Page 15 of Quiet Chaos

“How old are you, Sky?”

“I turned twenty-one this month.”

“Have you called anyone? A family member or friend to let them know you’re okay?”

I bite my lip. “No ma’am. I don’t have a phone to call the sisters.”

She scoots closer. “Sky, listen to me. You don’t need to call me Ms. or ma’am. I’m not much older than you, and I’m sure Cade will let you use his phone to call. How many sisters do you have?”

My face brightens by the question. “Many.” I use my fingers as emphasis. “There’s Sister Mary, Sister Ruth, Sister Agatha, and Reverend Mother Corinne.”

Patsy sits back. “Do you always use sister and mother in front of their names?”

“Well, yes. It’s their calling.” Now uncertainty lines her face. “They’re nuns.” Her face lights up. “I lived in a convent for most of my life.”

Cade plops down in a chair; his mouth hanging open. I’m not sure why they all look at me shocked. Convents are normal places. Perhaps they’re non-believers. I haven’t thought of it. I mean, it wouldn’t change anything. Olivia is a believer in the earth. I hold my cross, running it along the chain, glancing at each of them. They’ve all been nice to me. Cade let me stay here and he fed me. Patsy brought me clothes. Words from Psalms 119:76 come to mind.Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort.

Patsy pulls me back to the present. “Huh? A convent. Where are your parents?”

“They weren’t nice people. They hurt me a lot as a child, so a judge took me away from them.”

Her face twists in pain as she takes my hand in hers. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Sky.”

“It’s okay, Ms. Patsy.” She shakes her head and grins. “I’m sorry. Patsy. It was a long time ago. The sisters are my family.”

“Do you have anyone else around here?”

“My boyfriend.”

She pats my hand. “Well, I think it’s best you stay here and away from your boyfriend.”

For the first time in a while, I peer at Cade, who has a dead expression on his face, other than the broken lake ice eyes staring at me. Patsy pushes his arm and then he nods his head regarding what she said.

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

“It’s no burden. Cade could use the company and I could use a friend.”

This perks me up. “I’d like that, Patsy.”

“How about we do some clothes shopping?”

I sit forward, stretching the end of the sweatshirt sleeves. “Maybe I can get my clothes from my boyfriend’s place.”

Patsy walks over to the sink for some water. “I think you should forget about your things.”

Falling back into my chair, I say, “I have no money. At least if—”

Cade cuts in and says, “I’ll take care of it. You can pay me later.”

My face flushes from embarrassment and sadness. He appears angry. Instead of making him more upset, I remain quiet. How can I pay him back? I don’t have a job.

Patsy holds out her hand. “Come on. Let’s make it a girl’s day. Cade has to work, anyway.”

***

Patsy and I spend an entire day clothes shopping. I bought an assortment of jeans, dresses, shoes, and shirts and sweaters, along with casual wear. A couple of outfits are out of my comfort zone, but she insisted. She gave the receipts to Cade, and he didn’t bat an eye. He gave me a key to the house, along with the security code. I can’t thank him enough for all he’s done for me, so instead of becoming more indebted to him, I venture out thenext day to search for a job. I asked Cade to direct me to the town.

When I step outside, Armstrong follows behind, and won’t go back inside. I must close the door before the alarm goes off. Instead of forcing him to stay home, he walks alongside me into town. It isn’t far from Cade’s house. Birds are chirping and flying from one branch to another. There’s greenery aligning bike and walking paths around the beautiful blue lake. Ducks peck at the ground until people or dogs approach, and they rush into the water. This makes me smile.

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