Built From The Ashes

efeated woman, cornered and with no options left. I told Et

ke all the time you need, C

scraped together from my diner job, the money I had been setting aside for

s the closest thing I had to a mother, a kind woman who

d the other day you saw Jessica visiting a cousin in the

hink she had any family in Mapleton. She was very secretive ab

something," I said vag

full of concern. "Chloe, be carefu

her hand a squeeze. "Don'

, rundown town, even worse than my own. I found the address Mrs. Gab

nd eyes and work-worn hands. I recognized her from my fath

lp you?"

e. I'm Frank's d

rl! My goodness, I haven't seen you sinc

tered living room. I did

ca came to you for help with a home birth,"

ed. She became wary. "I don't discuss

of the road. He almost died. And now they are blaming me for it. They are t

ory of their cruelty from my past life. I didn't need to fa

outrage. She had been a good friend of

me they were a married couple, down on their luck, trying to keep the baby a secr

good man, Chloe. He fought for people like us. I w

eye. "I'll testify. I'll tell

most made my knees buckle. It was the fi

ll for the first time in w

hat evening, the door was unloc

han's mother were insi

gings were strewn about, rummaged through. Ethan's mother was sitting in my only comfort

le of the room, a trium

were getting hungry. His mother is right, you need to lea

servant in my own home. They

hat rose in my throat. I let my face crumble,

king at the floor. "Okay

Now, be a good girl and go to the grocery s

said, my voice

the door, my mind a co

ng to the gr

to the Sheri