Isla Gibson watched the car drive away, before walking down the street. She entered the paint chipped door into the shelter. For the past six days, she only had a bed and a shower.

It had been seven days since she walked out of the only home she had known for the past ten years and boarded a train north. The only reason she chose north was because it was the next one scheduled to leave. She had to put enough distance between her and Philadelphia so she wouldn't be tempted to go back. What she hadn't expected was just how sheltered she had been. The twenty-nine-year-old hadn't planned what to do when she stepped off the train with her meager savings. Unsure about her new job, she hoped to make enough money to find a place to live.

She woke after only a few hours of sleep and dressed in a different sweater and skirt. Maybe she could wash her clothes while she worked. She felt butterflies as she stepped into the wintry morning air. Once she turned the corner, she saw the lights of the diner. It never closed, and she had stayed in it her first night sipping coffee. At five am, two police officers came in for breakfast.

The female left her partner and sat down next to Isla. "Do you have a place to go?"

Isla looked into her empty cup. Her stomach felt jumpy after all the acidic coffee.

The woman nodded. "There's a shelter nearby. I'll walk you over. They'll let you have a shower."

Isla took out her purse to pay for her toast and coffee, but the officer said, "Let me. I do this job to help people." They walked out into the dawn together. "You look nothing like I expected. You look too healthy to be addicted and too old to be a runaway."

Isla didn't respond. She was a runaway but would never touch drugs, not with the stories she had heard. As they stepped inside the shelter, the woman at the desk greeted the officer.

"I have a friend who might like some info and a shower. She drank coffee all night."

Isla suspected she wasn't the first all-night diner patron. A week later, she stood in front of the same diner waiting for strangers to pick her up. Twice she had accepted the charity of others. Was the job charity? She smiled thinking of the story of the mud and the soap.

Isla took a deep breath as the car pulled up. Riley waved to her from the backseat. She reluctantly slipped into the front passenger seat.

Leo said, "I'll catch a later train after I show you around."

She nodded and couldn't find words. The man was dressed in a suit. She forced a breath. "I... um... I'm new to the area. I don't know my way around."

She had a habit of meeting kind people or was she naïve to think people were kind. When she asked the woman next to her on the train where to find an open restaurant late at night, she offered to drop her at the diner.

"No worries. We'll drive by the train station." She looked out at the street hoping to remember. "Train station, Riley you know the way, right?"

The girl said, "Yah. I think so."

Isla didn't want to rely on the child.

He said, "The store, so you can shop. I started a list, but you can plan meals. We eat anything, right, guys?"

Cody said, "Yup." Riley made a face.

"Okay. Their school is here. We're a little early. You can drop them at the curb, but you need to go in and pick them up at three. I'll call the school so you have permission."

They waited five minutes in the car. Once the children jumped out, she felt uncomfortable alone with him.

"The house is around the corner. You could walk, but we can't count on the weather."

Her jaw dropped, when he pulled into the driveway of a two-story home. What had she expected? That was her problem; she didn't know what to expect.

They entered through a side door, as she stepped forward her flat loafer slipped. Her fall was stopped as a hand had grabbed her under her arm. She hadn't expected to be touched, and he quickly let go once he stabilized her.

"The soap. Maybe you can try to fix it. I don't expect you'll work all day, so make yourself comfortable. Help yourself to food. Today you can shop and fix dinner for six."

"And the floor." He nodded. She was used to being busier. "I can do more."

"There is laundry. The machines are in here. My shirts go out to be washed and pressed."

"I can iron."

He looked down. "I don't own one."

"Oh." She thought everyone had an iron.

He looked at his watch. "We need to go. I wrote everything down here. You can call me. Take the list and shop on the way back. Here's your key and credit card."

Once in the car, she said, "You are very trusting."

He laughed nervously. "I have no choice. Riley has made every nanny quit, and the agency won't do business with me. I have to work, and she likes you."

"Where is their mother?" Certainly not still sleeping.

"I'm divorced. She's in California. My children are my responsibility."

She didn't like his response, but not enough to turn down the job. It also left her with many questions. The biggest perk was having a place to stay during the day. She could only sit in the library for so long each day. The staff gave her looks, so she sat outside, but the weather was still cold.

Neither spoke until he pulled into the station. "Any questions?"

Hundreds. She shook her head no. He climbed out of his car and put a bag over his shoulder. "Remember three o'clock, and I'll call when I know which train I catch."

She reluctantly watched him confidently walk away. Isla was unused to being around men. She climbed in the driver's seat and fumbled for the control to pull the seat forward. Although she wasn't short, his legs were longer.

As she drove back the way they had come, she felt relieved to find the school. She drove past the street to turn to the house. Up ahead she saw a steeple. It belonged to the Congregational church. She passed it and looked for a place to turn around. Just ahead like a beacon was a Catholic church. She hadn't been to Mass since before she boarded the train.

People were leaving, but she parked anyway. When she entered, the scent of wax comforted her. After genuflecting in front of the altar, she slipped into a pew. Once on her knees, she looked up at the crucifix and began her prayers.

Movement caught her attention. A priest dressed in black shirt and pants with his Roman collar loose around his neck stood nearby. His voice was gentle as he fixed his collar. "I'm sorry, but I have a sick visit, and I need to lock the church."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Never apologize for praying. Daily Mass is at eight-fifteen."

She smiled, because the time worked with school drop off. "I'll be back tomorrow."

He smiled. "I'm Father Morrison. Are you new to the area?"

She nodded. "I'm Isla."

He nodded and followed her down the aisle. He held the door. "Have a nice day, Isla."

As she drove to the grocery store, she thought she just might. The store was not like the one she was used to. It took her time to shop and decide on a meal to cook. She wasn't familiar with children's food preferences, but suspected chicken would be more welcome than fish.

As she unloaded the groceries, she walked gingerly. The empty house felt uncomfortable. She had never been alone before. Everything took twice as long as she found her way. Once the groceries were stored, she went in search of dirty clothes. A hamper in the upstairs hall had children's clothing. Was she supposed to wash the man's clothes too? Another hamper was in the master bathroom. She shut her eyes as she added his clothes to the basket. When she filled the washer, she added her own dirty clothes she had in her backpack.

Using a rag she found under the kitchen sink, she scrubbed the slippery floor on her hands and knees with diluted vinegar she had purchased. It left a smell, but once dried the floor was no longer slippery.

As she put the clothes in the dryer, her belly grumbled. She hadn't eaten since her grilled cheese the night before, so she fixed a modest sandwich and cleaned the breakfast dishes. With three hours before she had to pick up the children, she sat down. Her eyes felt droopy from lack of sleep.

She jumped with a start. The dryer had buzzed. She couldn't afford to oversleep. If she didn't buy dinner, she could buy herself an alarm clock.

Feeling proud, with the clothes folded, she arrived at the school on time. She followed parents into the gym. The line moved to a table with sign-out sheets.

A woman sitting behind the table asked, "Who are you picking up?"

"Riley and Cody Nelson. I'm their new nanny."

Was she hiding a laugh? "Could I have your license? You can step out of line a moment."

Isla worried something was wrong. She waited even after the woman returned without her license. She wasn't a criminal. No one would be looking for her.

Children arrived and were reunited with their adults. When Riley and Cody didn't come, the woman said, "I'll go check."

She returned with the children, and her license. Riley pouted. "Daddy forgot to call."

The woman smiled. "You'll go right through tomorrow. You can sign them out now."

She felt like a visitor in a foreign country. Nothing felt familiar. Once in the car, she asked, "Do you have homework?"

Riley said, "Yes."

"Once it's done, we can make a cake before we start dinner."

Riley said, "We?"

Isla smiled. "Yes, you are old enough to learn how to cook."

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