This section is from Maria's Perspective
The sun already hung low in the sky as we made our way to the cabins, and Ivan went into his house. Gator's heavy boots crunched over bits of gravel, carrying our bags with a surprising show of chivalry. I glanced over at Mrs. Allen, simmering in resentment as she walked close to Mr. Allen. Her lips twisted into a sneer, her eyes darting between her husband, her kids, and the nature surrounding us. It was clear that she wasn't happy about this arrangement.
Without warning, she boiled over. "I didn't agree to be your wife to live in a shit hole in the middle of butt fuck nowhere!" she snapped, her voice dripping with venom.
I sighed quietly, "Ma'am, please don't swear around my children," I said, raising my voice just enough to get her attention.
"Amber Allen," Mr. Allen spoke loudly, not even trying to hide his anger. "I told you over and over. Shut up. We are keeping the kids safe. I don't care if you are happy; I care if they are safe." I wasn't happy with my kids seeing this, but he didn't break my rules.
Gator smirked but said nothing. He seemed to know better than to get involved in family squabbles, even if he didn't know enough to hide his amusement and not stare.
As we walked up to the cabins, Mr. Allen turned to me, his face marred by stress. "Maria, can you take care of my children, please? They seem to be doing better with your kids than with me and..." He nodded towards his wife. The desperation in his voice tugged at my heartstrings.
"Of course, Mr. Allen," I agreed, offering him a small smile. Mrs. Allen scowled and fumed behind him, but she remained silent for now.
"You should take the bigger cabin, and we will take the smaller one," Mr. Allen suggested, clearly trying to make the best of our situation. I nodded, grateful for the offer. The kids would have more room to play and, hopefully, stay out of trouble.
Gator set our bags down on the porch of the larger cabin with a grunt. "I'll leave you to it," he said, giving me a nod before heading back toward his truck.
"Thank you, Gator," I murmured as he walked away. He'd been a good friend over the years. Strange and backward and racist. But a good friend nonetheless.
"Maria, we're even now, and you're welcome!" Gator said, grinning at me over his shoulder.
I called out, "You really are a good friend."
Gator waved a hand. "Don't say that too loud. Don't want to lose my street cred."
As Derrick, Mr. and Mrs. Allen walked toward the smaller cabin, I turned to face the daunting task ahead. Gabriela, Rosalina, and I began to haul our bags inside, struggling under their weight. Meanwhile, Sofia sat on the porch, happily occupying the Allen kids with her infectious laughter and animated storytelling.
"Are you sure this was the right choice?" Rosalina asked while we dropped our bags into an empty space in the living room. Her eyes were narrowed with concern I shared deep down. "I don't see this going well. I don't like being dependent on people. We also abandoned our home and friends. How are Tome and the others going to survive without a medic? I feel like a coward running away."
I sighed, staring out the window at the surrounding wilderness. It stood against the fading sky, dark shapes creating an eerie backdrop to the quiet scene unfolding around us. "I'm not sure, Rosa... But it feels more peaceful here than it does in the city."
Rosalina's gaze followed mine, taking in the foreboding landscape. She shivered, whether from fear or the encroaching evening chill; I couldn't tell. "Peaceful isn't always safe, Maria."
"True. But we didn't have much of a choice. This is about safety for the girls." My voice faltered, my fears threatening to consume me. I glanced over at Gabriela, her young face etched with worry. The weight of responsibility bore down on me like a heavy shroud. "By the grace of God Above."
"Let's make the best of it," Rosalina suggested in a hushed tone with a sigh, attempting to infuse some optimism into the situation. "We can work together and take care of each other. That's what family does."
As we prepared to settle into our new home, I wondered if we'd just traded one hell for another. Only time would tell if this choice would lead us to salvation or damnation. All I knew was that we were in this together, bound by blood, friendship, and circumstance, and we'd fight tooth and nail to survive.
God help anyone who tried to stand in our way.
I glanced at the tired faces of the children gathered on the porch, their eyes drooping but still wide with curiosity about our new surroundings. They seemed to not have a shred of fear in their faces.
"Are you guys ready for dinner?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light and cheerful despite the heaviness in my heart. The kids looked up and shook their heads sleepily.
"Not really, we are getting tired," Sofia mumbled, her eyes barely open.
I knelt down next to them, my hand resting gently on Sofia's shoulder. "I know, I know. But I can't make you a snack, so you should eat now and sleep after." A collective sigh emanated from the little ones, followed by a chorus of childish voices. "Okay!"
As we made our way toward Ivan's house, the Allen children held hands with Sofia while Rosalina, Gabriela, and I led the procession. I considered locking up the cabin, but without a key, it seemed pointless. Besides, there was nothing valuable left to steal.
Derrick appeared suddenly, walking quickly to catch up with us from the other cabin. His eyes were dark with irritation, and when he reached us, I couldn't help but ask, "Everything good?"
"Just the normal...you know," Derrick replied cryptically, his jaw clenched. "I'll see if I can get some food for them after."
I nodded, understanding that whatever conflict had occurred between Mr. and Mrs. Allen was best left unspoken for now. We continued our walk in silence.
As we neared the back of Ivan's house, I could smell the tantalizing scent of grilled meat, and my stomach growled involuntarily. The thought of sitting down to a meal with these strangers filled me with a sense of unease. Would they welcome us? Or would we always be outsiders in their eyes?
"Keep your guard up," I whispered to Rosalina as we approached the house. She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination, and nodded.
"Always," she replied quietly.
The atmosphere grew thicker as we approached the back of Ivan's house. The scent of wood smoke and grilled meat wafted through the air as the house grew dark and ominous in the twilight.
Behind the house, we found a glassed-in four-season porch and, next to it, a screened-in three-season porch with an outdoor kitchen. Inside the three-season porch, Ivan and an Asian-looking woman were cooking on a grill over wood illuminated by gas lamps. It felt strangely inviting.
I knocked softly on the screen door, not wanting to startle them.
"We came," I said hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Do you need help with anything?"
The woman smiled kindly and shook her head. "Not today. We're finishing up. I'm Tsu." She gestured toward the table in the four-season porch and continued, "You can sit down. Just have one or two people help carry the food."
I nodded my understanding and turned to Gabriela. "Why don't you and I help bring the food over?"
Together, we stepped into the three-season porch, our eyes adjusting to the brighter light of the gas lamp, and waited for the meat to finish grilling. In addition to the sizzling cuts of meat, there was a stack of flatbreads nearby, their scent mingling temptingly with the aroma of the slowly cooking meat.
As Ivan finished grilling, he looked over at us and asked, "What do I call you?"
"My name is Maria," I said, trying to sound confident. "This is Gabriela, my daughter."
Tsu glanced over at Sofia, who was babbling happily with the Allen children. "I take it the redheads aren't your kids?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm the nanny for the Allens. I'm taking care of their children."
"Ah," Tsu said, her eyes flicking between me and the Allens' children. "That's the other two, right? I take it they aren't coming for dinner?"
Derrick, who had been standing just outside the four-season porch, spoke up. "No, do you mind if I get some food for them as well?"
Tsu and Ivan exchanged a look that sent a shiver down my spine, but then they both nodded in agreement. "Sure."
I watched as Ivan plated the grilled meat onto two baking sheets, the aroma filling the air and making my stomach grumble. Gabriela and I each took a sheet and carried them to the table while Tsu brought the stack of flatbreads.
"We don't have drinks in the house today, just some tea," Ivan said.
As we settled down to start eating, Ivan introduced himself and Tsu. "I'm Ivan, and this is Tsu. Can everyone introduce themselves?" he asked, looking around at us expectantly.
Derrick, sitting across from me, cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm Derrick, bodyguard to Mr. Allen." His voice was steady, but I could see the weariness in his eyes.
Next to him, Rosalina spoke up softly. "I'm Rosalina, Maria's sister. I work as a nurse."
Tsu's eyes lit up, and she sat up straighter in her chair. "Oh, so am I! I do administrative and PA work. You?"
"I'm a charge nurse in the ER trauma department," Rosalina responded, her voice quiet but firm.
"Wow, that's a tough job," Tsu said, narrowing her eyes slightly. I looked back and forth between Rosalina and Tsu, trying to gauge the emotions playing out between them.
Rosalina simply nodded, her gaze falling back to her plate. There was a heaviness in the air, an unspoken tension that seemed to settle over us. I wonder what was going through Rosalina's mind – did she feel threatened by Tsu? Or was it something else?
My thoughts were interrupted by Sofia's laughter as she chatted with the Allen children, their plates already heaped with food. I tried to push my worries aside, focusing instead on the moment at hand.
"Let's eat," I said, trying to inject some lightness into my voice.
Ivan's face grew serious as he broke the silent eating. "What brought you out here?" He asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
I glanced at Derrick and shook my head. "Ivan, I'm sorry, but that's a conversation for grown-ups. I would love to answer that without the little teacups around." I kept my tone light, hoping not to worry the kids, but I still wanted to communicate my intent to Ivan.
He glanced at the kids and then quickly back at me, his eyes wide with fear and panic. My words had triggered something in him, and he understood my meaning. I noticed his breathing speeding up and saw the muscles in his jaw clenching.
Tsu looked at him with concern, put a hand on his shoulder, and rubbed it gently. As if on cue, Ivan seemed to calm down, his breathing returning to normal, the lines on his face softening. "I see," he whispered, nodding slowly.
We continued eating in silence for a few minutes, with just the sound of silverware against plates and the occasional whisper from Sofia and the Allen children as they chatted about kid stuff.
Finally, Tsu spoke again, her smile bright and warm. "Here, it's better. It's more peaceful. We haven't had any issues like what you went through."
Emma, Mr. Allen's elder daughter, loudly whispered to Sofia, not quite understanding the concept of keeping her voice down. "What did we go through?"