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Her name was Kelly Rivera. Soon to be hyphenated with O'Neil at the end. She was thirty but looked as though she was in her mid twenties. Brown skin maybe three to four shades lighter than my own resembled coffee when you add a bit of creamer. Brown eyes with a dash a green. Slim but curvy figure accentuated her height. Curly hair like a crown atop her head was pulled back into a haphazard bun.
There was a light in her eyes as she rambled about her soon to be husband. There was a glow to her skin as she mentioned she was two months along. There was a smile on her face as she told me how her fiancée doesn't know yet but she planned to tell him tonight. They had been trying for a while she admits, but they hadn't had the best luck in the past.
A miracle is what she called it.
She opens the drawer to her left taking a shiny gold key before getting up and gesturing for me to follow. I do so and look around as we walk through what could be seen as a sanctuary for the boys. We walk down one of the brighter lit corridors. Two boys no older than five run out one of the doors on left. One apologizes while the other tells us to watch out. Kelly tells them both to quit running.
Crayon marks litter the walls. Streaks of blues. Scribbles of green. Swirls of pink. We stop at a door that had two poorly drawn stick figures rested at the bottom. Kelly unlocks the door and waves a hand for me to go in. Navy blue walls. Two twin beds. One pushed to left close to the wall the other in the right corner just by a window. Plaid blue sheets with a matching comforter and monotone pillow cases decorate the beds.
"I didn't think you'd be comfortable with the older boys and I remembered we had empty space where the two to twelve year olds sleep and thought what better roommate to have than one who can barely form sentences or just talks to hear themselves speak."
She smiles. I try to do the same but it takes too much effort. She reaches a hand out and I skid away. She frowns and retracts her hand.
"It also has a bathroom. Small but it gets what needs to get done. Um, I could bring you some old things of mine I was going to give away if you didn't mind? It's just you only have that bag and it doesn't seem like much inside and you'll be here a few days a week max and I'd think you want to be comfortable."
She was nice. Almost too nice. You can't trust nice people.
"T-that would um, It would b-be very helpful. T-thank you."
"It's not a problem. I'll take my break now so I can get them."
She places the key on a small dresser with four drawers before giving me another smile and heading out the door. She tells me I can lock the door if I feel it's needed. I lock it as soon as she leaves. Perching myself onto the window sill my eyes go the sky. The sun was setting into colors of orange and yellows. The clouds looked like puffs of cotton and soon enough they'd be gone replaced by stars and a sheet of black.
