A Summer Thing

11- Callie

Paige bounced into the room followed by a brown dog who jumped right up on the bed. She was tall and thin, like I remembered, except it looked like she had a basketball hidden under her shirt. She had a radiance about her I thought only happened in books.

"This is Hershey. She is the best at making you feel better. I've cried a bucket of tears all over her."

I ran my hand along her soft fur and felt a certain comfort.

"You look amazing!"

Paige blushed and looked down at her belly while putting a protective hand on it. "You look like home is the perfect place for you. I'm so glad you're here."

"Have you ever loved the wrong man?"

Paige laughed. "I hated the right man. No, seriously the worst I dealt with was being used so he could advance his career."

"I don't understand what I did wrong. I kept trying."

"Cal, it was never you. Nobody deserves to be treated that way. He has to be sick. That's why you must stay away from him."

"I got fired today." It devastated me.

Paige nodded and paused. "Maybe that's to ensure you won't do anything stupid like go back to him. You need to stay here where you're safe. If you want a job, I'll give you a job, not as glamorous, but a job."

"No, I don't want anything permanent. Mom has people for me to talk to. I haven't even left the house."

"We could take my girl here for a W-A-L-K."

The dog looked at Paige. I smiled. "Can she spell?"

Paige smiled with pride. "She's very smart."

Before I could decide about the walk, there was a light rap on the door and David came in. I cooperated while he examined me. Luckily he only wanted to check my face and ribs. He thought I was healing. "Slowly. It will take time."

This was the worst my face had ever been hurt. If I could have hidden the bruises on my face, I would not be here. I would still be. What? One minute, I missed him and loved him. The next I believed he could eventually kill me, if he was ever jealous enough or if I ever insulted his mother or if... There were so many things which set him off. I'm certain he went crying to his mother, and she reminded him of how I was never good enough. That bitch needed to learn her son was not perfect like she thought.

I saw my reflection in the mirror and I wasn't ready to go out. I didn't know anyone, but I didn't want anyone to see me. I spent the next week hidden away only to go to the shelter to meet with Gail. She was older than my mother and tried to make me understand it wasn't my fault. Some days, I even started to believe it for a little while. I enjoyed talking to her, because she understood. My mom did too, but she was my mom and she loved me too much. She always looked like she was on the verge of tears.

I was home a week when I heard her crying in the kitchen. I knew I should go to her, but I crept back upstairs.

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