Back To The Roots (REWRITTING)

1: Ideas

Kyla leaned against the wall in the hallway and sighed. She slid slowly to the floor with her head resting in her hands, she gripped her hair in frustration. Tears burned a clear path down her bruised face. A drop of blood splattered on her thigh, she looked down at it. The way the beautiful ruby shade caught the moonlight coming through the gap in the drapes captivated her for a moment. She reached down and touched the split in her lip where the drop had originated from, it was starting to swell but she didn't really care. She got up and slowly walked to the living room where she had to search under the couch for her cell phone, but she couldn't find it. No big deal, she had another one hidden in a whole that he'd put in the kitchen wall. She retrieved the phone, locked the front door, and returned to her spot in the hallway.

Evelyn answered on the third ring, "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm sorry to call you so late."

"It's fine. What time is it anyway?"

"Ummm," Kyla pulled the phone away and checked the time, "It's 2 a.m."

"M'kay. Is everything alright?" Evelyn asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah, I just really need someone to talk to right now," Kyla responded, noticing some broken glass on the floor. She hadn't even realised anything had been broken.

"You sound a little shaken, did y'all have a fight?" she asked timidly.

"No... I-"

"There's really no point in me even asking you that I guess. You wouldn't tell me if y'all did because you know what I'd say."

"Yes I would-, no you're right I wouldn't," she said, looking down at her swollen belly.

Evelyn stayed quiet on the other end of the phone.

Kyla took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I know I haven't been a very good friend lately."

"It's okay, I love you anyway. So, what was it about this time?"

"I...," she stopped, trying to hold back a sob. "I-, can you just come over?"

"Yeah I guess, let me talk to Cam and I'll be right there. But if you disappear on me for another three months after this, I'm going to be a little upset with you," she said, before hanging up the phone.

Evelyn pulled into the driveway about an hour later, she walked up to the door with a bottle of vodka in her hand. She raised her hand to knock but Kyla opened it before she could. A chain caught the door and kept it from opening more than a crack.

"Shit sorry, I forgot that one," she said, closing the door and sliding the chain to unlock it before re-opening the door.

"Hey-," she stopped in her tracks when she saw Kyla.

"Hey," Kyla said, with an awkward shy smile.

"Oh my God! Your poor face," Evelyn said, reaching it to touch her cheek. "And you're... you're pregnant," she looked down at her belly.

"Yeah, surprise," she chuckled and wiped tears from her cheeks.

Evelyn came in and closed the door behind her, "That's why you've been avoiding me isn't it?"

"He wouldn't allow me to see anyone or go anywhere after he found out," she said, with a sniffle.

"Have you been to the doctor at least?"

"No," Kyla answered, once again returning to the hallway to sit down on the floor.

"How long until he gets back? We have to get your stuff. You can't stay here like this! You can't raise a baby like this!" she said, starting to panic. "You're gonna come with me right?"

"I-, I don't know... I hadn't thought about it. I don't know what to do really," she answered, running a hand through her hair.

"Go upstairs and pack your stuff or I'll go pack it for you."

"And then what? I can't just live with you and Cam in your two bedroom house forever. No, I'm not gonna take your son's room from him. I'm stuck here Ev," she said, shaking her head sadly.

"No, no you're not! I don't accept that! I'm going to pack your stuff!" she said turning around and heading for the stairs.

"No, just, can't we just talk for a minute."

"Fine," she sighed.

Evelyn walked over and sat on the floor next to her. Kyla looked at her and smiled.

"You really do look like a hot mess you know," Evelyn shook her head and chuckled.

"Oh I can imagine," Kyla said, laughing in return.

They sat there in silence leaning on each other for a little while. They were both trying to figure a way out of this mess, but couldn't come up with any real answers. They both kept coming back to the same question, where would she live? She wouldn't be able to get her own place because she wouldn't be able to work as a single mom. Money, money was always the issue. It wasn't that she didn't want to leave, she was five months pregnant. She did not want her baby to grow up like this, but she didn't have anyone to help her and she couldn't afford to leave on her own. Sure there were shelters for people like her but she didn't know anything about them. Like how long would they allow her to stay there? Or what if they tried to take her baby away because she didn't have a place of her own?

Kyla's sleep deprived brain was really running wild and a thought crossed her mind that had crossed it several times before. Then without really thinking about it she just blurted it out.

"Too bad we can't just live like older times."

"What do you mean?"

"Like settlers or indians. You know, build our own homes, grow our own food, and make our own clothes," Kyla said, running a hand over her belly.

"Ha ha! You're crazy, I think you need some sleep," she laughed.

"You're probably right about that. But you have to admit it's a romantic idea. And I have that property my parents left me when they passed a couple years ago."

"Sure the idea sounds nice, but it's just a fantasy. No one could actually do that, especially not us," Evelyn said, shaking her head in wonderment.

"Yeah, you're probably right," she said, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"So, are you coming home with me or what?" Evelyn asked, as she looked over at Kyla.

"I guess, for a little bit anyway," she said, tucking a few strands of black hair behind her ear.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I got it."

"Okay, I'll be in the car then,"

"K, I'll be out in a minute."

Fifteen minutes later Kyla came out of the house with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Evelyn stayed quiet on the ride back home, afraid she might say something that would get Kyla to change her mind. Cam and their son Jacob were still asleep when they went and they were pretty exhausted after being up all night, so they both went straight to bed.