DaySleeper

Alice, Avid, and I all sit outside on the porch, playing cards until the meeting is about to start.

“Alice, honey, time for you to go home,” Maggie says, having just arrived. Alice hmphs, and asks me to walk her to the intersection. I nod and stand up, glancing at Avid. He smiles, and I feel nervousness beat in my chest. What is this meeting about? Alice and I go down the steps and turn to the right. The intersection is less than twenty feet away, but I walk her anyways.

“Nervous?” she asks me.

“Yeah,” I say.

“Why?”

“I’m just worried that I’ll have to go out and find something other than the shelter, you know?”

“Eventually you will.”

“Alice,” I say, catching her arm. She turns and looks at me. “Are you coming back?”

“No,” she says, “I have a place to stay and a job. I can’t. Someone else needs my bed.” I hug her tightly.

“It won’t be the same without you,” I whisper.

“I’ll still visit,” she assures me. I smile sadly. “Don’t be sad, Cade,” she urges, “I am happy. I am finally out on my own. This is what the shelter is for, to push people back into the real world.”

“I know,” I mumble, hugging her again, “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” she agrees, “and don’t worry, okay? They love you. They’re not going to kick you out.”

~~
The meeting is being held in the kitchen, at the dinner table. Ethel sits at the head of one side of the table, with Maggie at the other. Jade, Avid and I sit on one side, and Matt and Greg sit on the other. It’s sort of really cramped, but we keep our complaining to a minimum to bring a bit of seriousness to the affair. We never can take anything seriously, so I guess we figured, collectively, that this might be a really good time to start, at the first and only real assembly we have ever had.

Maggie and Ethel give each other a meaningful look. They’ve been doing it all day. Maggie glances at me, and I feel a spike of nervousness.

“I spoke with Mrs. Howan today,” says Maggie. I feel myself grow confused, as apparently do we all, as Ethel sighs.

“Mrs. Howan is the owner of the shelter,” she says.

“I thought Maggie owned it…” Greg says. I knew Maggie didn’t own it, but I just didn’t really know who did. I can’t even remember her face.

“No,” Maggie says, “Mrs. Howan lives out of state, and has Ethel and me here to run it for her. She comes in for a week or so every month. I know you’ve met her, Cadence, but I am not sure about anyone other than Ethel, you, and me.”

I recall the uncomfortable meeting in her outdated office, where she and Maggie were telling me that if I didn’t gain weight and act normal, they’d be forced to kick me out of the shelter entirely. I’d prefer not to think about it.

“Briefly,” I say clearly, masking the tightness in my chest. Avid holds my hand under the table. I smile at him. Maggie must have told him about that meeting while I was gone or something. Otherwise, he’s just being strangely sweet.

Maggie smiles a bit sadly. I smile normally and try to convince her that I don’t remember why I met her.

“So, you spoke with her…” Avid prompts. I squeeze his hand. He squeezes back.

“Oh, yeah,” Maggie says, “I spoke with her today about future arrangements for you all.”

Everyone glances nervously at me. Avid’s hand feels warm against my cold fingers. I remind myself that at this point, if I am not staying on as full time help here, it would be inappropriate for me to live at the shelter, since I am not really suffering the effects of domestic abuse. I don’t know where I’d go. I think briefly of going back to live with James and Rebecca, and I glance at Avid. I don’t know if I could do that. He smiles at me.

No. There’s no way in hell I could do that.

“Greg, Matt, and Jade,” Maggie says, “You’ve all told me you’re moving out?”

They all nod and say something affirming her statement.

“I can still help out sometimes though,” Jade says, “I am staying in the city.”

“We’ll definitely give you a call. We always need help. Greg? Matt?”

“Moving to a different city. Sorry.” Matt says.

“Me too,” Greg says, “But if I ever come back permanently, I’ll be here to help too.”

“Me too,” Matt says.

“Copy-cat,” Greg murmurs. Matt punches him in the shoulder.

“Boys,” Ethel says. They stop and Matt crosses his arms dramatically. Greg wears a self satisfied look on his face.

“I’ll still be here,” Jade says, “So I win.”

Jade and Ethel exchange a smile. Greg looks pissed that she didn’t get scolded. They’re all acting like siblings, and like Ethel is their mother.

I hadn’t noticed until now how motherly Ethel was to us all. I think she’s really attached to us. I’m glad.

“Avid, what’s your plan?” Maggie asks.

“I am willing to sign another six-monther, if you still want me on,” he offers.

“Six-monther?” Jade asks. I’m glad she did. I didn’t know what it was either.

“Contract to work in the shelter for six months, without pay, in return for living here, rent-free.” Maggie says.

“But you went and visited your mom—” I begin.

“My six-monther had just ended. I signed a new one for when I got back, and it’s up now too,” he replies. I nod.

“How many have you had?” Greg asks.

“This will be my fifth.”

Jade whistles approvingly.

“We would of course love to keep you.” Ethel says. I smile at him, squeezing his hand gently. He smiles back at me widely.

“Are you and Ethel still staying on?” Greg asks.

“Yes,” they both say.

“I am going back to nursing, and Ethel is going back to being the receptionist for the shelter. But I am moving out,” Maggie says.

“How long have you been working here?” Matt asks Ethel. She glares. I glare too. My insides are doing flip flops and cartwheels and somersaults and I just want to know if I am homeless or not, and everyone keeps dragging this out.

“Since I was 34, thirty years ago,” Ethel replies.

“Wow,” is all Jade says.

“Moving on,” Ethel encourages. Maggie laughs and then smiles at Ethel.

“They’re planning something,” Jade whispers loudly.

“Shush, child,” Maggie says.

“Cadence,” Ethel says, and I swear my heart is in my butt.

“Yes?”

“Mrs. Howan wants you to stay on and sign a six-monther,” Maggie says. Avid is holding my hand very tightly.

“And if you don’t,” Ethel says, “I’ll make a fool of myself and cry my eyes out, right here, right now, in front of everybody.”

“Don’t shame an old woman,” Maggie teases. I laugh, and open my mouth to respond. “But really, if you don’t stay on, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself.”

“Maggie,” I say, stopping her from continuing, “Of course I will. I’d love to.”

“He was worried all day he’d be sent packing,” Avid says.

“We were worried all day that you’d say no!” Ethel cries.

“I wasn’t,” Maggie says dramatically, “Ethel was.”

“You almost cried!” Ethel accuses.

“Oh, Maggie!” I laugh.

“Well, you did cry!” Maggie shoots back.

“Well, you’re crying right now!”

“So are you!”

“Shut up!” Jade yells. Avid and I are laughing very hard.

“You two, I swear,” Maggie warns us. I try to stop laughing at her as she cries, but Avid calms for a second, and then giggles, and that sets me off again.

“Don’t make fun of us!” Ethel cries.

“I’m not! I’m sorry! But how could you think I’d say no?” I ask.

“How could you think we wouldn’t offer?” Maggie asks.

“Looking back,” I say slowly. “I don’t know,” I admit.