"Now listen, I insist that you stay there. You’re just a kid, and you have nowhere to go. I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that you are staying at some homeless shelter. So you will be staying with us. And we’ll figure out the money thing later."

"But.."

"No buts, it settled. I’ll be in with your medicine shortly."

"Thanks."

Wow that was pretty cool of her to do that. She doesn’t even know me, for all she knows I could be psycho or something. I will make it up to Tina and her partner some day. All of a sudden it finally all hits me. I walked away from my life to start new and I almost died in the process. I start to cry, and soon I find myself no longer able to avoid sleep.

One week later:

I have been stuck in this hospital for three weeks now and all I want to do is have a beer and smoke. I went through the abortion, so I have to take it easy for a little while. Alice told me that I will be released some time tomorrow (not soon enough). I’ve been thinking about what to do for money now, I haven’t told anyone, but I had a good job that I can do anywhere in the U.S. But I just need to get my bearings for now. Maybe in a couple of weeks I’ll go to the Local IBEW hall and sign their book.

I talked to my dad a few days ago. I lied and said everything was fine, it would kill him to know what happened. He would be on the next flight out here to take me home. But that’s why I left, I needed to take a risk, to be scared and to loose it all. Yep, I did that and then some.

I met Bette, Tina’s partner, I can tell who’s the alpha in that one. Bette was very kind, intimidating, but kind. I think I now have a new mother figure in my life. Twenty-seven years old and I’m still being mothered.

Two days earilier:

"Shane I would like you to meet my partner, Bette."

I try to get up, but she insist I stay seated.

"Hi Bette, I’m Shane."

"It’s very nice to meet you Shane, Tina has told me everything she knows about you."

"Well there’s not really much to tell. I came out here on a whim. Took a chance and got screwed…literally."

"Well then lets get to know you. Where are you from? What’s your family like? Do you have someone special at home? What did you do for a living? You know things like that."

"OK, let’s see, I’m from the midwest accually, born and raised in a town on the Mississippi River not far from Chicago. I live your typical "American Dream" life. My parents are still married, living in the same house they have for thirty years. Mom’s a nurse and Dad works for John Deere. I have two sisters, and six nieces and nephews. I left my life when I came out here, they think that everything is fine, that I have a good job and I’m living out my own dreams."

"Why did you lie to them?"

"They worry about me enough as it is, I don’t want them to worry more. I was always a little fucked up, but they never understood why, hell I don’t even understand why."

"Well tell me about it then."

God she is just so easy to talk to.

"Alright, when I was fifteen, I ….

TBC