Page 85 of SnowBound

Me: I’m on kitchen duty tonight so maybe with the time difference, call me at like eight or nine your time.

Ellie:It’s a date. Talk later.

Before I even had time to think about my—fingers crossed—new job, my head hit the pillow, and sleep claimed me. And for once, I let go and enjoyed the rest it provided.

* * *

“Did you hear the commotion last night?” Rosie, the newcomer, asked.

Rosie’s husband had left her with two-year-old twin boys after he emptied all their savings and disappeared with another woman somewhere in Asia. Rosie got evicted, and with no money left in her bank account and one of her children being sick and requiring long stays in the hospital, she had to move in here until she could turn her life around. Her timing was perfect since Chloe had just vacated her room after she gave birth and left town. Chloe and I had been getting closer over the six weeks I’d been here. Perhaps it was our age or our common interest in music, but since she’d left, I missed having her around.

We were sitting on the back deck having lunch. I only had fifteen minutes to spare before going back to my laptop for another five-hour work session.

Rosie continued before I could add a word. “The cops came. It was total chaos for at least an hour.”

I was sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights because I had no idea what she was talking about. “What happened?”

“Lucinda’s husband. He found her. They had to move her elsewhere in the middle of the night. For her protection. She left with the cops, and they drove her to another shelter.”

“What?” I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Just like with Chloe, the women I considered friends here were coming and going from my life at such a fast pace I had a hard time keeping up with everything.

During the days, I spent my time locked in my bedroom, working as a virtual assistant. And, after dinner, I usually returned to my room to study. The advisor from Nashville State Community College had agreed to let me enroll in three summer classes I could do remotely so I would get a lighter workload next semester.

It wasn’t as fancy as being enrolled at SSB, but at least she thought I could finish my degree remotely in a reasonable time if I put in the hard work. I would have to take a couple of summer classes to compensate for the part-time schedule, but I could do this. Since I was going to be a mother, I was allowed to apply for a scholarship and loan program, which meant all the costs would be covered as long as I was enrolled in school.

For a moment, I thought about applying for a scholarship and loan to go back to SSB, but after I talked with my advisor, she told me most scholarships weren’t offered to third-year students, and since I would be studying part-time next semester, I’d be ineligible anyway. If I found one, the scholarship and loans would cover the tuition fees and maybe a bit of living expenses. But other than the apartment—babies weren’t allowed in the dorms—food and textbooks fees, I would have to add baby supplies to my growing list of monthly expenses. Diapers and clothes, daycare, and other financial burdens I hadn’t thought of. It would leave me with a pretty sum to pay out of my pocket, and I would never be able to go back without bankrupting myself in the process.

Community college was my best bet if I hoped for a degree.

“Gone. Poof. Just like that.” Rosie snapped her fingers, and my attention returned to her. “Oh, and she left something for you.”

“For me?” My thumb pointed to my chest. “You sure?”

“Yes. Gimme a sec. I’ll get it for you.” She entered the house, and the door clicked after her. Alone on the deck, I used the few minutes to close my eyes and tilt my head back so the sunrays could warm my face. I could hear birds chirping in the trees surrounding the property and a car’s horn somewhere in the distance, reminding me the city was just a few miles away.

The backyard wasn’t big, but it was surrounded by a fence and a thick hedge, offering much-required privacy.

The view of the immaculate blue sky eased me and gave me hope that it would all get better.

“Here,” Rosie announced when she came back and placed a box on the little wooden table between our loungers.

“What is it?”

She shrugged. “No idea. She just told me to give it to you. Said it would be like having a baby shower early on.”

I placed the box on my lap and opened it slowly, peeking inside. Onesies, pajamas, blankets, and other tiny baby clothes and accessories filled it. The sight of all those brought a wave of gratitude mixed with sadness to my eyes.

“Oh,” Rosie said, bringing me back to the present. “And she also left a stroller, a car seat, and a pack and play for you in the basement. They are practically new. She didn’t have enough room to take them along and left in such a hurry that she only gathered the necessities.”

“Wow, this is nice of her. And generous. But it also saddens me she had to go like that and leave all her stuff behind. The circumstances suck.”

“Well, it’s yours now.” She moved to her feet. “Gotta go. The kids will be up from their naps in no time. See you later, Abby.”

“Yeah, I need to get back to work anyway. Thanks for all this.”

Once in my bedroom, I sat on the bed and hugged my belly as I looked in the distance.

“Hey baby. There’s something I haven’t told you yet. Something I’ve been keeping to myself.” I inhaled a shaky breath. This was big news. “If I keep up with this job, as I’ve been doing for the last five weeks, and with my savings, we should be able to move to our own place very soon. I have a new client for a short-term contract, so I’ll have to put in more hours next month, but the pay is amazing. And it will make us enough money to buy you a second-hand crib, a bed for me, and other stuff we might need. Remember Lucinda? She left the shelter last night and has gifted us baby stuff. Lots of it. I think we’ll be okay, you and I. I have a great feeling about it. So, I’ll start looking at apartments. What do you think? Are you on board with this plan?”