Page 69 of Saving Kate

She cries again into her hands before turning and wrapping her arms around me. “Thank you, Katelyn.”

I hug her back carefully, not knowing the extent of her injuries, and when she pulls back from me she lays her head on the pillow. I stand up and immediately find a younger woman with a baby on her hip nervously eyeing me.

“Do you… would you mind…” she asks, glancing at my phone. “Can you show me how to do that?”

I nod and follow her over to the toy area where the woman, I assume to be Asher’s sister, takes the baby while I help the newwoman apply for benefits. I help her apply for WIC as well and when I finish the application for her she cries and hugs me.

“You must be, Katelyn,” the blonde woman says once the young mom and her baby leave the toy area. “I’m Jayla.”

I help Jayla sanitize and put away toys and nod to her. “You must be Asher’s sister.”

She chuckles. “What gave it away?”

“You have the same eyes.”

She smiles at me and glances around the room. “I hadn’t ever thought to help them with applications. I just assumed they knew how…” she sighs. “Thank you.”

“It feels minimal, but hopefully it helps some of them.”

Jayla nods. “A lot of them deal with financial abuse along with physical and mental abuse. Some even sexual. They don’t know how to survive on their own because their partners have made it that way without them even realizing it.”

“It’s horrible. I’m glad they all have a safe place to sleep tonight.”

Jayla nods as I feel a shadow linger over me.

“Lights out for the night,” Ax says and I glance up at him. “Thank you for coming out, Jayla.”

Jayla nods as she says goodbye and heads out.

“Eli had some issue with someone’s security system to handle and left already. I’m bringing you home.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

I follow Ax out to his car, saying goodbye to Red at the front as he locks the shelter doors behind us.

“Does he stay there all night?” I ask as we climb into Ax’s SUV.

“Someone will be by in a bit to relieve him. Someone’s always there though.”

I don’t have to ask why.

“What were you doing with those two women with your phone? We don’t like them reaching out to their husbands.”

I glare at him. “James Axel, do you really think—”

“No, I don't think you’d do that. That’s why I’m asking what you were doing.”

I give him one more glare before breathing out the anger. “I helped them apply for state aid. Their case workers should be calling the shelter in the morning to verify information and finish the process.”

Ax eyes me, and for a minute I think I’ve done something wrong. We pull into the driveway but he just sits there silently, staring out the windshield

“If they have help with rent and food they might not—” I start to explain but he shakes his head.

“It was a good idea. Thank you, Katie.”

He shuts off the car but I stop him. “Why do you call me that when you know I hate it?”

“Why do you hate it?”

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