Thomas studied me, his expression once again closed. Then, he turned and left.
I sat on the bed. I wasn’t ready to return to the main room, just in case he hadn’t actually left. So I stared at the dresser that now served as shelves for the few clothes Mary and I owned. As I stared at the items, I realized that without a source of heat I would freeze in this bedroom when winter arrived. I’d need to move my bed back into the main room near the fire. Picturing the big and drafty room, I knew I’d need better clothes regardless. How many weeks did I have left before the weather started to turn cold?
When I estimated enough time had passed, I went back downstairs. The main room was empty and the fire almost out. I set the lantern on the table, put another piece of wood on the small flames, and moved to inspect the paper bags.
Winifred was smart about the supplies. There were cans of vegetables, fruit, and tuna fish and bags of pasta, rice, and dried beans. Enough for a variety of meals. Flat sheets filled the last bag along with three spools of thread and four needles.
“I scoured rummage sales,” Winifred said, making me jump.
I turned and saw her closing the door.
“Mary told me you were fixing the windows. I thought you might want curtains. Especially, for this one.”
“Thank you.” I fingered the fabric of the top sheet. It was plain white, well used and soft. “I might be able to find other ways to use these, too.” Like for more bandages. I might need them soon.
“I thought you might,” she said, and for a moment, it seemed as if she was answering my last thought. “How are you doing?”
“Just fine,” I said as she walked toward me. “This won’t stop, will it?”
She shook her head.
“I never meant to cause any of you trouble. I was just looking for a place to sleep.”
She patted my hand. “Despite how it looks, we are glad you found us.”
“We?” I laughed. “I don’t think everyone’s happy.”
“Don’t worry. Those who aren’t will come around.” She sat across from me and picked up a cookie from the plate. Only six remained. But I still had some squeeze cheese and bread and jam left. I was pretty sure Mary and Gregory had sampled everything while I napped.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow night. But I’ll return Friday evening again.”
That meant today was Saturday since she’d arrived late last night. The idea of spending another tense week here bothered me. I frowned and reached for another cookie.
“Don’t give up on us,” she said, watching me. “We’re rough around the edges, but we can learn.”
I nodded, took a bite, and sighed. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t give up on them. Those men wouldn’t let me leave, and I had nowhere else to go. We sat together in silence. Once I finished the cookie, I quietly excused myself and went to bed.
In my room, I listened to the muffled night sounds until my lids grew heavy.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew something was different. I was staring at a wall—a close up view. Since my bed had been in the middle of the room, the view didn’t make sense.
I lifted my head and looked around. My bed was now against the right interior wall. Against the other wall, Mary lay in a bed similar to mine. She was awake and grinning at me.
“I don’t have your morals about stealing,” she said as I eyed the clean sheets and nice blanket. “And if you would have seen what was crawling around in that junk yard, you wouldn’t either.”
Sitting up, I didn’t say anything about the stealing. I was happy she had a bed, but I wondered who was now sleeping on the floor because of it. Come to think of it, how could they steal a bed at night? I hoped it hadn’t been in use at the time.
“While you were gone, I looked through the extra bags Winifred brought. We can make curtains,” I said.
Mary shrugged, and I guessed having curtains made little difference to her.
“Or maybe a plain sundress for each of us.”
“That might be nice,” she said with a small smile.
“How was your time with Gregory?” I asked.
She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “He was angry at first. Like Thomas said, Gregory thought I was playing a game with him. But when he saw what was in the junk yard, he was the one that suggested going somewhere else.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “He really is sweet.”
“Good. It gives me hope that it’s possible for others to be sweet.”
She sat up with a stretch. “Winifred says they’re already lining up. She’s wondering if you’re up for meeting some more today.” Mary got out of her bed and began to remake it neatly.
I wanted to groan and hide under my covers at the thought of going through yesterday all over again. But I didn’t. The sooner I met them, officially, the sooner they might leave me alone.
“Sure,” I said, sitting up. “I just need a few minutes and something to eat.”