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4
April gave way to May and the days continued to pass. The
restaurant got steadily busier and the stash of money in Katie’s
coffee can grew reassuringly thick. Katie no longer panicked at the
thought that she lacked the means to leave this place if she had to.
Even after paying her rent and utilities, along with food, she had
extra money for the first time in years. Not a lot, but enough to
make her feel light and free. On Friday morning, she stopped at
Anna Jean’s, a thrift shop that specialized in secondhand clothes.
It took most of the morning to sift through all the clothing, but in
the end, she bought two pairs of shoes, a couple of pairs of pants,
shorts, three stylish T-shirts, and a few blouses, most of which
were name brands of one sort or another and looked almost new.
It amazed Katie to think that some women had so many nice
clothes that they could donate what would probably cost a small
fortune in a department store.
Jo was hanging a wind chime when Katie got home. Since that
first meeting, they hadn’t talked much. Jo’s job, whatever it was,
seemed to keep her busy and Katie was working as many shifts as
she could. At night, she’d notice that Jo’s lights were on, but it was
too late for her to drop by, and Jo hadn’t been there the previous
weekend.
“Long time, no talk,” Jo said with a wave. She tapped the wind
chime, making it ding before crossing the yard.
Katie reached the porch and put the bags down. “Where’ve you
been?”
Jo shrugged. “You know how it goes. Late nights, early mornings,
going here and there. Half the time, I feel like I’m being pulled in
every direction.” She motioned to the rockers. “You mind? I need