It soon became routine that Celine would spend a part of every day with the ladies at the center, many of whom had a long history of terrible abuse. She was quickly returning to what I imagined was the person she used to be. It was painfully obvious that I was stuck in an unhealthy place. One day she told me it was time to come out of hiding and that she wanted me to come help with some renovation work HAND was doing for a downtown shelter. With much loving encouragement from Celine, I left the apartment the next day looking pretty much like any other teen age male. I felt naked and vulnerable and was sure everyone was staring at me. Celine held my arm and spoke to me in soothing, encouraging tones without which I would have turned tail and run.
At the project, I was introduced to Tim, a
