Fast Car | Escapes #1

Chapter 21

"Hi Mom. It's been a while." 

The words tasted bittersweet as I spoke them. They were both a relief because I never thought I would be able to say them, but also painful because I never thought I'd ever need to say them. 

However, for as much of an affect as it had on me, it seemed to take more of a toll on my mother. Her hands flew to her face and she covered her mouth, eyes wide. Tears welled up and fat drops rolled down her face. Neither of us moved for a long moment. It felt like forever before she finally took a breath. 

"Jen?" she breathed through her hands, the sound barely audible. "Is that really you?"

"It's me." I held out my arms and let them drop back to my side. 

Her shoulders shook as she reached out for me. I let her embrace me and felt her tears soak into my shirt. My arms were awkwardly hovering around her back. Should I hug her back? Should I just leave her be? Right as I made the decision to hug her back, she pushed me away, holding me at arm's length. "You're so thin," she said. "Have you been eating? Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Have you been okay?"

I gave her a weak smile and glanced back at Brayden, waiting for me in the car. "I'm okay. I have been eating. Thanks to Mr. Milton."

Her eyebrows rose. "Mr. Milton? My old boss?"

I nodded. "I've been working for him for the past two years. His son was the one that brought me here." She glanced behind me and waved before returning her attention to me. "He's been nothing but kind to me as long as I've worked for him. Mr. Milton helped me finish school, too."

Mom's tears, which had stopped, were coming again and she hugged me tight. I returned the hug this time. "Finish school?" She shook her head and closed her eyes, speaking up before I could. "Wait. Don't answer that." She opened her eyes and glanced between me and the car. "Why don't the two of you come in and we can talk."

I nodded, feeling numb as I turned towards the car and motioned for Brayden to come. He got out, looking confused as he walked over. "She wants us to come in to visit," I said thickly around the lump in my throat. 

"At least have a snack and a glass of lemonade," Mom said nervously. She rubbed my arm before turning towards the open door. "I'll go grab everyone something."

I glanced at Brayden again. His eyes were unreadable as he took my hand and led me through the open door behind Mom. "We might as well have something," he said quietly. 

"The living room is the next left," Mom shouted from where I assumed the kitchen was to the right. 

Something cold and wet touched my hand and I jumped. A big brown dog - a Labrador - was sniffing at me uncertainly. I held out my hand and it nuzzled me. Tentatively, I stroked its head before jerking my hand away. I liked dogs, but I didn't have much experience with them. Behind me, Brayden chuckled. I turned to him, slightly upset.

"She's not going to hurt you," he said quietly. He got down on the dog's level and began scratching her ears and petting her head, eventually dodging licks to his face. He stood and motioned for us to go to the living room. 

I sighed and kept going. As I thought, the first door to the left was the living room. I pulled up short again as I saw a kid look up at me from where he was stacking colored blocks. Was this my little brother? Unsure of what to do, I sat on the sofa near the child. He kept staking blocks, but he kept looking over at me. 

He looked about a year and a half old, but I could have been wrong. I could have even been wrong about the child's gender. I'd never been so close to such a tiny human for a prolonged period of time without a cash register between us. This was also one of the very few times one wasn't screaming.