Page 58 of Keeping My Girl

“Then don’t you think she would forgive you too?” Her face crumbles, but this time I can see the joy behind her tears. I press forward. “I think she would be happy to see you again, Lauren. Don’t you?”

The girl breaks down then. “She would be so happy.”

“See? There is always a light at the end of that tunnel. Keep that in mind.”

The girl reaches her hand out towards me, and I take it, gripping it gently. We sit in silence for a while before Lauren finally speaks. She tells me story after story about her and her grandmother, and I hang on to every word, listening with rapt attention.

“Do you…do you think someone could call her for me? To let her know that I’m here. That I’m okay.”

“Of course,” I tell her without hesitation. The two of them clearly had an unspeakable bond, and I can’t wait to see the two of them reunited.

After writing down her grandmother’s number, Lauren seems calmer, like she’s been able to alleviate most of the stress and anguish that had been weighing her down. And later, when she falls asleep peacefully, I finally leave her room. Instantly, I feel different. Lighter. Like I’m floating. I believe I really made Lauren feel better; that I actually helped someone who has gone through some of the same things I have.

Just like my words had comforted Lauren, they comforted me as well. And in that moment, something inside of me changes. I’m tired of running away. I’m tired of not living.

Like I told Lauren, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark or endless it seems. Nico is my light. And I’m drawn to him just like a moth is drawn to a flame. I don’t even care if I catch fire when I reach my destination. I just want to be as close to him as possible, basking in his warmth, in his glow. And I know I can trust him to keep me from burning up. Nico would protect me at all costs. I know that now.

* * *

Nicholas

In the security room, I watched the entire interaction Selina had with Lauren. I was enamored by the way she brought the girl from the edge of darkness and back into the light. Selina is the strongest woman I know, by far, and today definitely proved it.

Just like my mother told me earlier, this is Selina’s calling, her true purpose in life. She can help these women that we rescue just by being a kindred soul to them; someone they can look up to and trust. Selina knows exactly what they’ve gone through, and there aren’t many therapists or doctors who can relate to their patients on that kind of level.

“You did great today, Lina,” I tell her when we get back to the compound.

“You really did,” my mom agrees. “Those girls have something they didn’t have before.”

“What’s that?” Lina questions.

“Hope. Hope for a better future, for a better life. They want to make your success story their story too.”

“I hope they can achieve everything they dream of and more,” Lina says fervently.

“We’ll make sure of it. I want you to help me make sure of it,” my mother offers.

Lina gives her an emphatic nod. “I want that too.”

When we get inside, Lina says, “Even though it’s getting late, I would like to call Lauren’s grandmother for her.”

“Sure thing.” I lead her into the library and then pull my cell phone out of my pocket and hand it to her.

She stares at it with trepidation, like she’s looking at a foreign object, and I realize my mistake. Lina hasn’t had much experience with cell phones, especially not the latest technology. I doubt if Constantine ever let her use a phone, let alone even get close to one.

Pulling my cell back to me, I ask her, “What’s the number? I’ll dial it for you.”

A relieved look is on Lina’s face as she recites the number on the piece of paper, which she holds tightly in her hands like a little lifeline. I know she’s going to be nervous to call Lauren’s grandmother, but I’m hopeful that the conversation goes well, not only for Lauren’s sake, but also for Lina. I can see the optimism in her eyes, and I don’t want anything to ruin that.

I hand the phone to Lina when it starts to ring, and she holds it up to ear, nervously gnawing on her bottom lip as she waits for an answer.

Someone on the other end finally picks up, and I hear a faint voice before Lina asks, “Is this Gloria?” A smile graces Lina’s beautiful face, and my own face mirrors her expression. “You don’t know me, but I know your granddaughter.” She pauses. “Yes, Lauren. I spoke with Lauren this afternoon, and she’s in the hospital —.”

I can hear the grandmother’s worried, erratic voice on the other end, and Lina pulls the phone away from her ear for a moment. After the grandmother calms down a bit, Lina continues. “Lauren would love to speak with you, maybe even see you.”

“We can arrange the meeting,” I whisper to her, and Lina relays my words to Gloria.

“Okay, great. I’ll be in touch. Yes, yes, I’ll call you first thing tomorrow,” she says with a wide grin. She hands the phone back to me, and I end the call.

“It sounds like it went well,” I tell her.

“Very well. I can’t wait to see the two of them reunited. I really think Lauren will be in much better spirits after she sees her grandmother.”

“I think so too.” Tucking my cell phone away in my pocket, I walk over to Lina and put my hands on her upper arms, gently squeezing. “You did good, Lina,” I tell her, mimicking the words she said to me just the other night. “No, fuck that. You did amazing today,” I say, which earns me an ear-splitting grin.

“Your mom mentioned me helping out with the paperwork for the women and trying to help them get reunited with their families. I think I would really like to do that,” she says while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“And I think you would be perfect for the job.” I can’t think of anything better for Selina to do. I really do think this is her calling in life, and she’s going to be amazing at it.

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