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Your problems didn’t seem so monumental after hearing about Zoey’s emotional and physical **** by her father. Both you and Elsie just wanted to get her somewhere safe and that meant home. As Elsie soothed her friend in the back you drive on in silence.

Zoey was in a fragile state. She wasn’t crying but the trembling timbre of her voice told you that she was barely holding herself together. She was scared out of her wits but also relieved to have at last told somebody her terrible secret. For all her sweetness trust did not come easy to the girl and it was only her feelings for your sister that allowed her to open up at all. Now that she’d done it, as much she needed it, she was feeling very **** and unsure of herself. None of you knew where this was going to go but for tonight at least you were not about to take Zoey back to the monster that hurt her.

You pull up to the house to see it dark. Your mother would be in bed and Fiona was not yet home. Elsie keeps her friend close as they follow you to the front door. You unlock it and hold the door for them. Without even thinking about it Elsie leads Zoey upstairs and, after a brief stop at her room to change her jeans to a dress to avoid unnecessary drama right now, straight to your Mom’s bedroom door. You hover nearby, keeping a respectful distance but being on hand in case you were needed for anything.

El cracks the door open and you hear your mother stir.

Zoey looks nervous. “We shouldn’t wake her.” But El just pats her hand to assure her all was well. You understood El’s instinct here. Despite her flaws there was nobody who could give a hug or provide a patient ear like Mom.

“Mom?” Elsie whispers.

“Mmm?” Your mother’s groggy voice answers. “What’s wrong baby girl?”

“Can we come in?”

There is a rustle followed by the click of the warm dim bedside lamp coming on. Your mom rubs her eyes and looks to the door, her heavy blankets concealed her Bailey secret down below. “We?” She asks.

Elsie leads a very sheepish Zoey into the room. “Hello Mrs. Bailey.” She says in a tiny guilt ridden voice.

“Zoey?” Mom looks to Elsie, she sees how her daughter was holding her friend and quickly picks up on Zoey’s fragile state. It took all of a second for her to put together the important parts. Though she didn’t know the details she saw Zoey was alone and lost and hurting and in need of a parent’s love, and that is all she needed to know right now. Her face full of compassion, holding her arms out she says softly. “Come here child.”

Zoey hesitates a moment longer before lurching all at once into your mother’s warm soft embrace. Curling up into a ball she clings to your mother as the dam bursts and at last the tears flow free. Elsie sits right in behind her friend and gently rubs her back as your mother holds the girl to her body and rocks her back and forth. Stepping forward you quietly close the door and leave them be.