Page 33 of Refuge for Cherilyn

The weathered boardsof the porch squeaked as he walked across them to the door, and he thought about the questions he had. He knew who he hoped was there, and he also knew who he hoped wasn't. His dad couldn’t be an impartial source of support. He'd ask Shaw immediately, “Why do you need to get yourself mixed up in a situation like this?” His dad would never understand. His mom, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

“Anybody home?” he asked as he pulled open the screen door.

“Hey son! What's up?” a feminine voice yelled back.

“Are you busy?”

“I'm always busy,” his mother called back with a laugh.

He snickered. “Too busy for me?”

“For you? Never.”

“Awww, that's sweet.” He sat down in a kitchen chair. “So there's something I need to talk to somebody about.”

“It wouldn't have anything to do with your houseguest, would it?”

“Actually, it has everything to do with my houseguest.” Shaw doodled with the salt and pepper shakers on the table, trying to make the words come. He wasn't sure what to say, because he wasn't sure how he felt. But he did know that he felt something.

Leslie took a seat across from her son. “This sounds serious.”

Shaw hung his head. He wanted to say it right, and in a way that could be understood, even though he didn't quite understand it all himself. “Mom, how do you know when something'sright?”

“Honey, you're the only one who can know when something is right. No one else can know that for you. Besides, what would make you think you're wrong?”

“Dad would tell me I'm wrong.”

“And why would he tell you that?”

“Because he doesn't believe in love?” That sounded kind of harsh, and he didn't mean it that way, but if there were ever anyone who couldn't be called a dreamer or a romantic, it was his dad. “That's not exactly what I meant, but I think you know what I mean.”

“Have I ever told you the story about our senior prom?”

I'm not sure I want to hear this story, he told himself. “This wouldn't have anything to do with you and dad and the back seat of Grandpa's car, would it?”

“No! It's nothing like that. When we went to the prom, he took me for a very nice dinner and gave me a corsage of my favorite flowers, gardenias. We danced for three hours. When it was time to go, he said he had to make a phone call. I had no idea he was calling my dad to ask permission for me to come home late. Then he said he had somewhere he had to take me. He drove out toward the lake, and I was afraid of what was about to happen, but there was no cause.” His mother’s eyes grew misty, a faraway look taking up residence in them. “We got to the lake and there, in the moonlight, was an actual gondola with a gondolier. I don't know where he found them, but it was the most romantic thing I've ever seen. The gondolier poled us out into the middle of the lake, and your dad lit candles on a little table. He had cheese and crackers, summer sausage, and pigs in a blanket. I found out later that GrandmaBertie made those for him. But he was so proud, and we had so much fun. It was one of the reasons why I agreed to go steady with him. After that, we were inseparable. So yes, your dad does know how to be romantic. You've just never seen that side of him.”

Shaw was shocked. “Wow. I never would’ve guessed. I mean, who would have?”

“So you see, son, your dad isn't quite the old stick-in-the-mud that you think he is. But go ahead. Ask me whatever it is you need to ask. And I'll give you an honest answer.”

How to start? Shaw decided to just dive right in. “There was a woman in the woods, and she needed help. She had her two daughters with her, and they were running from somebody. I found them, and I brought them home with me. There's just one problem.” He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I like having them there. I like being around her. She's been through so much, and yet she's so strong and determined. I really respect that.”

His mother looked into his eyes with a glare that pierced his soul. “So do you like her because of those qualities, or are you just trying to be her knight in shining armor?”

“I really do like her. She doesn't take anything for granted, and every day is a gift to her. She's been mistreated and misused and abused and run over and kicked around, and I really don't want to see that happen anymore. She's got a child who's special needs, and she does such a great job with her. I don't know how to tell her that I want her to stay.”

“And you’re sure this isn't the knight in shining armor thing?”

Shaw shook his head. “It absolutely is not.”

“Are you attracted to her? I mean, in a way that matters?”

“All I really want is to pull her onto my lap, wrap my arms around her, and keep her safe. I want to do the same thing for her girls.”

“You said girls?”

“Yeah. She has two girls, Maya and Lara. She's a good mom, and she tries very hard to take care of them the best she can. But they've been living in public housing. That's how this whole mess started.”

---