That left Tina awake and alone, and nervous. What was she supposed to do? Camp outside Shane’s door? Search the girl’s pockets?

The tour of the living room, the normalcy there, helped to calm her. As for the rest, she remembered a friend from college who worked in social services. Maybe a quick call to her would help.

It wasn’t long after noon that she heard a rustling in the house. Tina came in off the patio, where she had settled to work through some of the work she’d brought home, and heard Shane’s footsteps in the hallway.

"Good morning." Tina half-shouted the words down the hallway. She didn’t want Shane to be startled by her presence, but she also didn’t want the young woman to think she was alone.

Shane, eventually, stumbled out to the living room. She was dressed in the clothes from the previous night. Tina chastised herself for not offering to wash them. Then again, there wasn’t much night left by the time the two of them had arrived at the house.

"Coffee?" Shane half-croaked.

"Would you like anything in it?" Tina grabbed a mug and filled it for her guest.

"Coffee," Shane repeated, seating herself at the table.

Tina sat the mug in front of the younger woman and watched in awe as she downed the very rich very hot coffee in just a few healthy gulps. "Would you like something to go with that? Cereal? Eggs? Sandwich?"

Shane rubbed at her face. "I don’t think so." She held up her mug. "Any more?"

While it had take three cups of coffee, Shane seemed to be waking up, finally. At least enough to talk a little.

"So, your plan now?" Tina wasn’t sure how to exactly address what she wanted to say.

"Plan?"

"How do you intend to spend the rest of your day?" Tina clarified. And then, as the young woman stiffened, Tina wondered if that made it sound like she was being kicked out.

"I don’t really have a plan," Shane responded.

At this point Tina knew it would be easier if she did just ask Shane to leave, regardless of anything that might leave with her. But there was something lurking just under the surface of this young woman that made Tina feel compelled to reach out.