Page 12 of Look for Me

She could not say it. Not in front of Dahlia. Not in front of anyone.

However, someone was bound to find out eventually. She could hide her tummy under a baggy shirt for only so long. Winter was coming when she could cover up with a coat or jacket, but winter was mild in these parts. It would look weird if she bulked up.

“You what?” Wanda didn’t let up.

“I didn’t feel well, so Sandra let me go. I will have to make up for the lost hours these two days one way or another.”

Corinne could not say that she had seen a ghost from her past.

Oh, the irony.

She had ghosted Martin. And yet he had found her.

“Are you sick again? You’ve been sick these past several weeks.”

“Might be something I ate.”

“Or you’re worn out.” Wanda frowned. “I’m sorry. Maybe you can get a job with better pay so that you don’t have to work as much. What happened to the restaurant job you had? You said the customers tipped a lot.”

Corinne didn’t want to be reminded of that darkness in this life. Why was it that every time something good happened to her, it had to be counteracted with something bad?

Strangely enough, she was not worried that Flavian had found her. Maybe she was two years removed from her past with Flavian, so she was able to look at the situation objectively. While Flavian was a violent man towards his enemies, at least he provided her with food and shelter. And he loved Dahlia.

Only he didn’t love Dahlia’s mother.

Used her, he did, for his own personal gains. Flavian’s treatment of Corinne might be why his business partner had no respect for her either.

It was just as well that we left Flavian.

She corrected herself.Sheleft Flavian. Dahlia had no say in it.

Wanda was muttering something that Corinne didn’t hear. She didn’t bother to ask Wanda to repeat. Let her mumble.

Frail and elderly, Wanda needed a tenant after her husband passed away. Corinne found two jobs in the thick of summer tourist season to help her pay for the room rental.

Wanda also threw in some perks, such as free childcare for Dahlia. In return, Corinne cleaned her house and provided company for the lonely widow.

Wanda also took Corinne and Dahlia to church. The preschool friends that Dahlia made in Sunday school were precious.

And then Corinne got saved. Once again, it was Wanda who had led her to the Lord.

How could she leave Wanda when she had been so kind to her?

Corinne locked the front and back doors. The wood looked flimsy. Anyone could break down these doors. Yet, Corinne still double-checked it, praying that God would protect them.

She glanced out the front windows. No cars there.

She wondered what Slam and Slime meant by keeping watch over her house. Where would they hide their car where she could not see them?

She sighed and prayed for God to keep her family safe.

When she turned around to check on Dahlia, she saw Wanda winced as she walked toward the small kitchen, where dishes had piled in the sink.

They didn’t have a dishwasher any more, but Corinne preferred to hand-wash the dishes while she pondered life and prayed about her string of bad misfortunes.

Wanda made hissing sounds as she leaned on her wobbly cane.

“Your hips okay?” Corinne asked.

---