Madeline

Waking up to someone messing with my windshield wipers was not how I imagined my day would start.

The snap of it as it fell back in place startled me, and I was wildly disoriented under my quilt with a terrible pain in my neck and something hard poking my leg. And then it hit me that I was in my car.

Because I was homeless.

My stomach fell. What in the world was I supposed to do now? A homeless shelter?

My eyes slid down to my backpack. I could always do some research and find one. I was next to a café with free internet. Would they let me come in and just have water and use the wifi? But I was hungry too. Café food wasn't exactly cheap, but it's not like I could go grocery shopping and make affordable home-cooked meals.

I pushed the quilt aside and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my face and groaning. Where could I brush my teeth? The café? I eyed my backpack. It did have all my clean-up stuff in it, as well as my laptop. I might even change my clothes, and with a quick and dirty sink bath I could chill in the coffee shop and come up with some more plans on how to get out of this mess.

With a new determination, I pulled out my favorite t-shirt for good luck and some other random clothes and shoved them in my backpack. I got out of the car, trying to smooth out my hair and discreetly re-cover all my belongings with the shower curtain before locking the car.

I stood on the sidewalk, looking around. There was no one left at my windshield, and my stomach sank. Windshields mean tickets. I looked around now that I was in the daylight. The parking meters had started back up for the day and I didn't put any money in mine.

That's a problem for later Maddie.

At least the ticket would act as enough of a decoy that I didn't have to put any coins in the meter now. I looked across the street as my stomach growled.

The coffee shop was open, and being mid-morning on a weekday maybe it wouldn't be too crowded. I looked both ways, saw there were no cars coming, and I jogged across the street.

When I entered the shop and the little bell announced my presence, one of the newer baristas welcomed me but was paying more attention to their line of customers at the counter than the ones coming in.

Good. I probably look like hell and I don't need anyone who knows me to ask questions.

I went straight for the bathroom and locked the door behind me. Setting my bag down, I looked in the mirror and grimaced. My makeup from last night was a mess. At least I had face wipes in my bag, and maybe I'd save what makeup I had left for a job interview or something.

I cleaned up, making sure I looked as normal as possible. Not only in the neatness of appearance but also taking into account whatever stress I was wearing on my face. Deep breaths, pack up my bag, and I left the bathroom to head for the counter.

My eyes scanned the pastry case, hitting the prices before looking at the items themselves. Settling on a cheap enough item, I made my way to the front of the line and placed my simple order of a toasted bagel with a cup of water.

Food in hand, I picked an out-of-the-way table and set myself up to be there a while.

Deep breaths. They were becoming a habit.

"First things first, let's look at my resources," I murmured, opening my laptop.

Bank funds... low.

Job prospects... few.

Low-income housing... nothing open near me.

Homeless shelter... apparently the closest one to me is constantly at max capacity and I'd have to hope I could get a spot.

With a sigh, I closed my laptop and laid back in the chair. I rubbed my temples where I felt the headache coming on.

Ugh.

Deep breaths.

"Okay, fine," I mumbled. "Let's start with one thing I can control."

I leaned forward and grabbed my bagel, taking a bite out of it and watching out the window.

I guess I'm not tied to this area. I could move down the coast. Or up the coast? I could find somewhere with more programs and opportunities for me.

Letting out a slow breath I got up to go to the bathroom. This time it was just the normal reasons, I had too much water to drink. After my business was done and I was washing my hands, I started to open the bathroom door.

And then I gasped when I saw them.

Caspian and Nikkos, standing in line to get coffee.

I closed the bathroom door again. They hadn't seen me. I think.

Calm down, Maddie, you haven't done anything wrong.

I just didn't want them to know my new... situation. This was the last time I'd see them, at least for a while. They were supposed to be gone that night or the next morning, I didn't want to taint what me and Caspian had with my problems.

Besides, I had a few months to turn it all around before he could come back, right? And who's to say I'll even see Caspian again or that he'd want to see me.

Fuck, that kiss though.

I blinked, looking at myself in the bathroom mirror.

Focus, Maddie!

Okay, so they were out there, so what? They didn't know I lost my apartment. And it's only temporary anyway. I'm a tough girl, I could make it work out somehow.

My heart sank as I stared myself in the eyes, knowing I didn't believe any of it. But I couldn't hide in a coffee shop bathroom forever. I sighed through my nose and turned around slowly, facing the door once more and pushing it open.

I didn't look over to them as I sat back down in my unassuming corner. There was a reason I picked my seat, and it was because it was overlooked. As long as I didn't draw attention to myself there should be no problems.

I sat down, picking up my bagel to take another bite. It was chewy and soft, but crunchy where they ran it through the toaster. I tried to savor it, not knowing when I'd be buying a bagel again, and I watched out the window.

Across the street, a big red tow truck was slowing down. I froze.

It could be a coincidence, maybe they're here for a coffee.

The truck slowly started backing up to the parked cars. It stopped close to mine.

I slowly stood from my seat, eyes locked on the tow truck as the driver's door opened. He got out and walked around to the rope contraption on the back.

"Hey!" I said, as though he was going to hear me from across the street and inside a coffee shop. I wasted no more time and I ran for the front door.

I barely looked at the street while I ran across it, earning me an angry honk from a passing van.

"Hey!" I shouted at the tow truck, but my car was already cranked up on the hook. "Stop!"

The driver shut his door and the cars already began rolling when I finally reached them. I ran alongside my car shouting.

"Wait! That's my car!" My voice was shrill with panic as I ran alongside my car, but it quickly picked up momentum. I reached for it one more time, snagging a piece of paper in my fingers before the car slipped out of my grasp completely. I watched it be pulled down the street and around the corner, disappearing from my sight.

I was numb. I was cold. I dropped to my knees in the empty space of my old parking spot. Tears, hot and full ran down my cheeks in shock. I took in a quivering breath, then looked down into my hands at the paper I had grabbed.

This is private parking for the businesses here. Move your vehicle or I will have it towed.

-A concerned citizen

I stared at the paper for a long time. It was written in an angry red pen with deceptively neat handwriting. I looked over my shoulder to the part of the street where I had parked. Sure enough, the space I was in was the only one labeled for the alterations and embroidery shop while the others all had a city parking meter. But the kicker was how few other cars were even here. I get that I parked in a space that wasn't for parking in, but it was so bitter, so petty. There were half a dozen other spots still open on the block, but they just had to have mine.

A tear fell onto the paper, smearing the C in citizen.

My eyes flew back to the shop. Somebody, probably from that shop, had just ruined what I had left to be thankful for. My throat tightened and I crumpled into a ball, right there on the parking spot that doomed me. I wasn't quiet either. The tears came freely and I vaguely wondered if I was going to go hoarse from screaming. My body shook with the tears, if I cried hard last night it was nothing compared to this.

This was a complete loss. Everything I had was in that car, and there would be no way I had the cash to get it back.

"Madeline!" A voice was coming toward me, footsteps crossing the street in a hurry.

I flinched hard, on the defensive already and wrapping my arms around myself as I turned to face the voice.

Ocean blue eyes. Cut jaw, dark hair, olive skin. Still wearing his jacket and tie, he looked so frustratingly put-together as always.

"Ca-spian," I hiccupped.

Caspian ran to my side, taking a knee in his clean business attire on the dirty parking spot. But he wasn't paying attention to that, he was putting an arm on my back and a hand under my chin. His hands were warm and firm as he lifted my shame-filled face toward him.

"Madeline, look at me," Caspian said. There was worry heavy in his eyes, and my own tears surfaced again. Burning as they threatened to spill over anew. I relented, burying my face in Caspian's shoulder as he pulled me in tight for a hug.

I barely knew this man, but in that moment I needed someone. Anyone. Another person to hold me and just let me cry it out. Tell me it would work out, no matter how unlikely that really was.

Nikkos came more slowly. I didn't notice until he was standing over me and Caspian, but while Caspian ran his hand up and down my back I could feel the movement of him looking up at his cousin.

"Oh, Madeline," Nikkos said.

The tone of his voice caused me to look up too. My face was probably a mess, but I blinked through the tears and saw what he was holding in his arms.

"I brought out your things for you," Nikkos said as he held up my backpack in his arms.

My heart stopped. "Did you see?"

Caspian pulled back. "See what?"

I shut my eyes tight as Nikkos spoke.

"I wasn't trying to, but your tabs were all open. Madeline, did you lose your apartment?"

I barely managed to nod before the crying started back up.

"Shit, Madeline," Caspian said. His big arms pulled me into his chest as I cried.

"Your car just now..." Nikkos didn't finish his thought out loud but I knew what they were both thinking.

My face went numb with embarrassment. I nodded, Caspian's shoulder muffling my words as I spoke. "Everything I had was in there or in that backpack."

Movement under me. My weight was shifted around and I clutched blindly at Caspian's jacket until I felt him stand up.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Caspian asked, his words so soft and gentle in my ears.

I shook my head. "No," my voice cracked.

"Will you let me bring you to our ship until we sort this out?" he asked.

I nodded.

With no more conversation to be had, Caspian walked me down the sidewalk like it was the most natural thing in the world. Nikkos walked beside us, and I just buried my head in Caspian's chest.

This man, these strangers, had shown me more care than anyone had shown me in the last five years. No, the last twenty five years. My body was wrecked. Between the emotions of the last twelve hours and the physical exertion of my crying, my body which had finally gotten a chance to relax was relaxing too hard.

From the emotional high of a mountain to the low relief of relative safety and human contact, I should have been ashamed to fall asleep in Caspian's arms as he walked me down the hill to the beach.

But I couldn't. I had no shame left to give. All that was left now, was the only hands that reached out to me in the darkest hours of my adult life.

Caspian's.