* * *
Looking out the living room window again she tried to determine what time it was. 6:45 maybe 7:00 p.m.? Abbey thought.
Her mother hadn’t come home last night and Abbey was beginning to wonder if she would even come home tonight. From the kitchen counter she took the heels of bread from the now empty bag and made herself a cheese sandwich. Deli meat was a luxury she hadn’t known for weeks. She didn’t bother grilling it, she couldn’t. The gas had been shut off a day ago.
It hadn’t always been like this. She remembered being happy before her stepdad left. Her mom even seemed happy, most of the time - or at least not drunk as often.
Abbey wondered if she should report her mother missing, but then what? Even if they did find her mother she’d still end up stuck in the system. She knew the drill. No, her mom would be back, eventually. Abbey would give her one more day. Her mom always came back after three days.
From the chair in her bedroom, she sat down to enjoy her neighbor’s television and her cheese sandwich. Bernie’s sci-fi marathons these past few months had kept Abbey sane and sober. Watching the tiny alley cat grow more comfortable around this friendly southerner had been the cherry on top of her lonely life. Abbey allowed herself a little bit of anticipatory excitement as she wondered what film he would watch today. Positioning herself so that she could avoid detection but see her neighbor’s TV screen, she readied herself for his evening show. Oddly, his TV was off and it looked like he was about to leave. This change in routine had Abbey curious, so she threw on her shoes and followed him.
Keeping her distance, Abbey put her hood up as she ducked behind corners and stood behind trees, making the chase a game of sorts. She followed Bernie down the stairs of the subway station and covertly slid on her knees under one of the ticket stalls. No one had noticed. She giggled to herself and her stealthy moves.
When they emerged in Manhattan Abbey turned in circles enjoying all the sights and sounds.
Her word was with her and seemed to be stronger here, like she suspected it would be. It was as though the innocuous string of letters was wrapping her in a blanket, welcoming her in out of the cold, and saying ‘you belong here with us.’
They made their way down 5th street and Abbey watched from across the street near Central Park as Bernie entered a luxury apartment building. Ooh, fancy! She knew the apartments had to cost well over a million dollars each.
Abbey quirked her head. Huh, so weird. He’s got an apartment, why is he here? Oh! Maybe he’s the janitor. Hmm, the Vaughn Building, huh? Sounds uber snooty!
From behind the reception desk a very eager young man held up a plate of cookies and smiled. Abbey’s neighbor waved them off, shook his head no, and headed for the building’s elevator without looking back.
The young man behind the desk seemed to deflate with disappointment as he slowly put the cookies back behind the desk. He looked out the building’s vast windows as if he were waiting for someone. Abbey ducked behind a tree.
Definitely not the janitor then. Abbey tapped her finger on her chin as she quirked her head again, so, who are you Mr. Alley Cat Dude?