Page 20 of The Cleaner

He flinches at the sound of my voice but doesn't retreat further behind the chair. He watches me carefully, his gaze bouncing between my hand and my face.

"You're safe now, okay? No one is going to hurt you here."

He tilts his head. The look of disbelief in his eyes is heartbreaking, but I know it's going to take time for him to trust; time for him to understand that not everyone is as bad as the person who hurt him. I stay where I am, not moving my hand nor moving forward. I'm going to let him come to me, hopefully.

It takes fifteen minutes before he slowly and cautiously inches forward, his small hand reaching out to grasp mine. I can feel the tremors running through his body, and it makes me want to hurt whoever put those bruises and the fear on his face.

"My name's Lisa. What's yours?"

"Devin," he says slowly.

"I love your name," I tell him with a smile. "I'm sixteen. I've lived with Orna for three years. Since my ma died."

He blinks, tears building in his eyes. "My mammy's dead too."

I close my eyes at the sound of the sheer brokenness of his voice. "I'm really sorry."

"She was a good mammy. Was yours?" he asks, and I'm so glad that he's speaking. He's been here for four hours and this is the first time he's spoken to any of us.

"My ma was the absolute best. I bet your ma was pretty, just like you?"

He gives me a shy smile and ducks his head. My heart aches for him. He's so young and is feeling so much pain.

I squeeze his hand gently, feeling the fragile bones beneath his skin. "Devin, I promise you that things will get better from here on out. You're safe now," I murmur, my voice filled with sincerity. Devin looks up at me with those big, haunted eyes and nods slowly. I'm so happy Orna has taken him in. I can't imagine what would’ve happened to him if he hadn't come here.

A sudden noise from the hallway startles us both, and Devin flinches, his grip on my hand tightening. I shoot him a reassuring smile before turning toward the doorway. Orna stands there, her face etched with concern as she takes us both in. I watch as she slowly eases from concern to gratitude. She gives me a small nod before moving forward slightly, careful not to spook Devin any further.

"Lis, is everything okay here?" she asks softly, her gaze shifting from Devin to me.

I nod, giving her a small smile. "We're getting to know each other. Right, Devin?" I say, looking down at the young boy beside me.

Devin nods hesitantly, his eyes darting between Orna and me. He's uneasy around her, and I'm wondering if it's because she's an adult or not. I gently squeeze his hand to reassure him. Orna takes a step closer, her expression softening as she crouches down beside us.

"Hi Devin, I'm Orna," she says warmly, giving him a kind smile. "I'm here to help take care of you and make sure you're safe."

Devin studies her for a moment before turning back to me and whispering, "Is she gonna hurt me too?"

My heart clenches at his words. God. Oh God, the poor boy. What on earth has happened to him?

Orna's eyes widen in sadness at his words, and she shakes her head gently. "Oh, darling, never. I'm here to protect you, just as I protect Lisa. We're both going to care for you. This is your home now, Devin."

Devin's grip on my hand relaxes slightly as he looks between the two of us. The vulnerability in his gaze tugs at my heartstrings, and I know that building trust with him will take time and patience. Just as Orna did with me. I just pray it doesn't take three years with Devin. I don't want him to feel alone anymore.

Orna stands up and extends her hand toward Devin. "Would you like to come with me and I'll show you your room?" she questions him.

Devin looks at me, almost as if he's searching for an answer. I give him a quick nod as I release his hand. "Go with Orna, Dev. She's excited to show you your new room."

He's hesitant, but I give him one more nod and he gets to his feet and takes Orna's hand. I watch his entire body tremble as he stands beside her. "Would you like me to go ahead and you to follow?" Orna asks.

I watch as he nods quickly before ducking his head in shame.

"That's fine, darling. No worries. Come on, we'll go upstairs."

I watch as they both make their way up the stairs. I can hear Orna talking to him constantly, and I know she'll win him over soon. She'll never harm him, that's something I know, but he doesn't, and until he sees that we're not going to hurt him, he'll be terrified and afraid.

We'll just both have to be here for him whenever he needs us. I remember the feeling of coming to someplace new and not knowing anyone and feeling afraid. It was terrifying to a thirteen year old. I can only imagine what a four-year-old is feeling.

I just pray that whoever hurt him is behind bars, because if I ever saw them, I don't think I'd ever be able to control myself. I want to kill them.

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