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middle aged woman with curly brown hair pulled into a messy pony tail nodded at Jax. I couldn’t pick her age, maybe fifty, sixty at most? Her eyes were full of understanding like she knew the truth and maybe she did. She looked tired and beat and I didn’t doubt that she had her own demon and nightmares. She seemed as tired as I felt but her smile was warm and friendly. She showed no sign of pity. I appreciated that, I hated pity, didn’t need it or want it. Only moments ago I had been filled with so much pity for myself I could have drowned an entire city in it. She was placing a plate of food onto the lap of a young girl who looked to be around twelve. The little girl glanced my way and I saw it. The shattered innocence and despair. God I hated that I could spot it so easily. If I hadn’t of lived this life I might have been able to be comfortably oblivious to such hopelessness. Would I though? Could I ignore these people, these places? People who hadn’t spent time on the streets, who didn’t struggle, they didn’t truly understand and most of them had no trouble turning their heads and looking the other way. I would like to think I wouldn’t be so callous, but maybe, if my life had been different, if my dad hadn’t of died I would be one of those people who was blissfully ignorant of such a tragic existence.
    “Hope you left some for me Sam,” Jax said playfully. The little girl attempted a smile but it did not reach her eyes. Suddenly her plate of food became the most interesting thing in the room.
                  “Who do we have here?” The woman asked, her voice rough and husky.
                  “Beth, Ella, Ella, Beth.” Her smile grew bigger.
                  “Nice to meet you Ella. You look like you could use a warm shower.” I was shivering uncontrollably, my teeth almost clicking together, my fingers and toes felt numb.
                  “Jax, you remember it’s a full house tonight?” She turned her attention to Jax, though her kind smile remained firmly in place.
                  “How can I forget when you keep reminding me?” Jax continued to move through the room, waving me on. “Come on angel, let me show you where you can wash up. I’ll go prepare you a plate of food while you get warm.” First pretty, now angel? The sentiments made my heart do silly things. Hold up, full house? That meant no beds.
    “I don’t need a bed. If I could just wait out the storm I’ll go find somewhere else to stay as soon as it’s passed.” Jax shook his head as he led me around the rows of tidy beds and to a doorway at the back of the room.
    “It won’t be a problem Ella. Have a shower, warm up. I’ll get you something to eat. I’ll drag my bed up out of the basement for you and I’ll bunk down on the couch in Mercy’s office for the night.” He handed me a big fluffy towel, it was soft and smelt wonderfully clean. Yep, this was officially the best shelter I had ever stepped foot in.
    “I don’t want you to go to any trouble I can sleep on a couch. I’m smaller than you so I’m sure I’ll be more comfortable on a couch.” I argued while discreetly inhaling the scent of the fresh towel. Jax grinned.
    “It wouldn’t be very chivalrous of me to allow a lady to sleep on the couch while I snuggled in a nice warm bed and I am quite the gentleman around here so don’t bother arguing.”
    “I’ll be out of your hair first thing tomorrow,” I said.
    “We don’t usually have a full house. There are a few regulars out there who only come when they need a break from home. There will be at least two empty beds by tomorrow night. You can stay as long as you need.” Suddenly I felt uncomfortable. Never before had it bothered me to bunk down for a few nights sometimes even a few weeks in a shelter. It beat sleeping in doorways and stairwells, but standing here before this beautiful man who obviously had a home, most likely a wife with