17, end of June

It was a rainy day, gloom spreading onto all the passengers as they finally got off the plane. There was turbulence amid the flight. Many were left uneasy and found relief when finally reaching the ground. Tabitha didn't have the butterflies like before when stepping into the airport.

This time, Tabitha came with large suitcases, there were two reasons for that. The first important reason was that her grandmother had taken a turn for the worse. Her parents decided that Tabitha would permanently live with her grandmother to help her out, they knew that Father Foley couldn't always help Sonya out.

The young girl shook her head when her thoughts came across that priest.

It was alright to say she still wasn't over what had happened that night a year before. She wished that her parents wouldn't bring up his name as if he was some angel sent for her grandmother because he wasn't. Stephen Foley was not a nice man, no matter the front he would put for others.

Unlike the times before, Sonya was not able to come to greet Tabitha when entering the airport. The trip to the cottage was a bit lonely, not being able to feel the ease of poking her head out of the window and allow the breeze to dance through her hair. She called a taxi that would be able to take her and her belongings, speaking with the driver for a casual conversation.

Tabitha's parents said that it was time for her to be an adult now.

She was only turning seventeen.

She still had one year of high school left.

She only had her grandmother at this point.

These thoughts kept her up at night for months on end. It terrified Tabitha realizing how fast she was forced to grow up due to her circumstances.

Things had taken a turn for the worse for her parents. They were fighting the clock to make sure they would be able to get their green cards so they could see her grandmother before anything worse happens. With the amount of money they spent on lawyers and different applications, her parents thought it was best for Tabitha to stay with her grandmother permanently. They hoped that at least she wouldn't go through that stress with them.

If they only knew her stress.

She never really told her parents what had happened that night. Tabitha was afraid to know what would happen. They knew she was raped, but not by who. They were angry, not with her though. Despite the world thinking that women did have some fault in sexual assault, her parents knew it wasn't true.

Tabitha's mother grew up in a hard life, with a mother with barely an education of a ten-year-old and an abusive father who drank all the money away. With her three siblings, Tabitha's mother saw how powerless women be without standing up for themselves, without the care and help of others. That's why she married Tabitha's father and left for America so that her children wouldn't have to live a horrible life, but she didn't even know what her daughter had gone through.

Tabitha's father was a good man, a hardworking man. He was the youngest of seven children. Most of his siblings were sisters, and including his mother, he was trained by women. They lived a good life because his father worked for the airline in Trinidad. They were privileged to travel all over the world, so some could say he was a cultured man of some sort.

That being said, her mother was always the smarter one. But none of that mattered. Their only daughter had gotten hurt, and they couldn't believe there was nothing they could do about it. Well, they could, if she had told them the truth.

Thinking about her parents brought silent tears down Tabitha's cheeks, sorry that she never told them the truth in the beginning. Now, she was sent back to her tormentor, at his mercy for all he planned for her.

Why didn't she tell the truth? Was she afraid they wouldn't believe her? Maybe, but that wasn't the truth. She feared they would tell her grandmother, who wouldn't believe her, or them. Tabitha did not want to disappoint her grandmother, seeing her close relationship with Father Foley. Tabitha knew that revealing the truth would hurt Sonya deeply.

So she had to suffer alone, for now.

Her plan, for now, was to help her grandmother out and get more acquainted with the people of the town. If she was going to stay here permanently, she had to make some friends. She also needed to avoid certain people, but that may be impossible for the most part. Worry entered her brain, and before she realized it, the taxi had reached her grandmother's house.

Her grandmother must've heard the sounds of the taxi opening and closing for the luggage, walking towards her granddaughter in short small steps. The sound of the cane reminded Tabitha of the reality she was going to live in now. The young girl looked towards her grandmother with a smile on her face.

It wasn't raining anymore, but the clouds were still present, still dark.

She walked up to the older woman, using one hand to hug her.

"Tabitha! I'm so happy to see you again! Who's this little fella?"

Tabitha looked down in her other hand. The baby she was holding onto was sleeping peacefully. The young woman smiled a little more before explaining, "This is Issac, my little brother. Mother thought it would be best if you see your youngest grandchild."

Sonya's smile widens to show her teeth. She was going to hold one of her grandchildren in her arms before she died. God was good. This was her prayer, knowing that her time would be coming soon. She didn't know when, but she knew her time was coming to an end.

Sonya touched the small child's soft hand, not wanting to wake him up.

"Issac, a fitting name for a baby." Tabitha agreed, knowing from the Bible that his name meant laughter, and he did. Issac was what helped her to become happy again.

Tabitha walked her grandmother back into the house before putting the sleeping child in her frail arms, taking time to bring in her belongings. She watched as her grandmother held the baby, joy on her face. Tabitha could only imagine the feeling Sonya felt, finally having family staying with her, for good.

After bringing everything into the room she usually stayed in, she started to unpack, knowing when Issac woke up, which could be soon, everything needed to be in place.

She took out the baby cot that took up the majority of the luggage space. It wasn't big, but enough for the baby to sleep safely. Tabitha knew overtime she would need to work to get a bigger one. Her father showed her how to make it before she left New York, so she made it within half an hour. Not bad for someone who wasn't used to tools.

When Tabitha had gone back down, Issac was awake. She was worried that he would be crying seeing a stranger, but he wasn't. Just like his name, the baby only smiled and laughed. He would usually only cry if he was tired or hungry. People weren't a problem for him. It scared her a little because she wasn't sure if in the future it would mean he would be too trusting, but that would be in the future. Right now, she needed him to survive with her.

Heading to the kitchen, she asked her grandmother if she wanted anything to eat. "No dear, I already ate. But I think he may want to eat soon. I hear noises." Tabitha turned to the pair, watching as the baby's face starts to transform slowly into displeasure.

Tabitha ran to where she left her carry-on bag to get the last bottle of formula. She needed to make sure it was warm for him. Like her mother taught her, she put some water to boil and put the bottle in it to get warm.

After some time, she took it out, putting some on her hand to make sure it was the right temperature, before taking it to her grandmother.

She was so busy she didn't realize there was a guest over. Well, more of an unwanted familiarity to her.

Father Foley sat down on a chair across from her grandmother, but there was no sound from him. He was still, probably looking at Issac with questions.

Stephen looked at the child before him. He wasn't sure of what to think. Who was this child? How old was he? He heard footsteps and knew who it was, but who was this child? He felt panic starting to rise within him, the worse thoughts coming to mind, surely it can't be...right?

He turned around, looking at the girl before him. She looked the same as the year before, except slightly more swelled in her chest. Her hair was in the same short style as before. Eyes a bit darker, tired, and gave him wary gaze. Tabitha's legs froze, seeing his stoic face. She wasn't sure of what to do, seeing him again for so long.

It wasn't like she didn't see him last year, but it's been a while since then.

The circumstances changed quite a bit.

"Tabitha! Just in time. Come, feed him before he cries. The poor thing must be so hungry." She finally broke her eyes away from his figure before heading straight to her grandmother, taking the baby in her arms. His small mouth became a pout, and his eyes started to form tears, but she gave him his bottle just in time.

She held him perfectly, rocking him lightly as he fed on the formula.

"How old is he?" She took in a breath, hearing the question. "Just turned four months."

Relief washed over Father Foley hearing her soft response, knowing it meant that the child conceived in late April or early May of the last year. It wasn't his, which was a good thing. But then was it hers?

"Tabitha's parents thought it would be nice for me to see my youngest grandchild. They haven't been doing too well, but I've already told you about that. Tabitha is responsible though so I'm not surprised they left him with her." The girl grimaced, hearing that he knew everything about her family troubles. She was never one to let anyone know, so hearing that Father Foley out of all people knew stung a little.

Who knows what he would do because of that, maybe use it against her if anything.

His mind wasn't on that, though. Brown eyes stared at the child. If what Sonya was told was the truth, then it was great of Tabitha to do, showing that she was becoming an adult in the right way. It meant that she couldn't go about anymore, showing herself the way she used to.

She couldn't entice men the same way as before, he supposed. She just had to be focused on her brother, as she said, and everything would be fine. He hoped at least this meant she wouldn't cause him any more trouble.

Although Sonya was speaking to him, ever so often, he looked at the young girl taking care of the baby. She was a natural, which he supposed was obvious since she was a woman. He was curious, how it would be having a baby in his life, but he had other things to worry about, like his parishioners and the church.

He's supposed to move up within the next year. Stephen was finally going to be a Bishop. It made him ecstatic inside, thinking of how much power he would have, having others adhere to everything he had to say.

When his dad heard the news, he scoffed, saying Stephen would have just as much power if he was the head of the company, but the priest disagreed. There was just something about the way people would listen to his words as gospel. It was good for his ego, he believed. Having others to listen to him in that way, well, all except the Protestants (not including Sonya) and Tabitha herself. They went out of their way to debunk the beliefs of Roman Catholics or scorn them.

It was a silent war in the community, which was better? Who was right about the Bible? That's why Stephen was glad to have Sonya. She was willing to talk, not judge.

Stephen didn't realize how fast the time flew until the small baby gave gurgling sounds. He was burped over Tabitha's shoulder. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.

"I'll put him to down upstairs."

Dark eyes watched as the young woman went up the stairs, she didn't wear skirts anymore, but jeans, long to cover her legs.

That was good. Tabitha wasn't trying to entice anyone anymore.

~~~

Days passed since Tabitha came back to town, and along with her responsibilities, she needed to ensure there was some income making its way through the household, however little it would be. To do that, she needed a job.

She hoped that Sonya would open back the shop, but reality showed that it wasn't an option, so she had to look for a job. Tabitha felt that it would be unlikely, seeing that it was a close-knit area and everyone worked in groups of who were friends and family.

She was the outcast.

Father Foley would come around to see her grandmother, but Tabitha would avoid him consistently unless he was staying for dinner, like tonight. She never wanted to face him again, but it was inevitable.

That wasn't her main focus for the moment. She just needed to make money for the summer.

Walking around, Tabitha kept in mind that she didn't have too much time to look. Issac was asleep with her grandmother watching him, and if he woke up, her grandmother wouldn't be the quickest to aid the baby, though she did have lots of fun with him.

That's what so great about grandchildren. They were there just to enjoy.

Tabitha stopped in front of a shop that had a helped wanted to sign in front of it. She saw that shop before but never stepped foot into it. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but her grandmother would always warn her about the owner.

"Now that, Tabitha, is a man you don't want to fraternize with."

She would give her grandmother an odd look, but she would never explain why or what about him that was so bad.

The didn't matter for the moment, though. Tabitha just needed to get a job. Without any further thoughts about her grandmother's warning, she walked into the quiet shop. It was dark, only the light from outside really showing the contents of the place. It seemed to be more of a hardware store than anything else, but there were other items as well, such as necessities, and the further she moved back, she saw a counter area. Behind the counter was situated like a pharmacy in New York.

Interesting.

She stood there trying to figure out what exactly this place was, but to her, there was no real word. Maybe it was like a general store, a quick shop everyone can come to if they didn't want to head out of town too far.

"Do you need anything?"

She turned around, seeing the body to the voice. Her eyes widened a bit, realizing who it was, the man her grandmother told her about last year.

She remembered seeing him once on her first visit.

It was at night, and she had gone out to close up the bookshop for her grandmother. She saw a figure nearby, standing across the street looking in another direction. She never saw him before, but he wasn't looking at her either way. He was at an angle. It was windy that night, but nothing too strong, just enough for his hair to blow lightly. She remembered seeing smoke in the wind by him and saw his fag, as her grandmother would put it, in the moonlight. He looked as though he was thinking, hard.

Seeing the man now, the intrigue came back to her.

"I saw your help wanted sign in the front." His eyes were hard as if she had trespassed in his personal space. She felt small in his presence, but she was determined to get something done today.

His eyes moved from her to the sign, remembering when he had put it up there. He was hoping for someone else to ask for the job, not some young girl.

He was thinking about someone older, just to watch the shop for a few hours every day. He went straight to the sign and pulled it down, "The position is closed." Her eyes widened, "But it's been here the whole time!" He let out a breath, running a hand through his short curls.

"Look, it's closed. You're not who I need for the job."

"What are the qualifications?" Damn, not even Tabitha would've thought that she would be this mouthy to a stranger.

"How old are you?"

"Almost seventeen" A laugh escaped the man's lips, "too young" Her eyes narrowed at him, "How so? The minimum age for work is fifteen."

"Alright, say you work here. You'll have to be here every day after your classes."

"That's fine."

"You'll have to work on weekends."

"Not a problem."

"You'll have to work holidays also, practically no days off. You'll be paid minimum wage." Although she didn't realize it, her stance somehow became taller, as if she was up to take the challenge.

"That's fine. I can do that."

The shop owner watched the look in the young girl's eyes change. There was something about the way they lit up as he gave more demands like she was up to fight against him.

He pondered about it for a moment, "Too bad. I'm still saying no." That was the end of the discussion. The man walked away from her, meaning it to be her cue to leave his shop.

She stood there for some time. He didn't realize she was still there until some time later when he came to retrieve an item. He silently cursed seeing her, "I already told you no fifteen minutes ago. What are you still doing here?"

"I can sue you for false advertisement and discrimination."

His eyes seemed confused at first, then exasperated "What? How did I discriminate against you?"

She smiled at him, "Well, for the one you state age was a problem, and I'm more than sure that you don't need to have a degree to take care of a shop for a few hours. I can say you didn't hire me because I am a female or because of my race."

By now, he held a large hand to his head, feeling a migraine emerging. Giving the girl another stern stare, he thought of how to reply. "Look, I am not a racist, nor do I care that you're a female. I just chose not to hire you because, quite frankly, I can. Now, I'll only say this one more time. Get. Out." This time he pointed to the door that Tabitha entered not even a half-hour before.

He turned around again, hoping she was getting the picture.

"Please, I need to have some money to help my grandmother. I have to take care of my younger brother too. I need some way to help provide for them."

The man stood there for a moment, thinking for a bit. He knew who she was, maybe not her name, but he still knew of her.

He knew better than to leave her there.

Everyone knew of Sonya. She ended up becoming a staple to the community over the years, surprisingly for many people, including himself in the beginning. He remembers when he first met her ten years before when he was a teenager himself. She was always kind to him. He would often help her out in her shop when needed. She was the only one who supported his decision when it came to his job profession as a pharmacist years before.