Nina
"Momma, momma wake up!" The wind is so cold that my toes are hurting but my mom has got me so wrapped up that I don't feel it as much as I should. The wind got really scary and has broken our tent but my mommy laid over me to protect me and keep me safe because she's the best mommy in the whole wide world but now she's sleeping and I can't wake her up.
I wiggle with all I have and keep calling her but she's not answering. Some of the other people who live here are sleeping too but the rest left here ages ago while mommy was laying over me. Finally, after lots of wiggling I manage to get out from under mommy. The wind isn't so windy anymore but she still won't wake up. "Mommy wake up! The wind has gone now, Mommy!" Why don't she listen? I'm scared and I'm cold and I just want my mommy to wake up!
Maybe she's not well and that's why she's sleeping. She has told me before that if she's sleeping and I can't wake her up then I have to ask for help and now that it's happening, I'm getting scared.
"MOMMY!" I try one more time but she doesn't answer so I look around for help but everyone is still sleeping too. I'm scared I'm cold and I'm alone. I just want my mommy.
Mandy Riley's Mom
As soon as I find a parking space and get out of my car the snowstorm hits. The weather report today did state that a snowstorm was coming in and apparently it was going to be the worst one in over 30 years but you know how it goes with a weather report, they say it's going to be sunny and it rains or they say that it will be cold and we'll have a heat wave so I've come to lean not to listen to the weather reports anymore and just wake up and see how the weather is but of course the one time I decide to do this, the storm hits.
I make it half a dozen steps from my car before deciding to turn around and get back in. I'm not leaving here but I'm going to wait in my car for this storm to pass and hopefully, It's quick. I turn on the engine and get the heaters going as I watch the world around me. There are several people running to get some shelter from the sudden snow while cars are bumper to bumper trying to get away from the area.
Sitting here on my own only leads to my mind wondering and that's not always a good thing. All this time alone also makes me start to doubt my decision to be here but still, I sit and wait. Yes, I get that there's a chance that Riley may be mad at me but if I can make this work and get what I want out of it then it will all be worth it. If my son is happy then I can deal with him being pissed at me for a while... for however long he needs to be.
The moment I saw his reaction to her when he walked into my shop I knew that there was something there for him. I've only ever seen that kind of look on a man's face once before and that was when his dad first looked at me all those years ago. He had told me about the girl that Burno had almost run over but I didn't think much of it, that sort of thing happens daily in a bust city like this but when he came into the shop and saw her upset and alone... Yeah, I felt it deep inside.
He told me he was coming out here tonight but he didn't tell me his plan and I'm not sure if he actually knew what he was going to do himself but either way it didn't work. When he texted me to say that his plan had failed I was heartbroken for him, it took me several attempts before he would answer his cell to me but once he did and he told me everything, I knew that I needed to do something.
You see what Riley doesn't know is that I know more about being homeless than he realizes because I have been homeless. It was only for a short time and I was lucky not to experience anything too bad but still, those memories will stay with me forever.
Riley doesn't know about my time on the streets and it's something that I never wanted him to find out about but if that's what it takes for him to get what he wants then so be it, I will tell him. There was a time when I was too ashamed of my past to tell anyone but now when I look back at where I was then and where I am now, I feel nothing but pride... pride and hope for others. if I was able to get out of my situation then there's hope for others.
There's something about this girl that has my son in knots, her and her little girl and it fills me with pride. My son has had a very privileged life so the fact that he sees past this woman being homeless and just sees her for who she is fills me with warmth and pride, it gives me hope that I have raised him right and that he has the respect that he should for women. He's been hurt in the past pretty badly and honestly, I had gotten to the point where I didn't think that he would want another woman again, not for anything serious but now... Well, now I have hope.
I saw the way he looked at her... the girl of his past but the way he looked at Julia was something else entirely and it gives me hope that I haven't had for a long time. When he told me her real name my heart skipped a beat because Julia was my mother's name and it's just a crazy thing to happen but maybe it's a sign. knowing my mom, the woman probably sent Julia for my son, she always wanted him settled down with a wife and children so maybe this is her work, her magic.
This storm has been raging for a while now and the place is completely deserted apart from a few cars that I'm guessing belong to workers or owners that are hiding out in buildings until it settles some more but as for people, there's not a sole around. I keep looking around watching the snow as it settles on the ground when I catch a movement and my heart jumps in my throat.
Down the bottom of the street, I can see a little girl walking on her own while trying to hold some sort of blanket around her. Instantly I know something is wrong because this little girl must only be about 3 or 4 and she's all alone.
I quickly shut off my car and reach her as quickly as I can. She looks scared and cold and it's a heartbreaking sight. As I approach her she stops walking and just stares at me but I'm a stranger so I get it. Once I'm in front of her I get down low so that we are face to face and all I want to do is pull her into my chest and hug her with all I have.
"Hey, darling. What are you doing out here by yourself?" She sniffles and I can see small tears rolling down her little face. "My mommy is sleeping and I can't wake her up. She told me if I can't wake her to get help but there's no one there." Jesus this girl must be older and maybe just small for her age because her speech is incredible but her words make a slight chill run down my body.
"OK, sweetheart. Where is she?" She looks behind her before pointing. "Up there, in that alleyway." shit! that's the alleyway that I was heading to, to see Julia. "Darling, what is your mommas name?"
"Julia." Oh lord! "OK, sweetheart. Can you take me to your mom so I can help?" she nods as I stand up and stretch my hand out then smile a little when I feel her little hand grab hold of mine. I walk as quickly as I can up the alleyway as my mind whirls. God, please let her be ok!
Unfortunately for me, the moment that we get to the top of the alleyway and the little girl leads me to her mom, any hope I have of her being okay quickly fades. She's pale, her lips are blue, and she's barely breathing. Shit!
The little girl lays down next to her mom and starts rubbing her face begging her to wake up and it takes all I have not to cry at the scene. Before I can get lost in my thoughts I pull out my cell and call 911 only as I speak to the operator I notice several other people laying on the ground looking the same way as Julia and now have several ambulances on the way.
Riley... Shit. I need to call him, he needs to know about this. My heart is in my throat as I dial his number but thankfully he answers almost straight away.
"Hey, mom. I was just about to call you. Joshua has told me yo-"
"Riley, riley listen to me. I need you to come to the alleyway!" I interrupt him talking and rush my words out as panic sets in.
"What's going on Mom?" I hear shuffling in the background and know that he's already on his way. "It's Julia... just get here quick!"
"I'm on my way." The line goes dead and I feel lost as I wait for help to arrive. I see several blankets scattered around the place so start gathering them and putting them over several of the people laying down on the floor including Julia while I wait for help and pray for a miracle.