I catch my reflection in the mirror, the grin on my face so wide that my cheeks look like they’re going to pop any second. Turning slowly, I catch Jake’s eye and he smiles gently. He’s definitely not what I thought a parole officer would look like. I can see the bulge of his muscles straining against his shirt and the colorful tattoos on his arms dancing underneath the fabric.
His square jaw and scruff that runs along it make him look both trendy and also a little rough around the edges, but it’s his eyes that tell a different story. There’s fire that dances behind them and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on.
I’ve always been good at reading people, as soon as I meet someone and look into their eyes, I can tell what kind of person they are—at least I think I can, I haven’t been wrong yet. Having that sixth sense about people has served me well, especially in prison.
“You’re going to like it here, Alexis,” Jake says, coming to a stop at a set of traffic lights. We’d been at his office for an hour before we started on the thirty-minute drive to my new home. The closer we get, the worse my nerves become, skyrocketing and causing my hands to shake.
“Lexi,” I whisper back. “Please, call me Lexi.”
He nods in reply and taps his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song that’s playing on the radio. I have no idea who it is; I can’t remember the last time I listened to music and danced around my bedroom like nothing else in the world matters.
“We’ll get you settled and then I’ll take you to meet your new boss.”
“Okay,” I answer, looking back out of the passenger window.
A thousand things run through my mind as Jake starts driving again—what will the house be like? What will my job be? What will my boss be like? Where am I going to get new clothes? Am I going to be able to afford new clothes?
I get lost in the endless questions spinning around in my mind. It feels like a vortex taking over my brain and I have to squeeze my eyes closed and take a deep breath to try and calm them.
“Lexi?”
“Huh?”
“We’re here.”
I take one more deep breath before opening my eyes and seeing the house that he’s stopped in front of. The engine dies and the car is basked in silence as I stare out at the street that is lined with homes and immaculate front yards.
I turn to face him, watching as he tilts his head at the house on the other side of the road, signaling that it’s my new home.
The house isn’t anything like what I thought it was going to be, for some reason I thought it was going to be a huge dark house, but it’s not. It looks like every single other house on the street: light and quaint. The white siding wraps around the whole house that looks to be all on one level. The front yard looks like it’s tended to by someone with a green thumb, the grass a bright vivid green with pots of flowers lining the path that leads to three stairs where a short, elderly woman stands watching the car with a soft smile on her face.
“This is—”
“Home,” Jake interrupts, opening his door and waiting patiently for me to get out of the car.
My shaking hand reaches for my bag on the floor before I pull on the door handle and push the door open, stepping out and looking around at the quiet street.
I’ve never been to a place like this; where I grew up you were lucky if you had a four-foot square of concrete in front of your house.
I slowly walk to Jake where he waits at the bottom of the path and together we walk toward the lady that is waiting patiently.
“Livvy?” The woman in front of us nods. “This is Alexis Deacon. Lexi, this is Livvy.”
“Hi,” I squeak, wrapping my arms around my middle, trying to hold myself together and make myself as small as I possibly can.
“Livvy is one of our volunteers for the program,” Jake continues.
My eyes widen and I search Jake’s eyes. “I thought I was going in a house where there’s…” I wince. “Others like me.”
Jake’s lip quirks up at the corner as Livvy holds her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, lovely.”
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry as I extend my hand to hers. “Thank you,” I blurt out. “I mean—nice to thank you—no…” I shake my head at myself and my mouth that is just spitting random words out. “I meant—”
“I know what you meant.” She smiles, chuckling softly. “Let’s go in and have a glass of lemonade.” She leaves no room for argument as she spins around and makes her way up the steps and through the light-green wooden door with Jake following behind her.
I take one last look around, my mind telling me that this is temporary, people like me don’t get to live in places like this. But my heart is singing as it feels like I’m finally home. I marvel at the houses before finally my gaze lands on the door and I make my way inside.
“It’s not much, but it’s safe and you can make it your own.”