was beginning to snowball into a blizzard master plan.
***
She was still crying when the knock came at the door. But somehow Emilia ran to it faster than Tut. Maybe he had changed his mind! Had seen through her anger to the love she felt for him at her core? Yet it wasn’t the man she had wanted, and she didn’t bother to hide her disappointment.
“Oh .” Emilia hastily worked to wipe away her tears. “Hi, Andrew.”
“Uh—hi?” He hesitated to wave , and Emilia could see how uncomfortable he felt just by the way he thumbed his pockets. “I thought I heard some arguing. Is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry.” She laughed awkwardly and scooted Tut’s rump away with her foot. “Everything is fine. I was just—talking loudly—with an old friend.”
“Uh- huh.” He glanced over her shoulder as if expecting to see some chaos brewing. “You sure everything is okay? Do you want me to come in?”
“No .” She shook her head. “Really, I’m good.”
“Okay. I’m just down the hall—”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m crashing for the night, so no more noise. I promise.” Emilia sniffled and shut the door slowly, waiting until she heard his steps moving before she let herself cry again.
How could Ka sper do that to her again? Worse yet, how could she let him do that to her again? He had always called her a foolish girl, and she had come to look at it as a term of endearment, but she really was nothing but foolish—naïve and foolish. She thought he had been kind to her once, but what if he had just come down there to torment her? To tease and tantalize her and then laugh at her behind her back?
She had put herself in one too many vulnerable positions before, vowing not to do it again, only to break those vows. She didn’t know who she was madder at—Kasper or herself. Emilia dried her eyes and got a glass of water. No matter why Kasper was there, Emilia wouldn’t let him hurt her again, wouldn’t even give him the opportunity. Hopefully, she mused, her body would cooperate with her head…
***
Once again, Home at Last was busy with activity when Emilia arrived the next morning. The pounding of hammers and the clamoring of the bell over the door made the headache that had started hours ago that much worse. At least with all the craziness, no one noticed her bloodshot eyes or the dark circles under them. Despite her new resolution, Emilia still had a hard time sleeping and had spent the night doing schoolwork—the constitution of her new goal.
As promised, a plumber had sealed off the restroom and was banging around on the pipes. The printer upstairs shimmied back and forth while Elaine jabbered into the phone and tapped her cane. Unused to such noise, the dogs barked louder than usual, squealing and howling in succession. Her headache vibrated through her temples, and Emilia sighed, grabbing two aspirin from a bottle in the desk and swallowing them dry.
“Elaine! What’s going on?”
Elaine held up one of her thick fingers to indicate she would be a minute.
In the meantime, Emilia let her hair down in the hopes that it would help alleviate some of the pain. Afterward, she refilled the water bowls in the kennel and rotated the dogs that were outside, so some of the other guys could get some exercise and fresh air. When she did, however, the community service kids were mowing the yard, and in Emilia’s opinion, making a great deal of noise.
Emilia sighed and pet ted Freckles before giving her a treat. She was named for the speckled scars on her abdomen—the result of infected flea bites. Quickly, she pulled back, realizing that interacting with the dog made her sad. Exactly why that was, however, she did not know.
“Em? Are you hiding back here?”
She smiled and petted Freckle’s belly. “Guilty.”
“I saw your car,” Paula half-hollered over the noise , “but I wasn’t sure you were here.”
Emilia closed Freckles back in her cage and substituted petting
***
She was still crying when the knock came at the door. But somehow Emilia ran to it faster than Tut. Maybe he had changed his mind! Had seen through her anger to the love she felt for him at her core? Yet it wasn’t the man she had wanted, and she didn’t bother to hide her disappointment.
“Oh .” Emilia hastily worked to wipe away her tears. “Hi, Andrew.”
“Uh—hi?” He hesitated to wave , and Emilia could see how uncomfortable he felt just by the way he thumbed his pockets. “I thought I heard some arguing. Is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry.” She laughed awkwardly and scooted Tut’s rump away with her foot. “Everything is fine. I was just—talking loudly—with an old friend.”
“Uh- huh.” He glanced over her shoulder as if expecting to see some chaos brewing. “You sure everything is okay? Do you want me to come in?”
“No .” She shook her head. “Really, I’m good.”
“Okay. I’m just down the hall—”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m crashing for the night, so no more noise. I promise.” Emilia sniffled and shut the door slowly, waiting until she heard his steps moving before she let herself cry again.
How could Ka sper do that to her again? Worse yet, how could she let him do that to her again? He had always called her a foolish girl, and she had come to look at it as a term of endearment, but she really was nothing but foolish—naïve and foolish. She thought he had been kind to her once, but what if he had just come down there to torment her? To tease and tantalize her and then laugh at her behind her back?
She had put herself in one too many vulnerable positions before, vowing not to do it again, only to break those vows. She didn’t know who she was madder at—Kasper or herself. Emilia dried her eyes and got a glass of water. No matter why Kasper was there, Emilia wouldn’t let him hurt her again, wouldn’t even give him the opportunity. Hopefully, she mused, her body would cooperate with her head…
***
Once again, Home at Last was busy with activity when Emilia arrived the next morning. The pounding of hammers and the clamoring of the bell over the door made the headache that had started hours ago that much worse. At least with all the craziness, no one noticed her bloodshot eyes or the dark circles under them. Despite her new resolution, Emilia still had a hard time sleeping and had spent the night doing schoolwork—the constitution of her new goal.
As promised, a plumber had sealed off the restroom and was banging around on the pipes. The printer upstairs shimmied back and forth while Elaine jabbered into the phone and tapped her cane. Unused to such noise, the dogs barked louder than usual, squealing and howling in succession. Her headache vibrated through her temples, and Emilia sighed, grabbing two aspirin from a bottle in the desk and swallowing them dry.
“Elaine! What’s going on?”
Elaine held up one of her thick fingers to indicate she would be a minute.
In the meantime, Emilia let her hair down in the hopes that it would help alleviate some of the pain. Afterward, she refilled the water bowls in the kennel and rotated the dogs that were outside, so some of the other guys could get some exercise and fresh air. When she did, however, the community service kids were mowing the yard, and in Emilia’s opinion, making a great deal of noise.
Emilia sighed and pet ted Freckles before giving her a treat. She was named for the speckled scars on her abdomen—the result of infected flea bites. Quickly, she pulled back, realizing that interacting with the dog made her sad. Exactly why that was, however, she did not know.
“Em? Are you hiding back here?”
She smiled and petted Freckle’s belly. “Guilty.”
“I saw your car,” Paula half-hollered over the noise , “but I wasn’t sure you were here.”
Emilia closed Freckles back in her cage and substituted petting
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