Page 57 of Home With You

"What do you mean? What happened?"

She pats my arm. "Let her tell you."

"Does she even like me?" I ask with a laugh. "Because she's not making me feel too welcome here."

"She won't let herself have what she really wants. It's because she's been hurt. Had things taken from her."

"What things?"

"Just be patient. It'll take time and patience to win her heart but once you do, it'll be worth it. She has such a kind heart." She sits back. "Shame that he broke it."

"Who? Who broke it?"

She smiles. "Eat your dinner. It's getting cold."

She's not going to tell me about Raine. She wants Raine to be the one to tell me about her past. I want that too but I don't think she will. I can't even get her to talk about last night.

"So tell me about George," I say to Gladys as I dig into my mac and cheese.

Raine is just a few feet away and I know she can hear us but she refuses to come out of the tent. But that doesn't mean I'm leaving. The alley is a public place. She can't kick me out. And she can't keep me from talking to Gladys. So I remain there for two hours, listening to Gladys talk about George until her eyelids droop and her head nods forward.

"You should get to sleep," I say, helping Gladys up from her chair.

"Yes." She holds onto me as she stands, then pulls me in for a hug. I wasn't expecting it and stiffen up slightly when she does it because she smells like she hasn't showered in awhile. But it's not right for me to reject her. She can't help how she smells. So I relax and hug her back.

"You're a good young man," she says. "I knew it when I saw you." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "Don't give up on her."

She pulls away and kneels down to get in the tent. I unzip it for her and see Raine lying on the sleeping bag. She looks like she's sleeping but she could be faking it so I'll go away. I get the sack of food and leave it in the tent, then zip it up.

As I'm leaving, I hear the paper sack rustle. Raine's eating the food I brought. She wasn't asleep.

Why is she being this way? Why won't she let me help her? Or at least just talk to me?

Gladys said Raine's been hurt. What did she mean by that? Emotionally hurt or something else? She said he broke her heart. Who was she talking about? What happened to her?

13

Raine

Miles is really getting on my nerves. He doesn't give up. It's been over two weeks since that night he showed up here with dinner, and every night since then, he's been back with enough hot food for the three of us. He pretends to be visiting Gladys but we all know he's here to see me. Or annoy me, which is what he's doing by continuing to come here when I've told him not to.

"Hey, Raine," he says, walking into the alley with two pizza boxes and a six-pack of soda.

I love pizza, especially fresh, hot pizza that hasn't been in the garbage. The smell alone is making my mouth water. I really want a slice but taking one would just encourage Miles to keep coming back, which is the opposite of what I want.

"Hey." I give him a wave before disappearing in the tent. It's where I hang out when he's here. He stays for at least an hour, talking to Gladys, listening while she tells him about George. She tells him stuff she hasn't even told me, like how she and George tried to have kids for years but couldn't, and how she wanted to be an actress when she was younger. She talks to Miles more than she talks to me.

I'm sure Miles would rather be doing something other than coming here every night, and yet every night he's back. There's no way he's going to keep doing this. I give it another night or two before he finally gives up and realizes I'm not the girl for him.

"Do you talk to your mother much?" Gladys asks Miles.

My ears perk up because Gladys usually does all the talking and Miles just listens.

"We talk when we can," he says. "She's a night nurse so it's hard to catch her when she's awake. She's usually sleeping when I'm able to call and I don't want to wake her up."

"But you get along well?"

"Yeah, we get along great. She's my hero."

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