Home, bittersweet home [Amaranthine and Sigr]

[Sigr]

The few people that were around the streets avoided the small, ragged figure, all in a hurry to go home and find shelter from the rain, sparing barely a thought or a glance at her. The cold drops were biting into her skin, drenching her tattered clothes, as her mind felt trapped, her voice muted, no solution in sight. She had tried to indulge herself here and there, excuses like the drama club of the school, Halloween parties where no one cared, but it wasn't nearly enough. In the end she had been caught at home, called names, roughly handled, injured and kicked out. Now she saw no exit, no light at the end of the tunnel for her, cornered without options but cease to be since no one cared about her.

No. Someone did, someone always did.

Her favorite teacher had always been there, and with that big heart of hers she always tried to be at her best for her students. She wouldn't be her teacher for long, as under that summer storm she realized that what remained of her last high school term were just the formalities. The soaked figure was walking aimlessly, or so she thought, not even avoiding the puddles or caring about the rain that enveloped her. She couldn't really impose her troubles into her teacher, right? She didn't even know her, not really, as she didn't dare to share everything with her. No, she couldn't really depend on her, and yet her footsteps had taken her directly to her door, finding momentary refuge in there. She had never been inside, but it wasn't that far from her home, what was her home before that night, so she had seen her teacher entering the house more than once.

Desperate, she knocked at the door, with no other choices that to seek help from her or just give up. If the teacher opened the door, she would find a truly sorry sight awaiting for her there. Muddled black platform boots covered the end of a couple of thin legs that were clad in torn chess patterned tights. A steel grey ballet skirt wasn't in better shape, but at least still covered more than the minimum needed to keep her decency. A torn Ramones shirt showed her bruised midriff, while a black leather jacket was the only thing covering her that had resisted the manhandling unscathed. Long black hair appeared stuck to her head, drenched by the rain, as runny makeup traced ashy lines along her face, framing her wavering green eyes. The red of blood and lipstick smudged together in a trembling, split lower lip as she hugged herself the cold and fear away to no avail.

She could seem unknown at first sight, but soon the teacher would see what the student didn't want anyone to see and yet where her only hope lied. Under all that rain, shredded clothes, blurred makeup and light injuries was Stephen Bellamy, one of her students.

 

[Amaranthine]

Dreary Saturday nights were perfect to be spent at home, with a plentiful amount of candles on the coffee table, shelving and window sills being the only source of illumination around the spacious living room, the television droning some drama in the background and the windows perched open just enough for the soothing, relaxed patter of the raindrops against nearby asphalt providing ambiance. Aurora James had her glasses perched along the bridge of her nose as she leaned back on the reclining seat of her sofa with her legs loosely bent at the knees, supporting the base of the book that she had immersed herself in. Given that it was one of her few days off, the young woman of twenty-four was dressed down: her long, dark hair pulled in to a loose bun, a tank top lacking a bra beneath it and given the heat of the summer's night loose cotton shorts rather than pants. It was... more intimate than she would have preferred anyone to see.

Had an interruption not come, she likely would have stayed like that for hours until her husband came home, working most weekends while her teaching job generally occupied throughout the week. At first her suspicion was that her husband had come home early and locked himself out - which merely made her deep brown eyes roll. Of course he would forget his keys again - it wasn't the first time nor the tenth, and it was an action that earned her lover since her teenage years a gentle, teasing chiding. At seven years together, their relationship starting at the tender age of seventeen, both of their stoic exteriors had broken down for each other. Despite all of that, the pair still had a deep, intimate yearning and above all of that they were comfortable with each other - something that perhaps she took advantage of at times.

With a sigh she closed her book and left it on the coffee table, fully prepared to have to come up with a teasing quip in the next twenty seconds as she made her way at a slow, casual pace towards her front door. Given that she thought it was simply her husband, she of course did not rush the trip - if he didn't want to wait in the rain then he could learn to remember his keys next time. After unlocking the door she pulled it open, and started to talk before she even took a moment to realize what was going on outside her door. "Really? Again? I'm going to need to get you a- oh."

Rory's heart sunk in her chest as she finally took in the fact that this was not her man outside the door. Was that...? No - no it couldn't be. It was, though - the distinctive face of Stephen Bellamy donning bruises and female attire. Her heart sunk in her chest as she realized almost immediately after that she had to be gentle right now. "Stephen? What happened to you?" Her words were rushed, worry obvious in her tone and the way she pushed the door farther open to make a bit of space. Though in that second she was yet to express an invitation to enter, she was about to after a moment's notice.

 

[Sigr]

It was quite a shock to see Ms. James in anything that wasn't a professional looking attire, specially if it was one as skimpy as that heat induced one she was wearing, but the surprise lingered only so long in a mind that had dozens of other more immediate and important concerns. She had recognized her student, calling her by a name she didn't want to hear anymore, but that could also wait. Green eyes looked scared, left and right, and the sorry figure walked in almost uninvited, as the specific words allowing her in were about to be uttered but they yet weren't. Shivering in fear more than in cold, the student didn't dare to trespass any further than the lobby, dripping wet there, a small puddle forming under her black boots.

"I- I have been-" the student's voice trembled as much as her body, her face going from a sad, scared shock to a painful wince as the talking made her feel her split lip even more. "I kept it a secret for long, but I've been feeling braver lately, how stupid I was..." she blurted, her green eyes scanning the house as far as she could, making sure that they were alone. "He came earlier than I thought, drunk..." what happened started to sink in, slowly but surely, adding to the feeling of vertigo she felt. "He hit me, my father... he threw me awa-" the student's face grew even paler, a hand clutching her bruised midriff, the other on top of her mouth without touching it. "Bath-" she tried to ask for, but without even finishing the sentence she rushed deeper into the house.

Luckily finding the toilet soon enough, she retched on the toilet, nothing more than water and drool, just an effect of panic and not a physical stomachache by itself, beyond the couple punches she had received that is. "I'm sorry, but I didn't know where else to go..." she said, managing to get up from the floor, washing her face on the sink, dragging away tears, makeup and blood. "I... I don't have anywhere else to go..." she announced, realizing it wholly for the first time. She couldn't go back home, she didn't have a home to go back to, not with her father there. And she lacked an extended family to resort to, nor could she really do much else being already a legal adult. "I don't have..." she repeated, her legs faltering, sitting on the now closed toilet seat, eyes lost in the distance.

 

[Amaranthine]

Fuck - she should have moved quicker, stepped to the side quicker, offered the shaking, soaking figure of one of her pupils respite in to her abode quicker. There was a lot to take in however, from the drastically different appearance of someone she thought she knew, something that told Rory she needed to handle this very sensitively, to the desperate pleas and bruises that spattered his (or her, as it seemed that Rory was going to have to take a moment to adjust her view of things in order to properly handle what was going on) skin.

"Come in, come in-" Aurora urged the young woman in to her home and seemingly just in time, her hand brushing over the shoulder blade of her current guest just as the girl ran past her, rushing towards the bathroom. Luckily, the bathroom was pretty close and just off of the living area, so that was not a hard find. Aurora moved slower, though - ran her hand through the pulled-back strands of her hair and closed the door, took a deep breath and made her way towards the bathroom door. She stood outside, not invading the girl's space while still making her concern clear.

No where to go - that statement hit hard, like a knife to the gut. "It's okay," she said, though she knew full well that nothing about this was okay. "You're safe here. You will be okay here."

She wanted to move in, to hover like a mother duck and wipe the tears from the girl's cheek with her own thumb, but with the sensitive situation at hand she didn't dare to. Instead she moved in to the bathroom and kept a degree of space between them even as Stephen's (who she knew she probably shouldn't have thought of by that name, but it wasn't like she had another option) eyes went glassy. Instead she kept herself at the sink, soft-featured and hopefully coming off as gentle. "Hey, we should get you something to change in to. You're... about my husband's size, I'm sure we have some extra clean pajamas. You can sleep on the couch, and you don't have to worry about figuring anything out tonight."

 

[Sigr]

It sounded ridiculous, outlandish, impossible. Nothing was okay, nothing would ever be okay, and yet she raised her eyes to meet the teacher's brown ones. She didn't see exact truth of belief on them, as it seemed that even the teacher wouldn't believe it, but there was a warmth on them that drew the student in. Aurora hoped, or so did she understand it, specially as she listened to her say she would be safe. She wasn't feeling specially hopeful herself, so she wouldn't budge from her awkward sitting in the toilet, but it was nice that despite the surprise her teacher wasn't just going to kick her away in the middle of the night. Maybe she could say something more, but what? Words choked on her throat, her hands shaking slightly on top of her knees, but it was Aurora once more the one that broke the silence.

"Change... yes" she nodded compliant, realizing that her looks were strange. "Your husband's... of course" the student accepted the help, but the sad tone on her voice had a bitter tint to it. Of course she would offer her husband's pajamas, what else? At least that would be less awkward that her wearing her teacher's clothes, right? Specially if they didn't fit. She sighed, too battered to really offer much of a conversation, but she managed to get up from the toilet, grunting and wincing, her whole body aching. Yeah, even without the extra height from her boots they were different enough for her teacher's clothes to be an awkward fit anyways. "Can I use the shower?" the student asked, as she was yet drenched from not only the rain, but her clothes also reeked of the cheap beer her father had poured on her.

The last thing she wanted was to abuse Aurora's hospitality, but she couldn't really get changed as she was without getting cleaned first, not to mention that maybe that could help with how horrible and dejected she felt, even if just a bit. Water wouldn't erase the bruises or the cut on her lip, but being able to make that beer stench fade away would help getting some distance from the man that beat her. It would be awkward surrendering her clothes, so different from what she wore to school, not to mention the underwear, but that was a small prize her clobbered pride could handle for a night of refuge, of rest. What would happen the next day? She didn't even want to think about.

 

[Amaranthine]

How could she possibly refuse such a simple request, especially given the state that the girl was in. She was beaten and stinking of beer, likely wanting to wash all the hardship from her bones. "Of course," Aurora said in that soft tone of hers that she saved for the intimate moments when she talked students out of break downs but somehow even lighter. She wanted to soothe, to calm - even just to be able to hug the person in her bathroom. Whether she was at the school or in her own home she still had to be aware of boundaries, though. Perhaps once her visitor had cleaned up and gotten in to fresh clothes they would be able to talk - though perhaps it would be best to wait until morning. For now they didn't need to figure anything out immediately, like she had said earlier.

"If I could I'd offer you something of my own, but you're a bit bigger than me." Now, Rory could sense her student's disdain at being offered male clothing, but she was rather small even for a cisgendered woman so it would not come as a surprise that her own clothes wouldn't fit. She was lean bodied and naturally thin, paired with the fact that she didn't even graze 5'5". "I'll grab something for you and then you can get started. Want some tea for when you're done? Coffee? I don't mind making some and I was going to anyways... or if you'd just rather some quiet, that's okay as well." She was trying to be hospitable, of course - though this was not the girl's home for tonight at least it could feel that way.

 

[Sigr]

"I- I get it..." the student mumbled apologetic, without much strength or presence of mind to rise her hands in a friendly gesture. She was thin as well, and her figure was straighter than the teacher's, without much to brag on the curve department, but it was true that she was taller than Aurora. Around 5'7", the boots made her look even taller, so it would be weird to swap clothes. There was also the fact that the idea of wearing your teacher's clothes was incredibly awkward, so even if they shared sizes it would feel odd, although maybe not as odd as dressing with her husband's clothes. Either way, there was no good solution to their predicament, and clothing was a minor issue given what happened, but still bothered her in ways she couldn't quite understand completely. Of course, she had been caught in a moment of true self expression, beaten and berated by it, so...

"The boots and the jacket are fine" she said, "I'd like to keep them" added, as not only had she picked them but also were almost a uniform of sorts, the sole survivors of her greatest struggle so far in her new path. No, she had survived as well, he had to. Slowly she peeled the wet jacket and left it aside, stepping down from the boots and losing a couple inches of height. "The rest it's... garbage" she said, awaiting until she was alone in the bathroom and Aurora had brought the clothes before undressing. "I'm guessing a light tea, I don't think my stomach can handle anything else" she said, shifting a bit, unable to cover the bruises. "Thanks" she finally managed to utter, a first but not the last, feeling a bit embarrassed that she hadn't thanked her teacher yet.

Once she got the clothes ready and the bathroom free, the student peeled her tattered, drenched and stinky clothes while the running water started to get heated, slowly clouding the room. She barely recognized the reflection on the mirror, the split lip, the muddled makeup, nor did she completely want to feel portrayed by it. She wanted to be her true self, but as things were, she had to settle with at least stop being a victim. The final piece of garment, some simple steel grey panties where promptly removed and thrown into the pile of clothes, an embarrassing, stained lump of shame. The warm water, almost hot enough to be uncomfortable sent stings along her body as she stepped in, but it was pleasant being able to feel something other than that empty void, something cleansing, renewing.

Deafened by the shower and the bathroom door, the student didn't hear the front one opening, as the husband stepped home back from the job, looking around with his clear blue eyes. Richard James was a handsome lean man, specially when he did his best to look dignified and in control, but who entered through the door was a more homely version of himself. Slouching a bit, the architect showed that he had a tough day in the studio, his relaxed and tired posture diminishing the effect of his 5'9" height. The disheveled clothes had lost their fancy and serious appeal, and judging by how messed his somewhat short, dirty blonde hair looked, it was clear that he had brushed through it with his fingers in frustration, a habit that was hard to break.

"Hi Rory" Richard said lovingly, as even a bad day couldn't hide the love he felt for his wife. Even if he wasn't afraid to share any troubles that crossed his mind and never shied away from communicating with Aurora, he wasn't one to let work issues drag his private life. Dealing with the work issues at home was what costed his father his marriage and he had learned that lesson while young. Just a look at Aurora coupled by the shower noise were enough for Richard to know that something was odd that night, and even if many people would have jumped to the worst conclusion possible, Richard's faith on Aurora was absolute, so there had to be something else going on. "Aurora?" he just wondered after bridging the distance and greeting her with a peck on the lips, not knowing how exactly ask her what was going on.

 

[Amaranthine]

Hell - even if it would have been weird, Rory would have offered the clothes off her own back to her student had she needed to (and been able to, of course). She cared little for the norms of things as long as she could try to find a solution where everything was okay. She'd always been that way, compassionate nearly to a fault - a maternal drive to care for others that more than once had resulted in her putting herself in a bad spot for the betterment of others. This, hopefully, would not be another of those cases. This looked like someone who needed a hand - and a person that would throw their beaten child in to the rain (which... was the impression that Aurora was getting so far?) likely would not come looking for them. Just in case she would keep her eye out, though - be prepared to have to call the police.

Aurora stood in the kitchen, her deep brown eyes focused on getting a cup ready for tea once the kettle finished boiling, when her front door opened - it took nothing for her to realize who it was. Rich - now this would be interesting. He would hear the shower running more likely than not and she would have to explain what was going on. Worry consumed her as she flitted back towards the entryway, preparing to have to tell him that she had not, in fact, taken up a new relationship and this was one of her students trying to find a safe place. They loved each other dearly, though - and while she prayed he would not jump to upset and assume the worst, that she'd gone behind his back, Aurora was actually fairly confident that the love of her life would be understanding.

"It's not what it looks like," she assured in a soft, calming tone as she met him, thumb instantly meeting his cheek in a soft caress. As she climbed to her toes she pressed a soft kiss to her lover's mouth, and only when she pulled away did she allow him to see the concern dripping in her eyes. "We have to have a little talk, babe. One of my old students showed up about fifteen minutes ago, beaten up. In girls' clothes. I'm letting him... her... shower right now to get cleaned up because it looked pretty bad, but she says that she has nowhere to stay. I want to offer 'em the couch for a little bit. What do you think?

 

[Sigr]

Richard managed to hide a small smile as Aurora said that it wasn't what it looked like, leaning into her caressing thumb. His right hand supported her lower back as she tiptoed for a kiss, Richard promptly inclining into it. Richard noticed the obvious worry in her eyes, so he guided her to the couch as she started to explain, sitting down so they could talk calmly. Even if his eyes betrayed his worries, Richard nodded to Aurora's every word, slowly taking in the situation. "So he- sorry, she has nowhere to stay... and you said she was beaten up" he commented. "I'm guessing that she had some family trouble? Did you call the police?" he wondered, wanting to know if the cops were about to knock at the door. "I think that it's the least we can do for now" Richard said, absentmindedly playing with Aurora's hair. "You have a huge heart Rory, that's one of the things I love about you" he added, hugging his wife close. "She can stay, we'll help her getting back on her feet" he nodded.

In the meantime, the student had finished under the hot water, the warmth returning some life to her limbs, some heat to her soul, but the relief was nothing but temporary as she had to get out, and get ready. She dried her body with a big towel, wincing every time she brushed over any stricken tender parts or others she didn't like seeing on herself. Wanting to dispose of her battered clothes, she soon donned the slightly bigger ones that Aurora had lend her, looking a bit like a boy in his father's clothing, as they were slightly bigger than he needed. She tied her hair up with a borrowed up scrunchie she found in the bathroom, guessing that her teacher wouldn't mind. Getting out, the student put a face to her teacher's husband and explained the distant mumbling she had been hearing, seeing that the height difference easily explained how his clothes were on her.

Seeing that the student was unsure how to proceed, Richard got up from the couch and approached her to offer a hand shake, noticing that her eyes had wavered for a moment, as she feared the stranger's sudden approach. "Ah, sorry, I'm Aurora's husband, Richard, and we'll do everything that it's in our hand to help you, right?" he said, wanting to overcompensate, feeling terrible for having startled her. "I'm... Ste-" he said, looking at Aurora as she was about to introduce herself with the name she hated. Not only it didn't represent who she was, but it was also one imposed by the father that had just beaten her. She heavily sighed, making the loose clothes flutter a bit on her lean figure. Mustering all the courage she had left, her green eyes stared at the gentle couple before talking.

"I'm Sophia, thank you for helping me" she said, her eyes starting to wet.

 

[Amaranthine]

Aurora was infinitely grateful for her husband - every day he proved that she had made the right choice in loving him and marrying him. His compassion matched her own, even if he came off more reserved when outside of the home or around others. There had been little doubt in her mind that Rich would be understanding - she was more worried about how the battered girl would react to having a man unfamiliar to her around when she stepped out of the shower. As the water shut off in the background she held her beloved's hand, and once the young adult walked out everyone became aware of each other.

Rich handled things gracefully - as much so as he could - and for that Rory once again found herself grateful. Perhaps he wasn't going above and beyond, not to her her standards at least, but she always found appreciation in the little things. In hopes of making sure that "Stephen" (as she was yet to find out the young woman's chosen name yet) would be as comfortable as possible, Rory had stood at her husband's side. Everything about her read as approachable, maternal and gentle - she didn't have a mean bone in her body, and she needed this person to feel as safe as possible in her home. Perhaps many might not have felt that way, but to Rory it was the least that she could do.

Sophia - she had kept the leading "s", and perhaps chosen one of the most beautiful women's names that Aurora knew of. In fact, she found it to be such a lovely name that she had once considered naming a theoretical unborn child that in the past. "You don't need to thank us, Sophia," Aurora said with that same sweet, soft smile plastered on her lips. "We're happy to help - and I did make you some tea while you were in the shower. Do you want that, or would you prefer to have some time to yourself? We can always talk in the morning."

 

[Sigr]

"A pleasure, I wish it was in another circumstances" was all that Richard felt fit to say, still wrapping his head around the idea. With his clothes on, ill fitting as they could be, he had one of his wife's students, her long black hair tied up with one of Aurora's scrunchies, the whole image slightly surreal. Of course, if Richard was feeling disoriented and awkward, he could only start to imagine how it felt for that poor girl.

Sophia in the meantime, was drying her somewhat teary eyes with the long sleeves of the borrowed clothes, feeling like a small weight had been removed from her shoulders, yet it was just a step. "Ah!" her green eyes opened wide, looking at Aurora in disbelief, unknowingly taking a step towards her. "Say it again" she just blurted, realizing how weird it could sound. "Please, say it again" she pleaded.

"Sophia" Richard echoed, picking up on what she meant, glad that Aurora had said it out loud, something that Richard haven't even thought of it, but it was clearly important for her. The student's face changed so much from sulking to a hopeful emerald stare that Rich was confounded, not knowing what more to say. He was good with known terms, things that were under his control, but these sudden events were far of his comfort zone, so he was taking baby steps.

"You are the first that said that name out loud besides me" Sophia acknowledged, her eyes moving to Aurora again. "You don't know how happy..." another couple of tears escaped her eyes, soon noticed and cleaned by the oversized sleeves. "I'm a mess, sorry..." she mumbled, wandering around the place, hiding her face while she retrieved her clothes. Sophia left her boots at the entrance, while she wrapped her jacket over her shoulders. It seemed to be important for her, as she felt stronger and almost looked taller with her on, as strange an outfit she was wearing when all was taken into account. "The rest of my clothes you can throw away" she said, her fingers tracing the jacket's zipper.

Wanting to be useful, Richard started to take a step towards the bathroom, wanting to be useful and help Sophia, but a sharp inhale from the student made him stop and look at her, wondering what was wrong. "I'd prefer if Aurora... I mean... there are girl clothes..." she mumbled, not wanting for anyone to see the tattered clothes she had been wearing, not to mention the panties, but if something was to be done about them, Aurora would make everything a tad less embarrassing. Richard just nodded and moved away from the bathroom, understanding, realizing how foolish he had been even if well meaning.

"I'd like tea... I don't think I can sleep right now..." Sophia finally said. "And I'm sure you'll have questions..." she said. Sophia didn't know how strong she was feeling and if she would be able to answer many of them, but after taking her in out of the blue, that was the least she could do, or so she felt.

 

[Amaranthine]

The girl looked delighted at the mere mention of her chosen name, and Rory hadn't even meant to thrill her so. All the same, she was pleased that she could do something, anything to ease a little bit of the hurt. No amount of correct naming and correct pronouns was going to just undo a beating, but whatever little thing she could do to help, she would. Just because she had never, as far as her own awareness went, talked to someone who was trans didn't mean she couldn't have compassion - Rich's baby steps were fine too, or so she liked to think. It would be unlike her husband to be crass, as well.

Aurora had enough tact and understanding to be aware of why she was wanted to take the clothes away, before Sophia had even said a word about it. That hiss that escaped her lips as Rich, a man, dared to walk towards the bathroom, had been a telling sign. "I'll deal with them," Rory assured in a calm, suave voice. There was no blame and no judgement - those were two things that would never come from her. The open layout of her house meant that she could walk towards the kitchen without leaving anyone's sight, and as she grabbed a cup of tea from the counter she beckoned her guest over with a wave of her hand.

"Here you go," she said as she placed the cup down on the island, offering Sophia a place to sit while she had her drink. "I'll go clean up the mess, and then we can talk."

With that, Rory did just as she said she would - took a grocery bag out from a cabinet and walked to the bathroom, tossed the tattered clothes in, and tied it shut before even leaving the bathroom behind. Sophia wouldn't even have to see the remnants of what was left as Aurora put them in to the garbage.

Only after she was finished did the svelte woman turn back to her company, and she stood across the island from where she had beckoned her guest. "Do you have anything at all right now? A relative that you could call? A job? I truly do not mind letting you stay here for a while, and I'm sure Rich will agree." She gave her husband a knowing look - encouraging kindness and compassion that she knew he had. "We just need to know what's going on so I can do the best possible to help you."

 

[Sigr]

A small nod made Sophia's tied up hair swing a bit in that improvised tail she had made as she agreed with Aurora picking up her things. She didn't mean reacting like that with Richard, a man that seemed to be understanding, but she couldn't help it, feeling embarrassed and vulnerable in that situation. Curiously enough, her teacher didn't go straight to the bathroom, but moved to the kitchen first, getting the tea she had offered ready and motioning her to come over. Sophia soon did so, too tired and battered to do so with grace, but there was still a poise to how she conducted herself that looked strange when dressed as she was.

"Yes. Thanks" Sophia hold the cup of tea with both hands, the welcomed warmth and herbal aroma comforting her. Richard just shuffled around a bit, wanting to give that girl some space so she could feel safe, but not knowing what to do in his own house. In the end he decided to serve himself a glass of cold milk, a habit he had when wanted to get something filling in his body but wasn't anything solid. The day at work had him tired and grabbing bites here and there, so he wasn't up for a late dinner. Keeping himself in the kitchen so their surprising guest wouldn't have to raise her voice much when talking, Richard just waited patiently while Aurora picked up whatever Sophia had been wearing on her way there.

Once she was done the barrage of well meaning questions caught both Sophia and Richard unaware. Her husband of course knew she just wanted to know enough to help her all the better and luckily Sophia knew her teacher well enough to understand her good intent, but it was suddenly overwhelming. "Yes, of course you can stay" Richard echoed, giving time to the girl to process things. The fault wasn't as much on the questions Aurora made, but on the answers Sophia had to give. She didn't know how well off Aurora and Richard lived, the house was very nice but nothing expensive or super fancy, so she didn't want to be an economic burden besides an emotional one.

"That... that jacket and the boots are all I have" Sophia said, eyes sunk looking at the bottom of the tea cup. "I ran away in a moment of calm, before seeing if my father wanted to hit me even more... I was so scared..." the spoon that Sophia had used for the sugar rattled on the cup as her hands trembled. That meant no driving license, no id of any sorts, clothes nor money. Anything. "And I don't have a family or a job... I'd have never bothered you if I had another chance, you always were so nice to me..." Sophia sniffled, cleaning a couple of budding tears with the sleeve of her oversized borrowed clothes.