21st Century Knight

Chapter 22 Running to You

Soundtrack for this chapter. 🎼🎧⬆

Gabriella returned to her apartment only to pack a small bag of necessities. After that, she and all the tenants were sealed out of the building while the fire department checked the place over. Gabriella walked to the nearest café – she badly wanted to sit down, she was that worn out. She ordered an iced tea and then laid her head down on the table, feeling tired. Where would she sleep tonight? She couldn't afford a hotel room in the city. What an awful day. No, the last three days had been downright awful. Now she had another problem on her hands.

She looked out the window with thoughtful eyes, watching the sun set. She had to make plans for the night fast. And then it struck her – Sassie! She could easily stay with her friend for a few days.

She rang her up and on the fourth ring, Sassie answered – with a distinct baby's wailing in the background.

"Sass! Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Gabby! Oh, don't ask, just the joys of motherhood," Sassie sounded exhausted. Gabriella hesitated. She didn't want to trouble Sassie if she had her hands full.

"Did you need something, Gabby? How are you holding up?" Sassie asked kindly. The simple words of concern made Gabriella tear up.

"It's been awfully hard, Sass. I feel like I'm being buried under a rockslide... and now my apartment's been having problems..."

"What problems?" Sassie asked her at once. She quickly explained what happened.

"And now I need a place to stay for a few nights," she concluded.

"Oh, Gabby, I wish you could stay over, I do! But this couldn't have happened at a worse time – Teddy has the chickenpox." Gabriella's heart sank. She'd never had the chickenpox nor was she vaccinated against it.

"Poor Gabby, I'd have come and picked you up in a heartbeat if I could. But since you've never had it, I can't even come near you for a while."

"I know, I understand."

"What about Brandon?" Sassie asked suddenly. "Hon, ask him for help! Where is that boy? He oughta be taking special care of his girlfriend at a time like this—"

"Sassie, Brandon can't come," Gabriella said with a pang in her heart, "he has his own problems to deal with."

"Don't tell me he's ghosting you?" Sassie asked incredulously. "Uh-uh, no way is that boy leaving you all alone, not after everything that happened! I oughta give him a piece of my mind—" a loud bawl interrupted her.

"Oooh, sorry Gabby, Teddy needs my attention. Look, just give me a few minutes, I'll call you back, okay?"

"No, no, Sass, it's okay. Don't worry about it, I'll find my way around." Gabriella assured her friend and hung up. She knew how difficult it was dealing with a sick child, she had been in the same situation herself as a little girl and her mother had to give her all her attention. She couldn't worry Sassie now. But she was back to square one, without a place to stay. What was she to do?

"Phil, where is that apple juice?!" Sassie yelled impatiently for her husband while rocking Teddy, her wailing three year old son in her lap in the bedroom. Phil came in just then, carrying a bottle of juice.

"What took so long?!" Sassie grumbled. Phil smiled waspishly.

"I had to make sure the juice was strained clear... oh, oh, there's my little teddy bear! Do you want Daddy to feed you?" Phil fondled his son's cheeks.