Her face no longer looked haggard and tired. I smiled and handed her some clothes from my wardrobe.
‘They may be a little big, but at least they’re clean,’ I said.
After lunch, I helped Alice get comfortable. She took a long hot shower, and when she came out of it in one of my dressing gowns, she looked like a new person.
Her face no longer looked so tired and haggard. I smiled and handed her some clothes from my wardrobe.
‘They might be a little loose, but at least they’re clean,’ I said.
‘You know, you don’t have to do that,’ Alice said.
‘I want to,’ I replied.
She nodded and then looked at me thoughtfully.
‘When was the last time someone did something kind for you?’
Her question caught me off guard. I didn’t know what to answer.
Alice chuckled and shook her head. ‘A long time ago, huh?’
I let out a small chuckle. ‘Yeah.’
After she changed her clothes, we sat down at the kitchen table with mugs of tea. The house was unusually quiet. It was strange to have company.
For the first time in years, I didn’t feel alone in my own home. More than that, I felt like I had finally done something right.
Hours later, the front door slammed – Carter was home.
Even before he spoke, his presence filled the room. When he saw Alice, he stopped dead in his tracks.
‘What the hell?’ His gaze darted between me and her. ‘Who is it?’
Alice slowly looked up, and in that moment something in Carter’s face changed. His usual confidence shook.
‘Mum?!’
I stared at both of them in confusion.
Carter’s shock lasted only a second before his face contorted with anger. His disbelief quickly turned to rage.
‘That woman is just a homeless stranger!’ – he snapped, pointing at Alice as if she was nothing. ‘She’s not staying here!’
Alice crossed her arms and watched him carefully. ‘Is that how you think of me now?’
‘You’re not my mother,’ Carter replied. ‘You stopped being my mother the day you decided to leave.’
Alice let out a dry, humourless chuckle.
‘Oh, Carter. Is that the story you’re telling? That I left? Maybe because you left me?’
‘You left me!’ shouted Carter. ‘You were selfish! You put your dreams before me!’
Alice sighed, shaking her head. ‘That’s the real problem, isn’t it?’
A heavy silence filled the room, but she wasn’t done yet.
‘I wanted a career. I wanted to make my own money. I wanted to be more than just a wife to a man who expected me to serve him. And you hated that. Your father hated it. You both wanted a woman who would keep quiet and obey.’
‘Father is dead. And you…you were a disgrace! You refused to be a real mother,’ Carter snarled.
‘No,’ Alice said firmly. ‘I refused to raise a son who thinks he can control a woman.’
Carter turned to me.
‘Evelyn, what were you thinking? Bring her to my house?’ demanded Carter.
‘To our house,’ I corrected, my voice becoming harsh.
He laughed coldly.
‘Yours? No, darling. As soon as we got married, this house became mine. I pay the bills. I make the rules. Now get out, both of you.’
Carter was losing control of himself, and he knew it.
I reached into my pocket, pulled out my house key, and without saying a word, tossed it on the floor in front of him.
‘The house is yours,’ I said. ‘But you don’t have a family anymore.’
For the first time in a long time, I felt no fear. I felt nothing at all.
Without waiting for Carter to answer, I turned away, grabbed my coat, and slipped some money into my pocket.
We stepped out onto the empty pavement, the cold air stinging my skin. I had no plan, no home, no idea where to go next.
‘Where to now?’ I asked.
Alice threw me a knowing look and gestured for me to follow her around the corner.
I hesitated for a moment-but what else could I do?
A sleek black Mercedes was parked by the curb under the streetlight. Alice reached into her coat pocket, pressed a button, and the car’s headlights flashed in response.
I stopped in place, trying to comprehend what I was seeing.
‘Alice…you stole a car?’ I asked, stunned.
Alice let out a deep, hilarious laugh.
‘Oh, honey. I just needed you to believe me.’
I crossed my arms, eyeing the car warily.
‘I’m going to need a little more information before I get into a possibly stolen car.’
Alice smirked and opened the driver’s side door. ‘That’s mine.’
‘Yours?’ I asked, surprised.
‘Yes. Registered, insured and parked legally – if that helps you relax,’ she said. ‘So, are you coming or would you rather sleep on the bus bench tonight?’
She didn’t say anything more until we pulled onto the road and the hum of the engine filled the silence.
The city lights blurred past, casting shadows on the dashboard. I stared out the window, waiting. Finally, I turned to her.
‘You said…you were homeless.’
‘I was. For a while. But I’m back on my feet.’
‘How? A few minutes ago you had nothing. And now you’re driving a Mercedes?’