Pure Chance: How One Person's Love Makes A Difference (Purity Collection)

Chapter Eight: Reminiscing -Ash

Chapter Eight: Reminiscing

Ash's POV

Lightning lit up the night sky as the harsh rain pelted the thick glass windows. Some of the droplets flowed toward one another, searching for partners, while others glided down the pane as if slowly falling to their death. All alone. Thunder rattled the house and the shutters danced in the wind.

I stared at the fragmented shadows as they passed over my room and thought about Cassidy's situation. And my reactions to her.

I could relatively understand how she felt. Alone. Hated. Scared. Abused. She was like the rain drops right outside my room. But underneath her shell, I knew there was a girl screaming to be released. To be given the chance to live her life.

No one else knew about what happened all those years ago with my father. Except for Gavin.

He remembered everything.

I cringed in guilt every time I thought of how much that night affected his life. It was just him and me roughin' it for a while. We couldn't exactly stay in the same city, so we moved several towns over. I worked for money when I could: mowing lawns, walking dogs, and cleaning pools. I couldn't get a real job at my age. Who would want an eleven year old, anyway? I even pulled the I'll-Be-Twelve-In-A-Month argument, but no one would take me on. So I worked the same kid jobs every week.

I would take Gavin to a daycare that wasn't too shabby and that I could afford. I had even dropped out of school for a while, so I could work up enough money to rent an apartment. Or anything I could find, so I could get something right for Gavin. I never thought about what the landlord would say... Why are two kids staying here alone? Where did he get the money?

But I grew up pretty quick. I knew if I didn't start fixing things right away, we could die.

At night, we stayed at a shelter for the homeless, and we would eat a few meals here and there. When I finally worked up enough money, I used a library computer to look up apartments. I don't know how I survived back then; I was figuring it out as I went along.

I guess luck was on my side because I found an old trailer for rent. It was a steal at $200 bucks a month. You would think it would be pretty run down for something that cheap. When I went to check it out, though, it was actually rather nice and looked so cozy I wanted to run around in the lush, green grass. The owner was a woman who had a mini "community" of trailers and wanted to provide shelter for people who couldn't exactly afford expensive hotels or housing. As soon as I met Mrs. Kindricks, I knew it would be the perfect place.

She showed me around, not even batting an eye as I told her I wanted to pay for the first two months rent. I didn't know if it was illegal for her to except money from minors, especially rent money, but I didn't care. She was nice and the people who lived there were even more so, with their quaint little homes and cheerful flowers out front. Mrs. Kindricks seemed like she wanted to help because she bumped it down to $100.

"Honey, I have children of my own, and a few kids around the same age as you rent out some trailers here too. No one should have to live on the streets. This is more like a side job for me, so whatever you can manage, sweetie, is fine with me. Sicily brings the hot chocolate cart around the community every other night, and Kari picks up laundry Tuesdays and Thursdays."

This place sounded awesome.

"There's a General Store down the street there, sugar, and we got a little bike shop at the entrance, where you can rent yourself a bike and basket. Whatever you need, honey, just ask." She left me to look at the rest of my new home, but she paused at the door. "We got game night every Friday at six-thirty. Release some stress, ya know? Why don't you come on down and meet some of ya new neighbors? You can bring your brother, hon. He's no bother. And be expectin' a bunch of cakes and pies. These folks round here are the baking kind." She smiled a real genuine smile and walked out. I was lucky. Really lucky.