Ch.27 - Talia
As the sun came up, Talia sank into the overstuffed couch, watching Carter play on the floor in front of her, thinking about how much her daughter resembled her own mother at the moment. The baby studied the wooden blocks in her pudgy hands, her delicate blonde eyebrows creased in concentration, trying to make sense of the bold black letters on each side.
How simple and happy her life is...just as it should be.
The thought, when it struck her, felt surprising and natural. The look of surprise on Carter's face as she studied the curve of the figures mesmerized Talia. She could almost see her working out all the details in her brain. Was it that she had not expected the contrast of color against the light wooden grain, or did she somehow understand that each shape had a meaning all its own?
All of the baby books she'd pored over since she discovered she was pregnant claimed infants spent most of their time eating and sleeping. But that had never defined her baby girl. From day one Carter had broken the mold. If there was one thing Talia knew about her nine-month-old bundle of joy was that she was predictably unpredictable. And pleasantly so. Being a mother was the most rewarding experience for her, outside of marrying Charlie, her hero--in more ways than one.
What she loved most about her new role as a wife and mother was the feeling of satisfaction she felt bringing a ray of light into the world. With so much violence and hostility she'd witnessed over the years it gave her hope to see wonderful things taking place around her. If she could have a happy ending, anyone could...all you needed was faith.
Talia was so caught up in her thoughts she almost didn't hear the chirp of her phone as it lay on the table beside her. She reached for her cell and saw it was Laura from Healing Hearts. It was unusual for her to call at this hour in the morning unless she found the shelter was short staffed for the day.
"Good morning, Laura. How are you?"
"Talia, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour. I hope I didn't wake you."
Talia could immediately sense the tension in her voice. "No, I'm just sitting here with Carter." She readjusted herself on the couch and looked at her daughter with a smile. "What's up? Are you short today?"
Laura was quiet for a moment. "I wish that's why I was calling."
Instinctively, Talia felt her stomach leap.
"I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news," Laura continued. "I received a phone call early this morning before I even arrived to work. It's Janice." Another pause. Talia could hear muffled breathing on the other end of the phone. "She's gone, Talia. Janice passed away. Blunt force trauma to the head."
Talia listened as Laura went on with a vague sense of unreality. Janice's husband, the man she had willingly gone back to, had finally gone too far. She glanced at Carter who was regarding her closely, her focus on Talia now instead of the blocks in her hands. Talia hid a thick swallow in her throat and turned away, acutely aware of Carter's scrutinizing gaze.
"When?" Talia squeezed her eyes closed, determined to fight off the burning tears that threatened to fall.
"Last night. Her sister called thinking we'd like to know. Apparently Janice had confided in her about staying here with us after she left home."
Talia took a deep breath. "When's the funeral? I'd like to be there."
"There's not going to be one."
"What?" Talia's eyes flew open with surprise. "There has to be a funeral! Her friends will want to see her one last time. We need to have the chance to say goodbye." She couldn't fight back the tears anymore, they trickled down her cheeks in heated streaks, one right after the next.
"Her family isn't going to have one. They can't afford it."
"They can't afford it?" Talia repeated, her mind starting to race. "If that's the reason, I can talk to Charlie. We've been saving a cushion of money to give his business a chance to take off, but maybe we can--"
"I've already offered," Laura interrupted before she could finish. "They won't accept help--not that we have much to give."
Talia choked back a sob. "What can I do?"
"I know it's short notice, but do you think you can come in today--at least for a little while? The girls are taking it pretty hard and you're so good with them..."
Talia nodded, wiping at her tears. "Yes, of course, just give me some time. Charlie's not home at the moment but I'll see if my mother-in-law can watch Carter. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thank you, Talia." The relief in Laura's voice was evident. "I'll see you when you get here."
Thirty minutes later, Talia pulled up to Healing Hearts. A suffocating fog had settled in around her and she was barely aware of her surroundings as she made the drive into the neighboring town. She'd almost had herself convinced this wasn't really happening. That she would eventually wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. It was a daze similar to the one she lived in when she was with Steven, a daze so deep it felt like death. Sometimes, when she was lying in bed at night, images of her past came rushing back, stinging like a swarm of angry hornets whose nest had been disturbed.
But this wasn't a dream.
Talia's muscles buzzed inside of her as she climbed the creaking steps and made her way toward the door of the shelter. The solidity of the two-story structure was disguised by a gray stucco finish and the large open porch was decorated with peeling white wicker furniture. Opening the large wooden door, she ambled inside, her eyes skimming over the faded wallpaper that garnished the walls. The interior design had seen better days, but the home was cozy and comfortable and filled with love and understanding, exactly what a frightened woman needed after escaping a nightmare. The shades that covered the windows had not yet been raised and long shadows danced across the walls from the small lamps that were lit.
"Talia. I'm so glad you could make it." Laura walked up to her and engulfed her in a warm hug. "Rebecca's on her way, too, "she said, speaking of the doctor that worked at the shelter. She stepped back, the crystals in the rims of her eyeglasses glittering as they caught the dim light from the lamps. "Thank goodness you two were available today. I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I'll need all the help I can get."
"I'm happy to help out. I can't imagine how the girls must be feeling."
"They're shaken up, to say the least. Especially Donna and Millie. They were as close as roommates could be."
Talia shook her head, a creeping uneasiness closing in around her heart. Donna was a fifty-something year-old woman who'd been living at the shelter going on two years. She'd seen her fair share of woman coming and going, but no story had ever ended this way before. And poor Millie. She was only twenty-two. She'd left her live-in boyfriend of five years and had no where else to turn. She was a newcomer, residing at the shelter for only a handful of weeks before Janice had left in the middle of the night. She was just starting to open up and let the small group of women in. Talia prayed this wouldn't be a setback in her progress.
"What would you like me to do?" Talia asked.
"They're all gathered in the kitchen." Laura's voice was warped by emotion. "I think they're in shock. They're just sitting there, no one saying a word. I think just being together as a group is comforting to them. But you've been in their shoes. Maybe you could just be there for them, at least until Rebecca gets here. She'll know what to do. She always has the right words to say."
A cry clawed at her throat. "Whatever you need me to do, Laura. You know how important everyone here is to me, how important Janice is..." Her voice caught. "Just give me a minute to compose myself. I don't want them to see me this way. I want to be strong for them."
Laura gave her a sympathetic smile and reached for her hand. "They'll want you to be human," she said with a squeeze. "You can give them something I'll never be able to. You know what they've been through, you've lived it yourself. In so many ways, you're truly their sister. You can be strong for them, but don't hide your emotions. What they need right now is for you to be real."
Talia nodded, tears clouding her vision. Laura gave her hand one final squeeze and left her alone. She took a ragged breath and gathered her thoughts, frightening images of her own past coming to mind.
If I hadn't escaped from Steven, would I have suffered the same fate?
Talia had asked herself that question so many times before. It wouldn't have been difficult for her former husband to have hit her too hard or in the wrong place. He'd come close many times before. Life is fragile. It can slip away in an instant. It could have easily been her lying in that morgue right now. The answer that came back to her was loud and clear.
Yes, this would have been me.
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Hello and welcome to Secrets and Lies! If you enjoyed this chapter, please give it a vote.
I'm doing my best to update this story twice a week, but some weeks that's just not possible. I always update around Friday and when I can, I update around Tuesday as well.
This week I would like to give a shout-out to readers in Israel, Malawi, El Salvador, Liberia, Morocco and Samoa. It is such a pleasure having you aboard for Talia and Charlie's journey! From the bottom of my heart--thank you!
If I have not yet mentioned your country please let me know, I think I've almost got them all!
Hugs to everyone, Darly XO