“I don't belong here,” I explain to her in a rush of breath. “Waylon basically kidnapped me from everything I knew back in Delaware. He’s pretty much destroyed my life plan. And I'm not sure what's waiting for me back home, but I've got to return to Wilmington to fix everything and try to get my real job back. That's where I belong. In Delaware. Not here.”

“But I thought you were supposed to be the town’s new nurse,” Meemaw replies, setting my scrubs aside with a confused smile. “That's what Waylon said.

“I’m not, and I’m not supposed to be here,” I answer, my voice quavering. “It doesn't matter what Waylon said.”

I take Meemaw’s hands in mine. “Lucinda said you are kind and that you helped her out when she really needed it. So I need you to help me right now, too. Tell me where I am. I will sneak out of here in the dead of night and walk for as long as it takes to get anywhere that’s not here. But I need to know which way to go. I also need money. I will pay you back when I return to Delaware and can access my bank account. I promise you that on my soul. But I need you to loan me some money so that I can escape from this place.”

Meemaw looks at me, her eyes large with shock. But then she simply asks, “How much do you need? Is five hundred enough? And don’t you even think about sneaking out of here during the night. I can cash a check at Charlie’s and borrow his car to drive you myself. But five hundred is his limit for cashing checks.”

She actually sounds apologetic that she can’t give me more.

Relief makes my eyes well up with tears. “Five hundred dollars is more than enough, I think. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“No need to thank me. This small town of ours might be new, but this is a place where we help each other out so that everybody can live their best life,” Meemaw answers, grabbing her purse. “Just give me twenty minutes or so to get there and get back, okay? You can make yourself a sandwich while I’m gone.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, nearly overcome with gratitude.

After she’s gone, I do exactly as she suggested. I grab some bread and lunch meat from the refrigerator and make myself a couple of sandwiches. Then I find a little roll-on suitcase and throw in my scrubs along with all the things Lucinda brought over. I probably won’t be able to get on a plane without any ID. I might need a few changes of clothes for a long bus trip.

The door opens behind me just as I'm closing up the suitcase.

Now it’s my turn to say, “That was faster than I expected!”