Chapter Ten
“What do you think this will do?” Isabel asked.
The past week had been a tense one. She had called him away from work as she was struggling to deal with her thoughts. Edward held her hand, and offered her the support and love that she needed. He didn’t know if his suggestion would help or hinder her. Isabel has had great days, and weak days. There had been amazing weeks and months, and then this week had been a bad one.
“I don’t know what it will do. I don’t know if it will help you at all. I only know that I’ve got to do something to help you.”
“And if this doesn’t help?”
“Then we keep on going.” He pulled up outside of the old trailer park. There were several trailers still in residence, and he knew the one that Isabel used to live in was still there. It was no longer occupied, and he had asked the owner if he and Isabel could stop by. The woman who owned the trailers was okay with it, and seemed like a good person. Isabel’s parents had purchased the trailer, so all Isabel had to worry about was the maintenance of the trailer, which again would have been stressful enough. At least her parents didn’t put rent on Isabel to find.
Isabel had only just made enough to get by. If she’d had to deal with rent, that would have been a nightmare. He didn’t even want to think about the kind of danger she and her sister had been in. She didn’t even have a clue that she was in any kind of danger, which only pissed him off.
“What are you thinking when you look at the trailer?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I feel an overwhelming sense of relief. I got out. I got Sophie out. She shouldn’t have been there. I know that. Sometimes I wonder if I should have called child services or something. Would that have made me a better person?”
“No. If you had done that, Sophie may not have been the woman she is today. You did right by her, babe. Don’t ever regret that.”
“What about if I was younger?” she asked. “There were so many times growing up that I could have told them the truth.” She chuckled. “I was eight years old, and changing diapers. I taught Sophie how to go to the toilet, and to start using the potty. I cleaned up everything. I cooked. At the time it just seemed so natural. I had seen other women do it. You know on the television and around the park here. It was just a way of life for me.”
“Do you want kids?” he asked.
“I do. I think I’d make a good mom.” She burst out laughing. “Yeah, right, me make a good mom. That’s a laugh.”
“Why? You did an awesome job of Sophie. She was well taken care of, and loved. You loved your sister so much that you gave up everything. You took her to school, picked her up, babysat her, helped her. You did what every other mother does. You just don’t get the title of mom.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“No, it doesn’t. Anyone who ever gets to call you mom will be in for a right treat.”
She glanced over at him. “Do you want kids?”
“Yeah, I do, and guess what?”
“What?”
“I want them with you. I think you’d make an excellent mother, and I don’t see anyone else I’d trust with my babies.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “And that is knowing everything I do about you.” He watched as she licked her lips, looking a little shocked. “Come on. Let’s go check out that trailer.”
She blew out a breath as they exited the car. He moved toward her, taking hold of her hand, and offering her the comfort she might need.
“Wow, it looks like I never left.” She moved forward, and he saw how little the space was. “Sophie would have one of those ring things, I can’t remember what they’re called, and she would spend hours trying to spin it around her waist.” She entered the trailer, and he noticed how she hesitated.
Up a couple of steps, and they were inside.
It was such a small space. A tiny table near the windows. Minimal cooking space, a small seating area, and a couple of doors toward the back.
She moved toward those doors, and placed a hand on one. When she opened it, she revealed the bathroom where it all started.
“I hate it here,” she said.
“I know, babe.”
“No, you don’t understand. I never told them to fuck off. I never told them to look after us. They just partied and had fun. I had to stay home and deal with everything.” She was shaking, and Edward placed his hands on her shoulders to try to steady her, to calm her nerves. She took several shaky breaths, and he felt the anger still building. She was nowhere near done with it. “They just left. Two daughters, and they didn’t even say goodbye, not really.”