(Warnings–Mentions of Abuse, so if this is a trigger for anyone please read with caution)
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It was supposed to be a normal Monday night for Frank and Mary. She was finishing up a project for her girl scouts troop with her cat Fred curled up at her feet. Frank popped his head into her room and told her that it was time for bed.
"I can't go to sleep right now. I still gotta finish these last two panels."
"Wow, that solar oven's looking pretty damn good," then he kissed the top of her head and said, "Five more minutes and then it's lights out."
"Oh-kay! If I have to." She playfully sighed. Then she reminded him that they needed to stop by the bookstore so she could pick up her reading list for summer school.
Frank loved how everything turned out after the bitter custody battle with his mother, and that Mary was able to have the regular childhood that his sister had envisioned. She was interacting with kids her own age while still pursuing intellectual endeavors that challenged her. He liked that they had finally found a healthy balance, and that he was raising her in a household full of love and encouragement. And he didn't care if their dynamic seemed odd to the outside world. What mattered most was that she was content with her life.
Frank went into the living room to pick up Mary's toys, but suddenly he heard someone frantically knocking at his door. He looked out his front window, and his heart sank into his stomach once he saw a young woman standing on his doorstep. She was dressed in a ratty old sweatshirt and ripped jean shorts. And she had a bruised face and a black eye. He could tell that she hadn't slept in hours, and was in desperate need of help.
"Aunt Ro! It's me, Georgia! I know it's late, but I had nowhere else to go..."
She was startled when Frank opened the door. She then apologized for the intrusion and asked if he knew someone named Roberta Taylor. He said that she was his landlord, and that she actually lived a few doors down.
"You can wait in here while I call her."
"I rather wait out here since my kid is in the car..."
"It's no big deal. My niece is here, and my place is kid-friendly."
She peeked inside and skimmed over his bachelor pad. It definitely wasn't suitable for children with all the run down furniture, but she noticed there were toys scattered all over the living room and there were pictures of him with an adorable little girl. So she accepted his offer, and ran back to her car where she retrieved her daughter, who was also sporting a black eye and bruises.
"Holy shit!" Frank muttered under his breath as he helped them inside.
He struggled to keep a straight face, but it was hard not to think that this was straight out a Lifetime movie. He had only heard stories about battered woman, but it was hard to see something so brutal up close.
