One Day You'll Be Mine(41)

Natalia had become a welcome guest in my home over the past few weeks that she’s been here. She arrived a week after Labor Day, just before the summer heat transitioned into a Texas fall, when the weather was not as scorching. Seeing the leaves transform from lush green to orange, and the café signs market pumpkin lattes and apple ciders were clear signs the seasons shifted.

Upon arrival, Natalia got settled in the office, which I propped a new air mattress in, and unpacked quietly. I insisted on her bringing in everything from the car, because I didn’t want her to feel like she was some unwelcome stranger in my house. She was family – she’d been in Ellis’ life so long she was literally like a blood sister.

She slept for one and a half days after she finally completed bringing in her luggage. I couldn’t tell if it was the two-day drive that exhausted her, or the stress from her separation. Regardless, I was happy to have her in my home, and more than willing to provide shelter and a listening ear as she figured out her next steps.

I hadn’t spoken to Hollis, but I didn’t feel the need to. Unlike Ellis, who wanted to know both sides, seeing Natalia up close and personal was enough for me. The woman had papers from the doctor. They confirmed she’d gotten a concussion from her altercation with Hollis. They also were the cherry on top of a domestic abuse sundae, because I could still see faint remnants of the bruises left from his fingers around her neck.

“Why didn’t you bring Jordan?” I asked, eyeing the bruises. “He could have started school here.”

“Jordan wanted to come, but I didn’t want to pull him away from his environment until I knew what I planned to do,” she explained. “Besides, to be quite honest with you, Jordan’s safer there than I ever will be. Hollis would never lay a hand on Jordan like he did me. Even when he showed violence toward me, Jordan was always safe from his wrath.”

“Why would going back even be an option at this point?” I feared the answers, but I continued to ask. “This man has put his hands on you three times, without an ounce of remorse. The more you’re around him, the more violent he becomes. And this doesn’t even begin to touch his infidelity.”

Battle weary and exhausted, Natalia’s head sunk into her hands. She sighed, exasperated by the obvious truth of what I said. “It’s not that easy. I have a child. I have a marriage. I have a job.”

I decided not to push the issue. I knew there were several factors at stake, including the idea of time wasted by letting go of a twenty-year relationship.

Natalia was given keys to the apartment, as well as a gate for the two-car garage. She’d be alright, but she needed to get out, explore, breathe, and see where things were for her before making any hasty decisions. All I could do was provide the environment and give her peaceful refuge.





Chapter 18: Natalia



I never bothered speaking to Hollis when I left. Our interactions had become so violent, Kelli and I finished packing my truck and I stayed with her before hitting the road.

Jordan stayed with me. He enjoyed spending extra time with Karter, and Kelli’s festive mood made it seem like a big party for him. Hollis stopped by to check on him. He and Kristophe would spend time outside Kelli and I’s presence.

Kelli, thank goodness, agreed to be Jordan’s guardian. She’d have the power to access our home, pick Jordan up from school, take him to the doctor, and care for him like her own child. I breathed a sigh of relief when the paperwork was filed because I didn’t want to leave him simply in the hands of Hollis.

Though initially terrifying, the two-day road trip was peaceful. I released so much stress driving. My solo trip was an opportunity to catch up on audiobooks I hadn’t finished in so long. Rachel Vincent’s Menagerie was amazing. I was moved by the way she plotted the world through a dark lens of magical realism, using this story to highlight human darkness and impiety in the treatment of others. I adored masterful modern writing; it was something I couldn’t get enough of.

Once I finished Menagerie, I moved on to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Another novel set in an ethereal alternate reality, the story highlights the classic class struggles between the haves and the have-nots. In this world, the elite were silver-blooded humans with supernatural abilities, and their servant class was comprised of red-blooded humans lacking any reverent powers.

Of course, I checked in with Kelli and Jordan whenever I stopped to rest. Kelli ensured I didn’t drive too long or too far, and she insisted I collect keychains and mugs for her and Jordan in every state I traveled to on my trip.

“I don’t care if it’s just California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas! We want keychains and mugs!” Jordan chimed in next to her, saying, “Yeah mom! What Ms. Kelli says?”