Through Fire (Portland, ME #3) (40 page)

It’s been two weeks since Tim gave me something I’d never really had a chance to miss. A little family of my own—forged by fire. Sure, I know it won’t be smooth riding from here on in, and not just because Nina has a lot of work left to do. I do too. There are days where I’m so overwhelmed with everything that’s going on in my life, I become paralyzed with fear something bad will happen to take it all away. All normal according to Pam, who had me sit in on a few sessions with Viv’s anxiety group.

We’ve been busy. Finding time between my shifts at The Skipper and Tim’s business to work on Nina’s room had been a challenge. We managed though, with a bit of help from Mark, finishing the drywall and putting a proper floor down and door in. It had been my first time painting, and I found to my surprise, I have a knack for it. I already warned Tim that once Nina moved in, I might tackle our bedroom. Tim just chuckled and told me to have at it.

I take one last look around the bright, sunflower yellow room, Nina’s favorite color. The crowning touch is the beautiful last minute addition Tim brought home last night. The one he spent until two in the morning putting together. I close the door and grab the hand he holds out to me.

T
im

“I’m gonna miss you.”

Pam folds Nina in a hug, the slight girl disappearing in the statuesque woman’s arms. I swear I see a glint of tears in her eyes, but when Pam notices me watching, she throws me a dirty look. She’s a ball-buster, but with the way she cares for my girls, damn if I haven’t grown to love that woman too.

“I’ll miss you too, baby.” Pam softly strokes Nina’s curls from her face. “But we’ll hang out once a week as promised, and you can always call me. Day or night.”

“I know.” Nina snuggles into Pam one last time before letting go.

“Ready, Nina-girl?” I ask her, holding the door open. Ruby’s already in the truck, fighting a losing battle with the tears that have been brimming in her eyes from the moment we started loading up Nina’s sparse belongings.

“Ready.” The smile she sends me, full of hopeful trust, knocks the air from my lungs.
Fuck me
. Two women now who can bring me to my knees.

Nina climbs up in the truck, and as I close the door behind her, I notice Ruby and Pam sharing a long look through the passenger side window. Pam is the first to turn away. Instead of getting in the truck and driving off with just a wave, I walk straight up to her and pull her into a hug. She holds her body rigid at first but slowly relaxes.

“Thank you,” I whisper for her ears only. “For loving my girls back on their feet and trusting them to me.” Her shoulders shake a few times under my arms before she pushes back, furiously wiping at the stray tears running down her face.

“Pain in my luscious black behind, you are,” she snaps, only serving to make me grin. “Better forget you ever saw a tear on me, you hear? Or I’ll make you sorry,” she threatens, her finger poking my chest. “I’ve got ways.” I’m full out laughing now. For all her bluster, Pam is one of the most soft-hearted women I know. Ignoring her sputtering, I hook an arm around her neck and kiss her cheek with a loud smack.

“Love ya, Pam,” I voice to her with a wink before letting her go. I’m halfway around the truck when I hear her call my name.

“Take care o’my girls.”

“With my life, Pam,” I call back without turning. “With my life,” I repeat softly.

-

“K
eep your eyes closed,
cariño
, okay?” Ruby’s buzzing with excitement, and fuck if I’m not a bit jittery myself.

It had taken my father to put his foot down to prevent Mom from turning this into an all out family event, bringing Nina home. She’d been planning another one of her surprise parties, but Ruby and I decided we want one day of just the three of us to get settled before we let Mom loose with a full on celebration. Dad’s suggestion of having Sunday family dinner at our house for a change went a long way to smooth her ruffled feathers. “As long as I’m cooking,” she snapped. No one dared argue that and we’d left her free reign in the planning of Nina’s welcome home party, which resulted in her inviting a lot of our friends. “The more the merrier,” she claimed. It was all good by me, as long as we had one day to ourselves.

Nina is descending the stairs behind me, keeping her hands on my shoulders because Ruby doesn’t want her to look until she’s actually
in
the room. I don’t even try to understand the difference, I just go with it. When we reach the bottom of the stairs, Ruby scoots around to open the door and I lead Nina right in.

“Stop here, but don’t open them yet.” Ruby leads Nina to exactly where she wants her before rushing back to where I’m waiting by the door. Her eyes are shining and I can’t resist pressing a quick kiss to her smiling lips. With my arm draped over her shoulder and hers tight around my waist, she tells Nina; “You can open your eyes, Nina.”

For a minute, she just stands there, not moving, not speaking, not making a sound, and it’s making me nervous. Ruby put her right at the foot end of the large, rustic-looking canopy bed I built my girl, so it would be the first thing she sees.

“Oh my God!” With an ear piercing, very girly scream, Nina flings herself forward, landing in the middle of the mattress. The breath I discover I’m holding, explodes from my lungs as I watch her roll around the bed, giggling and crying. As is Ruby, who can’t quite contain herself any more and rushes toward the bed, tugging me along behind her. Nina is looking at us, just beaming.

“Hop on,” she says, making room and patting the mattress. Ruby gives me a little shove to go first and I crawl up beside Nina, who doesn’t hesitate even for a second to snuggle up against me. When my Boop scoots close on my other side, my heart feels close to bursting from my chest.

“Did you make this?” Nina asks, her head on my shoulder.

“I did,” I confirm.

“It’s perfect,” she says, snuggling her head under my chin. “It’s my dream come true.”

I press a kiss on her curls before turning to Ruby, who looks like she’s as close to bursting as I am. “No, baby,” I say to Nina, but never losing eye contact with my Boop. “This here? This is my dream come true.”

R
uby

“
Mami
! We need you for the pictures.”

I shrug an apology to Pam, who was in the middle of a sentence, and turn to look for the source of my summons. My eyes scan the crowd, a collection of friends and family, who’ve been here for every major and even minor event since my life started for real. Barbecues, birthdays, holidays, and my simple—but beautifully perfect—wedding day in this same backyard only three years ago. Gunnar and Syd are sitting in the grass, watching their youngest, Caden, playing ball with Dexter, while their daughter Emmy is distracted by her phone. Viv is trying to wipe the chocolate from three-year old Francessca’s cheeks, while the little girl struggles in Ike’s arms. Dino, leaning against the railing of the deck, his arm around his daughter and is smiling in our direction—a much happier man these days. Jane and Arthur, the parents I never knew I so desperately needed in my life, are bickering as usual. Beside them; a very happy Mark, his arm possessively around Claudia, both are laughing out loud at his parents’ antics. Finally, in the shade of the old tree beside the garage, I spot Tim smiling behind our beautiful daughter.

I raise my hand in acknowledgement and excuse myself to Pam before making my way over.

“Mike says we should both grab our certificates,” Nina says when I’m within earshot.

Mike Carmello had also become a dear friend to all three of us. In the months following the discovery of Nina in that warehouse, he’d been in touch on a regular basis to check up on both of us. The first time, he asked for my help with a young girl again, Tim wasn’t too happy. He didn’t want me drawn back into that part of my life. But I was able to convince him that I really wanted to give some meaning to the thirty years I’d lost. Making sure others like me would get the same opportunities that I was given, without judgment. There have been a few more occasions where Mike has asked me to help. Although gut-wrenching at times, I never failed to walk away feeling a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

I’d like to think that may have been in part what made Nina decide to follow in Pam’s footsteps, and study psychology, in hopes of becoming a social worker or a therapist.

I smile at my beautiful, headstrong girl. “Okay,
cariño.
You know where they are—run in and get them,” I reply, watching her skip across the grass and dart inside before I turn my eyes to my smiling husband. “Where did Mike go?”

“Went to grab his camera from the car. Apparently he came prepared.” I lean my ear against Tim’s chest, loving the way I can feel the vibration of his words.

“Thank you,” I say, as I slip my arms around his middle.

“For what, baby?”

I watch the sliding doors open back up and Nina step out, waving both the Certificate of Citizenship I received in the mail just two weeks ago, as well as her own brand-new, high school diploma. I tilt my head back and look my beautiful husband in his warm blue eyes.

“For filling my life so that all that remains are memories I built with you.”

THE END

M
y Portland, ME, novels all have something in common aside from the location. They tell the stories of women who have dealt with trauma, tragedy and devastation in their lives, but who manage to fight their way through to a better, brighter future.

THROUGH FIRE is such a story. Like the other two novels before, THROUGH FIRE is loosely based on a real life story of a young, Mexican woman I once read about in a newspaper article. A story that haunted me because I could not begin to imagine what this woman had gone through. But more than that I was at a loss as to how one would overcome such incredible events? This woman was lucky in that she managed to find a way out, but countless more like her may never have had an opportunity to break free.

Human trafficking is not a thing of the past. It happens today, where predominantly children and women are taken from their perceived safety and traded like nothing more than cattle. Without identity, without power and without dignity, they are bought and sold for the singular purpose of serving someone else’s needs and wants. A sickening concept for most of us, but a brutal reality for those unfortunates.

I believe in hope.

I don’t know if I have been able to adequately portray the emotional (and physical) trauma a woman like my Ruby has endured, but I hope I have at least shown the amazing fortitude and adaptability of women in the face of adversity of any kind. 

Thank you all, for reading THROUGH FIRE. My heart is in this book and if it touched you only a fraction of how it has touched me writing it, I have done my job.

A
s always I have a list of people to thank.

First and foremost a massive thank you to my readers. You are the inspiration that drives me to write—to write better. I am still in awe of the support I have and continue to receive for my books. You have no idea how much it means to me—how much it has done to build my confidence, both in writing as well as life in general. I may not be a big name, but you make me feel like a winner each and every day.

Of course the amazing Barks & Bites group that is always ready to support, guide and lift me up. These women are a constant source of strength and inspiration and have my love and appreciation for all they mean to me.

My wonderful beta-readers who are always ready at a moment’s notice to pick apart my often disjointed scribbles and help me create a better, more coherent story. You amaze me with your enthusiasm, sharp eyes and generosity. I love you all.

To my editor, Karen Hrdlicka, who has become a close friend and respected guide in my literary endeavors. Thank you, my friend, with all my heart. You are an absolute rock in my existence and I keep hoping your confidence and wisdom rubs off on me. I love you lots.

Francessca Webster, my absolutely fantastic assistant who keeps my brain organized. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You are my touchstone.... Xox