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It wasn’t, Allison thought in a rush of anger. Liz had fired her for no good reason. Now she had no way to earn childcare credits, which meant when hers were used up, she could no longer afford day care.
Liz bent down and picked up a couple of the bags. “I stopped by the grocery store. Just to pick up a few things.” Her smile wobbled. “To help.”
Some of Allison’s mad faded. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. I’m sorry about what happened. I know it seems like a harsh decision and you have every right to be pissed, but I’m hoping I can still be your friend.”
Ambivalence didn’t begin to describe what she was feeling, but she felt like she was alone in the world, so having someone on her side seemed important. Not that she could fully trust Liz, but maybe something was better than nothing.
“Thank you.”
Liz’s smile turned genuine. Together they carried in the groceries. There was a gallon of milk, lots of fruits and vegetables, cereal for Jackson and a couple of packages of raw chicken.
“This is too much,” Allison said, thinking Liz had to have spent at least seventy-five dollars.
“Just say thank you and I’ll sleep better at night.”
“Thank you.”
While Allison put away the groceries, Liz sat down with Jackson.
“Are you doing all right?” Liz asked her.
“Mostly. I’m going to see Peter in a few minutes.”
“He’s still in jail? I would have thought his lawyer would have gotten him out by now.”
Allison didn’t want to admit she wasn’t sure if Jackson had a lawyer yet. “All our bank accounts are frozen. There’s no way to pay bail.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. I’m so sorry. You must be terrified.”
She finished with the groceries and walked into the living room. “I’m getting by.”
Liz’s expression turned concerned. “How can I help?”
Give me my job back! But she didn’t bother saying that. Nor could she ask for a place to live or a loan.
“The groceries were very generous. Thank you for those.” She glanced at the clock. “Jackson and I have to go. You have to make an appointment to visit the jail and I don’t want to be late.”
“Sure.” Liz scrambled to her feet. “I’m here if you need me. I mean that.”
“Thanks.”
Liz gave her a quick hug, then left. Allison collected what she needed for the trip and carried the tote, along with Jackson, to the car.
As she buckled him in, she told herself she was excited to finally see Peter. It had been so long and she’d missed him so much. She wanted to know he was okay and find out what was happening. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be all right. She wanted him to say that all this was a mistake, that the charges were being dropped and he would be home by Monday to fix everything.
If only, she thought grimly. If only.
Allison didn’t consider herself a very nervous person, but she couldn’t remember ever being so ill at ease. Nothing about going to a federal detention center was meant to be family friendly—at least not in her limited experience.
The multistory gray building was surrounded by fencing, with gates everywhere. Visitors were asked to park at the light rail station and walk—not easy when she had to leave the stroller in her car.
She stood in line with over a dozen other women—some with kids, some without. They were quiet mostly, their expressions more resigned than happy.
She’d already had her ID checked, her appointment confirmed and her small bag searched. She’d had to walk through a metal detector. Jackson had wobbled along next to her. They went into a room with lockers that could be rented. She put her bag in there, but kept her ID with her, along with a single diaper and cash. She would use the latter to buy a card that could be used in the vending machines. Peter had asked for a cola drink and some doughnuts.
On the way out, they had to pass by a large German shepherd that sniffed each of them thoroughly. Probably for drugs, Allison thought, so out of her element as to be inching close to hysteria. Her sense of unease skyrocketed when Jackson lunged for the dog, obviously intent on hugging it.
