“You’re dating a cop? Did he know you were down here by yourself last time?”
“Um… no…” She didn’t want to get into the details of her personal life, so she just left the one word hanging.
Aleeta shook her head and said, “Girl, I don’t know if you’ve got more balls or less brains. But I’m glad to see you got some protection now.”
She turned toward the kids and jiggled the bags, smiling as they ran over. She handed it to the moms, waiting to make sure the mothers had the decision of what to give the kids. Both Margo and Aleeta looked inside, exclaiming over the fruit, granola bars, and boxes of crackers with peanut butter.
Holding up another bag, she said, “This has some crayons and notebooks. I thought maybe the kids would like to color or draw, especially if it’s a rainy day and they have to stay inside the tents.”
She handed the third bag to Margo and smiled. “I didn’t know what you might need, but I brought some cleaning wipes, deodorant, moisturizer, and since we’re getting into the warmer weather, I brought some sunscreen.”
The uncertainty of her gift-giving fell away as the women smiled widely and called out their appreciation. While the kids sat to the side and munched on apples, Aleeta invited her to sit with the women. Glancing back toward Kyle, she observed he was keeping an eye on the kids while scanning the area.
She sat in one of the old camp chairs and for several minutes the conversation was stilted. It was hard to know what to say to someone who was living in a tent. “How’s your day? Read any good books lately? Been to the movies?” were obviously topics that would be ridiculous to bring up. But, after a few minutes, their conversation eased as they talked about the kids, the weather, and what else they might need in the coming months.
They slowly moved on to the issues of safety and the women reported they felt safe at the Cottages as long as they were vigilant and stayed in a group. Margo talked about a man that she’d been with for a while who worked during the days and then stayed with her and the kids in the evenings. Aleeta’s brother was also working, and while he was at the Cottages in the evenings, between the two of them they hoped to move into a small apartment soon.
“It’ll only be one-bedroom, but he says me and the kids can have it and he’ll be fine on a sofa.”
They began talking about the dangers of being on the street. “I know it seems crazy to live in a tent near a bridge, but I feel safer here than I did in a park,” Margo said. “There are some scary people and, yes, drugs abound. But a lot of these people are just down on their luck and want a place to get out of the weather.”
Kimberly inclined her head toward the tents and asked, “Are you ever afraid that somebody’s going to steal your tent or your belongings?”
“It’s kind of funny, but when the church group brought these tents, a lot of the men said they wanted us women to have them.”
Aleeta laughed and added, “Don’t get me wrong. There are some here that would slit your throat just to steal your shoes, but most of these people will share what they have with you, even if it’s not much.”
Deciding she had taken up enough of their time, she promised to come back again and asked if she could write up some of their stories. They all agreed, and the kids gathered, giggling as she took their pictures. Stepping forward, she threw her arms impulsively around Aleeta before it dawned on her that the woman might not want to be touched. Aleeta stiffened for a few seconds and then relaxed, returning her hug.
Saying goodbye, she hurried over to Kyle, surprised to see a man approach. She sidled up to his side and Kyle wrapped his arm around her.
The man grinned a mostly-toothless smile as he glanced over to the children playing and then looked back to them. “Dee-tective. You bring a friend?”
“Manny,” his deep voice rumbled. “This is Kimberly.”
She stuck her hand out and returned his smile. “Hi, Manny. It’s nice to meet you.”
His smile slipped as he stared at her hand for a few seconds and then wiped his palm on his pants. He wrapped his hand around hers and she