Part 2

Maggie

She took a deep breath, and watched as Asher lifted his hand in a wave, as the police car drove away. She’d nearly had a heart attack when she saw Melody in his arms. She chuckled, as she thought about how ridiculous she must have looked, hitting him with the broom.

Melody made another gurgling sound, and Maggie turned her head to look at her. “What do you think, Baby Girl? Is Asher Fitzgerald a good man?” Melody made another sound, which could have meant anything, but the smile on her face said she thought so.

She brought the suitcases and boxes into the house, and sighing as she looked around. The place really was a dump, but she couldn’t afford anything else, plus, being on the edge of town worked for her. She didn’t need or want nosy neighbors.

Asher was tall, probably over six feet. His hair was dark, and his eyes looked like a threatening gray sky just before it rained. Right before he smiled at her, she’d thought he looked mean, but that smile changed everything. She shook her head, wondering why she was thinking about him. Nothing could come of it.

She needed to find a job, some way to provide for Melody. Her savings wouldn’t last forever, and the money she’d stolen before running would only last so long.

As Maggie thought about how she didn’t even have a crib, she could feel tears threatening to spill. She couldn’t cry; it wouldn’t help her situation. She’d made her choices, so now she had to live with them. They had a roof over their heads, and they were free. That was all that mattered.

She spent the morning cleaning and unpacking, moving Melody from room to room with her. She was blessed with the little girl. She was a good baby, happy to watch Maggie go about her chores, babbling, and clapping her hands, chewing on the rubber teething ring.

Maggie made notes in a spiral-bound notebook as she cleaned. Some of the cupboard doors would need to be fixed. The front door would probably need to be rehung. She struggled to open and close it. Some of the lights weren’t working, and there was a strange smell coming from underneath the house. The porch had sagging floorboards, and the banisters on either side of the steps were loose. She made a note about plumbing when she took a shower, and realized there was no hot water. The electricity was working, at least, and she knew it could’ve been worse.

The living room had a fireplace, but there were years of dust, soot, and ashes on the inside. She hadn’t had the strength to clean it out yet. One bedroom had a bed with a lumpy and sagging mattress. The bathroom looked outdated, and even though she’d scrubbed the tiles until her arms ached, it didn’t look any better than before she’d started. Most of the tiles were cracked, but she had a tub, and a shower, and the toilet worked.

The second bedroom was bare except for a chest of drawers. The living room had a low wooden coffee table, and a dirty, sagging couch. The kitchen had an old fridge that groaned every time she opened the door. There was no kettle, one pan, a pot, two plates, three spoons, and a can opener.

After her shower, she changed Melody into cooler clothes, swearing under her breath as she struggled to close and lock the front door. She headed into town, remembering that Asher told her how hot it got. Sweat ran down her back as she placed Melody in the front of the shopping cart and walked into the supermarket. She bought the basics: a kettle, a set of crockery, cutlery, a non-stick pan, and a few more essentials. Her next stop was a secondhand store, where she headed straight for the crib she’d seen from the outside. It was a little out of her budget, given that Melody would only sleep in it for another year and a half, at most. There were more important things than a crib, but if she could find a job, then she could buy the crib with her first paycheck. She did some calculations in her head, knowing she’d need more than just a crib. For now, though, she could put her mattress on the floor, and share the space with Melody. She’d need a stroller, and more clothes for Melody, so she looked around. She finally settled on a microwave, wondering how she’d get it and Melody to the car.

The bell on the door dinged as it opened, and she looked into Asher’s eyes. He looked completely different now that he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, his arms defined. Why did it feel like he was looking right into her soul?

“Maggie,” he said, before his gaze went to Melody, who was in her arms. “Miss Melody.” As if she knew exactly who he was, she extended her arms toward him, smiling, and babbling.

“Asher,” she said, softly. The woman behind the counter was watching them intently, and she quickly handed the money over for the microwave.

“Let me get that for you,” Asher said, picking the microwave up before she could say anything. He held the door open for her, and followed her back to her car.

“Thank you, you really didn’t have to,” Maggie said, as he placed it on the backseat of her car.

“I wasn’t going to let you carry it,” he said. As he shut the door, it looked like he was going to say something else, but he closed his mouth, and walked back to the secondhand shop before disappearing from view.

Melody babbled all the way back to the house, where Maggie placed her in the living room on her playmat before she emptied the car, lugging the heavy microwave into the kitchen. She felt better now knowing that they had food in the house. She would sort the rest out later. She would make it work. She didn’t have many choices, but she had a choice in this. She would be fine, and so would Melody.