"Mrs. Doria?" Tanner stopped suddenly and stared at me, "She gave this place to you?"
"You know her?" I asked, surprised.
He shrugged, "She's good people." he responded with ah small smile.
After exploring the house, I asked Tanner to hold Jaimie while I quickly tidied and cleaned the bed. He gave me a curt nod and took the baby from me.
As I rushed to one of the rooms to clean, I wondered if Tanner had a memory associated with a baby, perhaps a sleeping one. I cleaned up the bed, laid Jaimie on it, and then returned to the sitting room to help Tanner with my luggage.
I made a mental note to clean out the rooms, tomorrow morning. I would also clean out the room adjacent to the kitchen for Tanner if he wanted to stay with us. I silently prayed that he would.
"Is something bothering you?" Tanner asked an hour later, with his eyes closed, resting his head on the upper part of the sofa.
I shook my head. "No, nothing really," I replied sincerely, sitting down beside him. I had just put Jamie to bed and needed some alone time.
"Go and try to get some sleep. You still need to recover well..." he said, his sentence trailing off.
I nodded, understanding the implication. I needed to recuperate well so that he could continue his journey.
As I stood up from the sofa, I decided to step outside. I craved the cool air on my skin and some time alone. The chirping of birds and insects, the rustling of leaves, and the soft whispers of the wind were all soothing. The breeze caressed my skin, lulling me into a trance-like state.
However, my mind drifted back to my marriage, or more accurately, my Hell on Earth. The certified lunatic my parents had forced me to marry. He had beaten me at the slightest provocation, forced me into his bed, and taunted and abused me endlessly. Physically, emotionally, sexually, mentally-he had destroyed me.
The tears stung my eyes, and I let them roll down my cheeks as I sank deeper into my thoughts. Jamie was the only gift from my Hell on Earth, the only reason I kept moving forward, clinging to the hope that I had something worth living for.
I knew Ludale would never stop looking for me, even if I disappeared into thin air. But if not for Tanner, I would have been alone on the streets with Jamie, and my baby might have died from the illness that had ravaged him the day before.
Footsteps interrupted my thoughts, and I quickly wiped my tears away, sniffling as I tried to regain my composure. I recognized Tanner's soft, almost soundless strides, and I wiped my tears away before he saw me cry.
He sat down beside me, his gaze curious as he looked at me as if he knew I had been crying. But he decided to let it go and stared upwards, as if he were counting the stars.
TANNER
As I gazed at the girl, I could see that exhaustion was etched on her face, her eyes were droopy, and her cheeks were sunken. Despite her weariness, she tried to put up a brave face for her baby. I admired her strength, she was so young and yet she had faced so much.
The cottage was beautiful, we stayed outside for a while before we walked back inside. As we settled in the sitting room, I was grateful to find a lantern to light up the space. Its dim light cast shadows on the floor, adding to the eerie ambiance of the night. Exhausted from the long journey, I sank into the couch, feeling its embrace.
Suddenly, the girl joined me in the sitting room, keeping a safe distance away. We sat in silence, but it was a comfortable one. After a few seconds, she spoke up, breaking the stillness.
"Thank you for everything," she said, her voice soft and fragile. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
It was at the tip of my tongue to chide her again for saying yet another 'thank you' for the countless time today but I stopped because her words touched me. I realized that despite my flaws, I could make a difference in someone's life, and something I haven't felt in a long time rose inside me-happiness.
"It's okay," I replied, "I'm just glad I could help."
We both lapsed into silence again, but this time, it wasn't as comfortable as the last. I could sense the sadness and pain emanating from her, and it made me want to reach out and comfort her. But I didn't know how.
As we sat in the dimly lit room, my mind wandered to my past. Memories of my own pain and loss flooded my mind. It was a place I didn't want to visit, but I couldn't help it. I wondered if this girl would ever find peace or would she become like me?
But, even as I thought that, I quickly dismissed it. She still has her child and hopefully, her child will save her from going over the deep ends like I did.
In that moment, I made a decision. I resolved to be there for her and her child. Even if it meant pushing aside my own demons for a little while.
XAZIX