Page 15 of May 11

She groaned. The van's interior could get overwhelmingly hot if left shut up during the day without the air conditioner running or the windows open. Being in town, there were no trees around to provide any shade.

Leaving the door open, she went straight to the generator and started it, then turned on the air conditioner. While she waited for the air to cool, she sat in the open door and let the salty breeze cool her off.

She slipped off her shoes, peeled off her socks, and tossed them behind her. Wiggling her toes, she closed her eyes and let her body relax.

Despite her home away from home being behind the coffee shop, the building provided privacy. There was a hillside on the other side of the van. At the top, there were streets with houses built on the slope. She imagined that if she walked up into the residential areas, a lot of the houses would be able to view the ocean.

But for her, she was content to have her little haven next to where she worked.

Having never been away from home for longer than a couple of weeks, she expected to get homesick. But her parents were no longer at home, tempting her to return.

There were only memories, and they were painful.

She opened her eyes, stood, and closed the door. The vents blew cold air. Making sure all the blinds were closed, she removed her jeans and pulled off her shirt. Leaving her bra and panties on, she stood before the small fridge and contemplated what she should have for dinner.

It was easier to stay parked than to go through a fast food drive-thru. She was too tired to walk to a sit-down restaurant.

Taking out two cheese sticks, she opened a nearby cabinet and grabbed a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter. She retrieved a knife from the drawer and took everything to the small table, which was more like a cutting board hinged to the van's interior.

One cracker. Peanut butter. A piece of cheese. She opened her mouth and popped the whole thing in.

"Mm." She chewed while making another one.

Now that she had her initial hunger under control, she slowed and made several more crackers. Taking her time, she enjoyed another one. She stood and grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge. Drinking long, she felt her body relax.

Her stomach calmed.

Her body cooled.

She was comfortable.

Sitting at the table, she put her phone in front of her to check her messages. It always surprised her that everyone from her past quickly forgot about her. The friends she had back home had gone on with their lives. Some were still in college. Others had shacked up with boyfriends, moved out of the area, and worked full-time.

Not that she'd attempted to stay in contact. The most effort she put into staying in contact was on Facebook. She liked a lot of her friends' pictures.

Having received a notice that her classified ad was ending in one of the newspapers, she quickly renewed it for another month. She'd put ads in several papers, hoping her brother or someone who knew him would see it. But so far, no one had contacted her. Not even a scammer.

She picked up another cracker and scrolled her Facebook newsfeed. Feeling disconnected from her old life, she searched for Dania's page and sent her a friend request. Not knowing Brooke's last name, she must remember to ask on Monday.

Leaning closer to the phone, she smiled at Dania's first few posts. It was all about her daughter and husband. She expected nothing different. Her boss was family-focused, even at work.

Emotions choked her. She sniffed, closing her eyes an extra beat. Exhaling harshly, she tried all the tricks to curb the tears that were always hovering underneath the surface. At the oddest times, emotions threatened to take her to her knees.

She'd gotten stronger over the last year but there were days and times, she lost the battle. She missed her parents.

Bang. Bang.

She jumped, looking around the van until it sank in that someone knocked on the van door. Scrambling to the other end of the vehicle, she pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, hustling to get dressed.

Adrenaline and fear made her tingle.

Bang. Bang.

"I'm coming," she yelled a little too loudly.

It better not be Wire. She'd told him no.

Shoving her arm through the shirt, she tugged the hem down. She caught herself before she flipped the lock and peeked out the blinds. A wave of relief swept through her, and she almost laughed.

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