will be forced to call the authorities.”
Cursing under my breath, I open the door. Angela’s eyes are red, as if she’s been crying. Great. This isn’t looking good.
“Ma’am, I was told that you paid cash for a room tonight. Is that correct?”
I nod, not wanting to lie.
“I’m sorry to say that unless you can pay the rest of the cost of the room, then I’m going to have to ask that you leave.”
