Lisa looked upon the drooping, miserable, brown leaves with sympathy as she dragged herself down the street. They perfectly matched the way she had been feeling all week long. There were many different reasons why she had been feeling like a dying leaf that week. Reason one was that she had been sniffly all day and was probably going to catch a cold. Reason two was that she knew if she did end up with said cold, she was still going to have to work, because she and the sisters really, really needed money. And reason three was that Lisa was starting to despair over the two girls, just for very different reasons. However, both of them did seem to be sharing regularly scheduled mental breakdowns
Lisa couldn’t blame the girls. There was no telling what they had been through, and they refused to tell her what they had gone through. That only made Lisa worry more. She loved coming home each night to greet her girls with hugs and kisses and a homemade dinner. But most of her time was spent working. Crimes happened every day. People got shot, attacked, robbed, and harassed every day. But she had been forced to leave for helping a dying creature in her own home. Didn't the government have bigger problems to deal with? Well, if she hadn't moved here, she never would have met Riley and Sally. There was that. Riley was very good at putting on a brave face for her sister.
But she was suffering every single day. There was a constant pain in her beautiful, amber eyes. Lisa had no clue what the children had been forced to endure. But she knew how being alone felt. She knew how it felt to stay up till midnight waiting for her parents. She knew how it felt to question everything. She knew how hope and trust felt, as well as sorrow when those she trusted had turned their backs on her. She wasn't going to let the sisters down. The village where Lisa worked, if you could call it a village, was a little way away from the shack that she and the girls shared. The sun was just starting to set when Lisa arrived.
“Riley?” she called softly as she entered the house. No answer. Lisa did her best to soothe the sudden jolt of worry that shot through her. “Riley?” Oh no. She could hear some faint sobbing coming from Sally’s room. Quietly, so as not to wake Sally, Lisa pushed open the door and stepped in. Sure enough, Riley was sitting in the corner furthest from the door with her knees hugged close to her and her eyes red. Lisa walked over to her, heart sinking lower and lower to the ground as she did so.
"Oh Riley! What's wrong, honey? Why are you crying again?" Lisa asked softly. She already knew the answer, but she found herself asking anyway. Lisa couldn't help but wince at the pain on the girl's face.
"I've just been very lonely, Miss Lisa. Sally always seems to be sleeping and you're never home. I have no one to talk to... and oh! It can get so quiet here sometimes," the child sobbed. This was exactly why things needed to change. Lisa sat down on the floor next to Riley.
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"I'm sorry, I really am. I wish I could be here more. But I need you to understand, I have to work. Everything I've been doing is for your sake." Maybe if she got Riley to understand, Riley would be more willing to trust her. There was a long pause. Riley wasn't even meeting her gaze.
"Do you love me, Miss Lisa?"
Lisa opened her arms to Riley with a smile on her face.
"How could I not? Of course I love you." Riley did not accept her hug. She just stayed curled up, pale and still like a little statue. Lisa searched her face but found nothing. "I really do. I love both of you. You and Sally."
"If you love us... do you trust us?"
"Yes." Hopefully, she wouldn't end up regretting saying that.
“Then why won’t you tell me who you really are and why you ended up agreeing to take care of us?”
Lisa smiled. “I agreed to take care of you because I wanted to help you two.”
“That is not a full answer, Miss!” There was anger in Riley’s small voice now, anger like Lisa had never heard from her before. But it only made sense. Maybe if she wanted the girls to trust her, she needed to prove that they could trust her and that she was willing to be honest. Yes, she could handle answering their questions before they answered hers. But not now, not tonight. Right now, all that Lisa wanted to do was sleep.
"Just tell me!" Riley burst out.
"Why did you ask me for help?" Lisa asked. "You were the one who reached out to me. I was staying in that old motel when I got your first letter. You trusted me enough to ask for help," Lisa said gently. Riley fell silent. There was a pause, then Riley slipped her arms around Lisa's neck and hid her face in her shoulder.
"You looked nice. That's the main reason. I heard you talking to people so I knew that you were a doctor. I-I don't know. You smiled at everyone and spoke sweetly. I didn't have anyone else to turn to. I was desperate, okay!" Riley's words melted Lisa's heart.
"You trusted me then, you can trust me now," she said softly. "I won't let you down." Riley sobbed into Lisa's shoulder. Lisa stroked Riley's hair gently and hummed softly till Riley's body relaxed. It was hard to accept that there were people out there in the world who wanted to harm these girls. Anger and compassion tugged at Lisa's heart.
"Would you still care for us if we were horrible people? Like... if we had some dark secret?" Riley asked.
"I don't think you're a horrible person. As for secrets, don't we all have a few?" Riley didn't answer. "I'm here for you, Riley. I won't leave you. I promise!" Lisa added. Riley's face didn't change. What horrors had this poor child seen? What monsters had left her like this? "I'm here," was all Lisa could say. Riley nodded slowly.
"When Sally and I wake up in the morning, will you still be here?"
"Of course."
"Okay." Riley's tears had begun to dry.
"You should get some sleep, dear."
"I know. W-will you tuck me in? I know I'm too old for that... but I want to know what that feels like."
"Of course." Lisa helped Riley to her feet and led her to bed. What did it feel like? Lisa hoped that she could do a good job tucking the girls in, despite not really knowing what that meant.