In the end, Natia didn’t go home with Simone. Craig and Naomi got custody, of sorts, because they owned property in the city and had a few furnished subleases that they happily gave to Natia, ‘until the contractor was finished.’ Natia took their offer with grace and gratitude, but Craig, Naomi, and Simone all could see that she was tired and the solution was only a patch.
“It will be better when the company finishes restoring the garden,” Naomi said hopefully, clearly unsure if she herself believed it.
Simone knew that Natia still jumped at loud noises and fast cars and knew it wasn’t going to be that simple.
The apartment was huge, beautiful, and stressed Natia out. The woman did her work on her laptop, cross-legged on the couch, but after it was done, she seemed at a loss. Simone mana
