Page 44 of Home With You

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Ready to go?"

"Not really. I know it's been a couple hours but I'm not ready to say goodnight yet."

"A couple hours?" I look down at my wrist but there's no watch there. I used to have one I found on the street but I lost it. "We've been gone that long?" I panic, worried about Gladys. I scoot out of the booth. "I have to go."

Miles hurries to get up. "Hold on."

I don't wait for him. I race through the restaurant and out the front door.

Miles catches up to me on the street. "She's fine."

"You don't know that."

"I'm sure Shelly checked on her."

"She didn't. Shelly hates us. She only puts up with us because Zoe is her boss and the one who hired her." I walk quickly, looking left and right and behind me, like I always do when it's dark and the streets are empty, to make sure I'm not going to be attacked.

"How long has Gladys been on the streets?" Miles asks.

"A couple years. Her husband got really sick and all the money they had went to pay for his meds. When he died, there was nothing left."

"Did they have a house?"

“They sold it to pay his medical bills. They were renting an apartment but Gladys ran out of rent money after he died. She was in a lot of debt. Had to sell her car. She had nothing left and no family so she ended up on the streets."

"If she survived all that, then she's tougher than you give her credit for."

"She's old and she's sick and I promised to take care of her." I leave it at that, not wanting to talk about it. Taking care of Gladys is my job and I don't want him telling me otherwise.

When we get to the alley, I race over to the tent and unzip it. Gladys is inside, curled up in the blanket, sound asleep. I quietly zip the tent and stand up, turning to Miles.

"She's sleeping."

"See? I told you she'd be fine."

I nod. "So um, thanks for dinner. I'll see ya around."

"It's not even nine. You want to go do something?"

I'm about to tell him no but then my mouth blurts out, "Like what?"

"We could take a walk. I could show you were I live. We don't have to go inside. I could just show you the building, in case you want to drop by sometime." He smiles, that damn smile that makes me agree to things I shouldn't agree to.

"I guess we could do that."

"Are you cold?"

"A little but I'll be fine."

"I have a sweatshirt in my car. Let's go get it."

I follow him to the car. Being a lawyer, I thought he'd have some fancy expensive car but it's just a basic hatchback that's probably ten years old.

"Here." He puts a gray hoodie around my shoulders. "Is that better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I slip my arms into it and wrap the soft fabric around me, wishing I had one just like it. My one and only hoodie is thin and scratchy and has a hole in the sleeve.

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