“I came home,” she answered.
Rebecca squeezed her arm in a reassuring, calming way. “There’s a lot of explanation in those three words, huh?”
“Yeah, there is.” Ella glanced toward the common room.
Her friend gently nudged her forward. “Go on. I’m sure there are a few people who’d love to see you.” She took the bag of groceries. “I’ll take these into the kitchen.”
Ella stepped inside the common room, noting a few new women sitting on the couch watching the television. A sudden squeal came from her right, just before she was tackle hugged. Stumbling back a step, she grabbed onto the young brown-haired woman and chuckled. “Jessie. I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”
The shelter was temporary housing. Some women only stayed a day or two as they made arrangements to leave their abuser. Some didn’t have family or friends to turn to and stayed longer trying to get back on their feet. Jessie had been one of those without family. It had just been her and her four-year-old daughter, Maddy.
Jessie released her and stepped back. Ella was happy to see a little life sparking in the young woman’s hazel eyes. When she’d walked through those doors almost two months ago, she’d been at her lowest with her self-esteem. She’d met her boyfriend right after she’d had Maddy. Things had been good for a while, but then her boyfriend had shown his true colors. He’d cry and be remorseful afterward, she’d forgive him, and the cycle would start all over again. The cycle ended the night he laid his hand on her son. She’d been here ever since.
“Come on.” Jessie waved her toward one of the wood tables they used to play games on. “Let’s catch up.”
After they sat, Ella studied Jessie. “You look good.”
“I have my good days and my bad days. Today’s a good day.”
She understood that. “How are things going?”
“Trying to make a decision. I have one more week before I’ll have to ask for another extension. I’m not sure they’ll give it to me this time.” She sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. “I’m not even sure I want one.”
Because of the limited space, six weeks was the standard time frame to allow someone to make other arrangements. However, on a case-by-case basis, the stay could be extended by two weeks. Two extensions were rare though.
“What are you trying to decide, Jessie?”
God, she hoped it wasn’t whether to return to her ex. She’d seen it happen before.
The young woman fiddled with her fingers then asked, “Why did you come back?”
Ella jerked slightly, surprised by the question. “I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
“Your ex got out of prison. That’s why you left. You had every chance to start over somewhere new, where no one knew who you were, didn’t know your past. You could be anyone. Why did you come back?”
“I was someone else. When I left, I became Kelsey McGuire. I spent the entire time I was gone wanting to be Ella Watts again. I couldn’t be Ella Watts until I came back.”
Confusion twisted Jessie’s face. “Why was returning to the place where your abuse happened so important to you?”
“Avery is my home, and I didn’t leave on my terms. I was forced to leave because of my fear of Randy. That made me angry.”
Jessie studied her for a moment, with a searching look that made Ella slightly uncomfortable. “Did you like where you went?”
She swallowed, not wanting to think about her time in Kansas. She’d done her best not to think about Lance at all as she tried to get back into her daily life. She had been pretty successful in keeping herself busy. “I did.”
“Did you meet new people?”
Again she swallowed. “I did.”
“Could you have started over there?”
The rush of tears suddenly burned the back of her eyes, stunning her. Blinking, she glanced away. She’d never let herself think about Kansas as a permanent home. Her goal had always been to return to Avery, her career, her home, and return to these women and show them she was above her fear. Could she have started over in Kansas?
Lance’s smiling face formed in her mind, followed by Amber. And Skylar.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I had to come back to prove something.”
“So your pride is what brought you back.”
“No. I—” She blinked. God, was that it? Had she allowed her pride to keep her from seeing she had other options?