“Did you get pictures?” Hope asked.

“Yes, and so did the deputies. What time do you get off this evening?”

“Not until 6:00. I won’t be home until sometime after 6:30, maybe closer to 7:00, and if something happens in ER and they need the extra help, you know I’ll have to stay. If I’m going to be delayed, I’ll let you know,” she said.

“We’ll keep supper warm for you. Love you, honey.”

“Love you, too,” Hope said, and disconnected, then put her phone back in her pocket and went back out onto the floor.

* * *

It was the distant rumble of thunder, and the sound of rain on the roof that woke Cathy up, and then for a second she looked around in sudden confusion before she figured out where she was.

The ice pack on her ankle was warm, the house was dark, and the streetlights were shining in through her front windows. She turned on the lamp beside her chair, then turned on the TV and got up to pull the drapes, grateful for the walker.

Once she felt safe behind the curtains, she turned on the lights, and made her way to the bathroom. When she came out, she headed for the kitchen. It was almost eight p.m. and she was grateful for the cold fried chicken and potatoes and gravy Lovey sent. She got the containers out of the refrigerator and took them to the counter, put some food on a plate, and popped it in the microwave, then used her walker to get it into the living room to eat.

The television was on Mute, so the rain hammering the roof was easily audible, and the rising wind was evident from the rain being blown against the windows.

She turned up the volume as she took a bite of the chicken, and as she ate, thought about how grateful she was for the food and shelter. She’d spent several stormy nights out on the road with nothing but her waterproof tent for shelter, and she was glad to put that behind her.

She looked around at the little house, at the simple furnishings and the less than elegant ambiance, remembering the opulent lifestyle she’d had, all of the jewelry and designer clothing, a mansion full of servants. But when she took another bite of chicken, she knew in her heart that she fit the simplicity of this place better.

Later, after she’d cleaned up in the kitchen and gone to bed, she kept thinking of how quickly she’d gone from solitude to a houseful of new friends today, and all because of a fall.

She’d taken a hard fall from grace in Vegas and been ostracized for it. But here in Blessings, one stumble and people she didn’t even know had come to her rescue.

Blessings had possibilities. It might just become her forever home, instead of a stopping off point.

She sighed, then shifted her foot to a more comfortable position and fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.