Concrete Angel

Chapter Two (Getting By)

It had been a few weeks since Frank's ominous encounter with Georgia. He figured she wanted to keep a low profile, and to make things easier he made it a point to avoid going over to Roberta's altogether. So much so that he didn't ask her to babysit Mary, even though he had been dying to have some time to himself. But he knew that it was more important for them to have their privacy. Yet it wasn't long before Mary started asking questions.

"Is Roberta sick?"

"Not that I know of." Frank reacted.

They were preparing for a morning boat ride along the coast, and she wondered if something was wrong since they haven't heard from her in weeks. He tried to deter her suspicions by assuring her that everything was fine, and that she was just busy with her family.

"But I thought we were her family."

"We are in a sense..." he then started the boat's engine and said that her real blood relatives were in town.

Mary asked if they could see her tomorrow, but Frank felt that it wasn't a good idea. Still she insisted and he felt a little guilty for keeping secrets, but he knew that it wasn't his place to tell her the truth. And alas he couldn't give her a definite answer and said that they would discuss it later.

The following morning he dropped her off at her summer classes, and he decided to stop by Roberta's place to talk. Yet as he was walking up the driveway, he noticed that Georgia was leaving the house. It warmed his heart to see her fully recovered and fresh faced, and that she was actually smiling.

He waved to her, "Howdy stranger!"

"Hey...It's Frank, right?"

"Good memory."

He asked how things were going, and she said that she was taking it one day at a time. And that things were looking up because she was on her way to a job interview.

"Nice! Where at?"

"Just this bar nearby. They need servers and I could use the extra cash."

"Nothing wrong with that."

Suddenly Georgia was flustered because it the first time she noticed his rugged good looks, and that he had gentle blue eyes and a spirited smirk. But she ignored her mild attraction because she knew that it would only get her into trouble. Then she thanked him for helping her out the other night, but he felt that it wasn't a big deal.

Then he wished her luck and said, "It's good to see you're doing a lot better."

"Well I still have a long ways to go..."

He sensed the sadness in her voice, and he wondered if every day was a constant struggle for her sanity. But he knew that deep down that she was a lot stronger than she realized, and he hoped that she could eventually learn her true self-worth. Then they said their goodbyes, and he continued on to Roberta's. She greeted him a hug and said that it's felt like ages since they last saw one another.

Frank entered her apartment, and saw that Georgia and Maya had truly made themselves at home. Roberta said that the first few days were a bit rough, but she did her best to help them get adjusted while they tied up all their loose ends back in California. And that Georgia had been carrying her weight by helping around the house, but it was obvious that she was still struggling to take care of her daughter.

He noticed Maya sitting quietly on the couch. She was watching something on the Discovery Channel while scribbling in a pink notebook. He waved hello, but she didn't respond back, and instead she turned off the TV and retreated to the guest room.

"Don't take it personal. She hasn't said much since she's been here. And when she does talk, it's usually one word answers."

Frank said that according to her mother she had been like that for a while, and Roberta wasn't the least bit surprised because of everything they've been through.