Shades of love

Gone

Third POV

"I apologize... for crushing into your house, the way I did... I just" - Mia tried to break the awkward icy silence, between her and the woman.

"Are you hungry?" - she asked, looking at her up and down "You must be you look miserable" - she said without waiting for Mia's reply "Drop your bag over there, and go fresh up at the bathroom until I prepare something decent for dinner for both of us.

"Okay" - Mia nodded

"Over there" - the woman showed her the way to the tiny apartment "You have clean towels in the drawer"

Mia closed the door behind her and took some deep breaths feeling like she was about to break into loud sobs. She felt scared, lonely, and confused. She desperately needed someone to hug and comfort her and tell her everything would be okay.

"I am on my own, now! I am on my own" - she whispered, splashing cold water on her face trying not to think at all. After what felt like forever, she finally gathered and got back to the small living room, where the woman was waiting for her.

"Feeling better?" - she asked

'Yes" - Mia nodded

"I have bills to pay, and I am an old woman now. you can't stay that long in the bathroom if you want to live here"

'I am sorry, I won't. It's just temporary.."

"Sit" - The woman cut her off, as Mia was trying to explain. The authority in her voice and demeanor made Mia obey immediately

"Eat the soup, as it's warm. Then you can go to take a shower and some sleep. I have an extra bed in my bedroom"

"Thank you, madam" -Mia nodded, feeling grateful, and relieved that at least for the night, she would be safe.

"Are you pregnant?" - the woman asked again, leaving Mia baffled. She choked on her food, from the surprise.

"No... no" - she finally replies, after long, aggressive coughing. She sipped some water, to calm down and repeated again, this time with a more normal tone "No, I am not pregnant"

'Good!" - the woman replied without any expression on her face "I don't want babies around here, they are too much of a burden"

'Don't worry, madam. I am not pregnant! And, if you would be kind enough to allow me to stay in your home, I will stay here only temporarily. Until I find a job and a home"

'Temporarily?" - the woman repeated in a cold voice

"Yes"

"Do you have any job waiting for you?"

"No, but I..."

'Do you have an education?"

"No..." - Mia shook her head with hesitation. "I didn't do well in school, because...hmm"

"Do you know someone in the city that will help you?"

"...No, madam! You were my only hope. If you wouldn't take me in tonight, I had nowhere to go"

'Nowhere? Not even in a cheap hotel to pass the night?"

Mia didn't reply, she just shook her head and lowered her eyes in embarrassment.

"Do you have any money, with you? Any money at all?"

"No, madam. I spend my last savings for the bus ticket to the capital, and after I paid the taxi that brought me here I was left with basically nothing"

"I see..." - the woman wasn't showing any kind of emotion, she just nodded and continued to eat her bowl of soup.

"How did she die?" - she asked again

'Hmmm...." - Mia's eyes swelled in bitter tears, and she pushed her bowl away feeling that she had lost her appetite completely, even though she had barely eaten anything, that day. "It was a fire, I don't even know how it started. My mother, and I... she had another of her bad episodes, and I stayed with her the whole night until she finally fall asleep. I slept, too. When I woke up, I was surrounded by heavy smoke and flames... I tried to get my mother out of there, but she was too heavy, and medicated, she could barely move. The fire was so intense, and I couldn't get out of there. I passed out. The next thing I remember is that I woke up in a hospital bed. The doctor told me that it was a miracle I made it, and that was nothing they could have done for my mother"

"Oh... how terrible. That poor soul... Where that anyone in the funeral?"

"Just some neighbors and friends of mine. You know that my mom had no immediate family or any cousin"

"So no one you didn't know?" - the woman asked her again, frowning her brows

'No... what do you mean?"

'Nothing... Claire gave you my address, didn't she?"

"Yes.. she told me that if anything happened, I could count on... on you"

"What else did she say?"

'Nothing else... "

"That crazy woman" - her voice sounded angry and annoyed

'I am sorry... I shouldn't have come" - Mia lowered her eyes again "This is a terrible mistake"

'What is it?"

"Me coming into this city, with no money, and nowhere to go" - Mia mumbled

"Why did you leave?"

"It's complicated... I had to leave, I had no other choices"

'He left you didn't he? Domenic Knight?"- the woman asked calmly, sipping the soup loudly.

"How do you know?" - Mia looked at her stunned, feeling her heart clench inside of her chest. "You know him?"

"Claire told me everything about you. I told her it will not work out, man like him may date someone like you for a while, but always marry the plain girl their mother likes"

Mia swallowed hard, whipping off tears from her face with the back of her hand, trying hard to hide them.

"Save your tears for yourself, it's not going to be easy surviving in this city, without money or connection. Forget that man!" - she said in a cold voice, with no emotion on her face. Mia lowered her head, staring intensively at the dinner table to avoid looking at her.

"My name is Ruth, by the way."

Mia nodded, feeling a sense of relief that she changed the conversation.

"Did your mother tell you anything about me? "

"No..." - Mia shook her head 'I am sorry..."

"Don't be. It was for the better, you'll learn only what's important and the rest doesn't matter anymore. I don't like curious people, so please avoid unnecessary questions. Know that you are safe here, and you can stay for as long as you need"

'Thank you, madam"

"Call me, Ruth. I hate formalities. If you have finished with your bowl, you can have a shower now, while I prepare your bed. Try not to stay in there for more than 15 minutes"

"Okay. Thank you, Ruth"

..................................................

Third POV

After a long 12 hours shift, as a nurse in the town's hospital, Emma had finally fallen in a deep sleep when a strong knock on the door woke her up. Panicked, she instinctively checked the hour on her phone. The flashing strong light made her eyes hurt, it was always midnight. Emma didn't answer, hoping that whoever it was will go away, but she did reach out for the baseball bat next to her bed. Much to her disappointment, the knocks continued, only this time they were stronger.

"Who is it?" - she yelled from behind the door of her home "I have a baseball bat and a gun, and I already called the police. Get the hell out of my property" - Emma tried to act tough, something she often had to as a single woman living alone.

"Emma, please open up! It's me, Domenic"

"Domenic?" - she asked surprised.

"Please, I have to talk with Mia. Open up! "

Emma tackled her warm robe straps, making sure she was decently dressed, and open the door, letting Domenic in.

"I am sorry, for crushing into your home this late. I have to talk to Mia"- he entered inside, with a feeling of emergency.

"I thought you got married just a few hours ago." - Emma said in a scolding, serious tone

"It's not what you think. This marriage does not change anything between Mia and me. I love her, and I will take care of her still"

'You had to get married to Olivia, from all people"- Emma rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her body.

'It's a long story, Emma. I tried to explain to Mia, this morning, but I didn't have much time. She didn't take it very well"

'She didn't take it very well? You were marrying another woman, without even properly breaking up with her"

"I will never break up with Mia. I love her, she is mine'

"Oh, the audacity!" - Emma rolled her eyes again, feeling frustrated and angry. "Her mother died, you know that? She was also in a very serious condition in the hospital, and the doctors thought she would not make it. There were only seven people at her mother's funeral, Mia was devastated and kept blaming herself, while you were not there for her, because you were in a midst of the wedding preparation"

"I didn't know, I just found out. But, of course, I am here for her. Please, tell Mia to come and see me. I am not leaving until I do" - Domenic insisted again

"She is not here"- Emma frowned her brows "I have no idea where she might be"

'Her house burned to the ground, she has no relatives or any other friends besides you" - Domenic started feeling annoyed by this never-ending talk, that was getting him nowhere 'I know she is here"

"Well, she is not"

"Mia!" - Domenic raised his voice and rushed himself inside the small rooms

'I am telling you, she is not here. I have no idea where she might be"

"Mia, come out! Stop acting so childish, I have to talk with you" - Domenic ignored Emma, checking out the entire house in a matter of minutes. "Is she hiding?" - he asked looking inside the wardrobe, and under the bed. But soon he realized that indeed, Mia was not spending the night at her friend's house.

"She really isn't here?" - Domenic felt his heart drop to his knees "Where is she? You know sooner or later I will find her, so please tell me. I have to talk to her"

"I wish, I could but I have no idea. I offered Mia to stay in my home until she figured things out, but she refused. Before the fire, we had a pretty ugly fight, and ... I think I passed the line. When you see her, tell her that she is welcome at any time"

"Do you have any idea where she might be?"

"In the motel, maybe? Or the town's shelter, I don't know. The few saving she had, she spent to cover her mom's funeral and her hospital bill. She must be somewhere close"

The sudden ring of Domenic's phone interrupted their conversation. David's name flashed on the screen, and Domenic felt like a stone was lifted off his chest. He would have not called unless he had news for her.

"Where is she?" - he asked right away, impatient for answers

"I have no idea. Mia bought a bus ticket for the capital city this morning, and she arrived there late in the afternoon. I have no clue where she might have gone"

'What? Has she lost her mind?" - Domenic gasped, feeling his heart clenched inside him.

"I never want to see you again." - Mia's sobbing voice echoes inside his head, and this time the deep paralyzing fear of losing the woman he loved felt too real, and overbearing.

"I don't care if you have to search under every rock in the capital, you better find her"