Page 116 of Wrong For Me

I groan. Rose in yoga pants is both my favorite dream and my worst nightmare. “You’re going to wear yoga pants in there? That’s just mean, Rose.” The rest of her sentence sinks in. “Wait, what about my sweats?”

“I packed you a t-shirt and some sweat pants.”

“What? Why?”

Her grin is evil. “Everyone does yoga on Thursdays, Leo.”

“I’m not doing yoga,” I insist. “I don’t know how to do yoga.”

“I know.” She grabs my elbow and tugs me towards the door to the shelter. “That’s what will make it so entertaining for me.”

As we step through the front door, I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to react to being here. Will it bring up old memories? Will I have to relive all those scary, confusing days of my childhood when my mom and I would end up in a place like this? Will I be able to keep my walls from coming up when those memories get too close?

To my relief, the inside of Haven House is nothing like the places I remember. Instead of dingy floors and industrial grey walls, I’m met with brightly colored decorations and the sound of children playing. It looks almost cozy, more like the children’s section of a library than a shelter for homeless women and their kids.

“Miss Rose!” one of those kids calls, jumping up from the table where she was coloring to barrel at my girl and fling chubby arms around her knees. “You’re just in time for cookies and punch!”

Rose laughs as she pats the top of the girl’s head. “That was definitely on purpose. You know I never miss cookie time.”

Another girl approaches, quieter with big brown eyes that twist at my heart. “Are you going to color, Miss Rose?” she whispers.

Rose pats her head, too. “I need to check in with Miss Soo and see where she wants me. But I promise we’ll color before I go, okay Bella?”

“Okay,” the girl says, very seriously.

“Who’s he?” the first girl asks.

“This is my friend, Leo. He’s going to hang out with us this afternoon.”

She sizes me up for a minute before grabbing my hand. “Come on. I’ll show you where the toys are. We can do a puzzle.”

I shoot a panicked look over my shoulder at Rose but she merely laughs. My girl enjoys my discomfort far too much.

Twenty minutes later I’m surrounded by half a dozen kids, the first girl I met perched on my knee, while they all try to shove their puzzle pieces into the right places. Every time I look up, I see Rose across the room, laughing at me while she works with her boss, filling plastic caddies full of hygiene supplies for the kids to use at bedtime.

The girl on my knee—Kayla—explained that this room is like a living room “in a real house” and they spend their time here when not sleeping or at school. There are a few adults in the room, playing with their own kids or working on computers. A few are gathered around a TV, watching some talk show. I do get several wary glances from the women—Rose was right about them being uncertain about men. I can’t say the same for the kids, though. Apparently, a big tall guy in their midst is unusual enough to make me the center of attention.

Eventually Rose comes over. “Who’s on dinner detail?” she asks, and a few hands go up, including Kayla’s. “Well let’s get moving. My stomach is going to start growling soon.”

“Are you on dinner detail, Mr. Leo?” Kayla asks.

“I’m not great at making dinner,” I tell her.

Rose leans down to whisper in her ear. “He burns everything. He can’t even make toast.”

Kayla finds this hilarious. “Come on, Mr. Leo,” she says, still laughing. “I can teach you.”

“A six-year-old is going to teach you to cook,” Rose says, smirking. “I can’t wait to tell Bodhi about this.”

I pinch her ass when no one is looking.

Rose moves comfortably around the kitchen, chatting with the kids and the staff. A few of the moms come in to help with dinner, and while I get a few unsure glances, Rose quickly puts them at ease with questions about their kids and their days.

At ease is a good way to describe her here. She’s completely in her element, comfortable in a way I don’t think I’ve seen before—not even at school or with her family. She’s competent and confident. She seems to be the go-to person when a staff member needs help or when one of the moms have a question. The kids are clearly crazy about her, and she’s amazing with them—teasing and laughing with the energetic ones, soft and gentle with those that are shy or shell-shocked by their situation.

It’s hard not to watch her. She’s fucking amazing.

After I finish helping Kayla load up a tray with garlic bread, Rose pulls me aside. “The boys I told you about—they just finished their homework. Want to go see if they want to hang out?”