[[[all of your flaws]]] [[[part i]]]

14.

I heard the front door open and I sighed with relief. I felt bad for doubting her. She came down the steps into the kitchen with bags of shopping in her arms. She looked better than she had done yesterday.

'Hey.' She smiled.

'Good morning.' I joked.

'Sorry.' She said quietly, as though she were in trouble. Everything just kept adding up.

'No worries, you obviously needed it.' I shrugged. I took the bags from her and put them on the kitchen counter. 'Hungry?'

'A little, I guess.'

'Sandwich?'

'Thank you.'

I pointed to the chair by the island in the middle of the kitchen and she took a seat, watching as I whipped up a cheese sandwich for us both. I sat opposite her and we ate quietly. She smiled once she'd finished, leaving her crusts untouched.

'Don't you want curly hair?' I asked her. She looked utterly confused. 'The crusts? That's what you eat to get curly hair.' I told her. She laughed, now bemused. 'Didn't your parents ever tell you that?'

'I must've forgotten.' She shrugged.

Another silence fell upon us.

'Erm, so I'll sort my room out for you for tonight.'

'Oh no, I don't wanna put you out.' She said quickly.

'Its fine, really.'

'No, I'll sleep on the couch.'

'I insist.' I said in such a way that she couldn't refuse. 'Now, the bathroom has a wicked bath and I think you should go relax for a bit and I'll run out and get some supplies for dinner and stuff. Deal?'

'Oh I already got some things for dinner, to say, you know, thanks and all.'

'Its no trouble at all. We'll get you back on your feet in no time.' A few days, some hot meals and a nice bed to sleep in would sort her out. Then we could get on to the job centre and find her somewhere more permanent to stay.