Content warning: this story features a main character who leaves an abusive relationship, and whose ex engages in harassment post breakup. I would characterize it, in terms of storytelling, as "mild", although I realize that no abuse is mild or justified.
Chapter 3
"Any plans for the day, Maya?" Lacey asked as Maya came downstairs. It was her day off, but Lacey had still risen almost before sunup.
Maya found that astounding. She could do it if she had to, but she preferred at least some sunlight before starting on her day.
"I'm going to take my camera and find some places to photograph," Maya said as she got some coffee, "and maybe look for a sewing machine." It would dig into her savings, and she had no current projects, but Maya missed having a machine around. Just knowing it was there and she could work on something if she wanted to always gave her a little sense of comfort.
It had been about three weeks since she'd broken up with Dean and Maya was feeling better, mostly. She liked living with Lacey and Krista, and no longer felt tense all the time. It irked her not to have a job, but she'd managed to make something of a routine, cleaning up after the others had gone to work and putting together a job search. Today, though, she needed to get out of the house.
"Would you mind some company?" asked Lacey. "I wouldn't mind getting outside for a bit. Sometimes it seems like all I do is get up, make coffee at work, then go to bed."
"That would be great," Maya said. "I was a little nervous about going out by myself. I know it's been a little while, and it's not too likely, but sometimes I worry I'll run into my ex."
"I don't think that's unreasonable, at all," said Lacey. "Chicago's a big city but it can be a small world. Have you seen him recently?"
"I don't know." Maya sighed. "Maybe. It's so frustrating. I don't know if I'm paranoid, but I swear I think I've seen him a few times. Just around. Like when I met you at the coffee shop last Tuesday. I thought I saw him but when I turned to look, he was gone. Or hadn't been there in the first place."
"That's rough," said Lacey, "and I don't think you're being paranoid. If you think you see him today, let me know." She smiled. "You're not alone, you know. We'll help."
"I appreciate that, a lot," said Maya. She did, but she didn't want her new friends dragged down into her problems. She hadn't told anyone that in the week or so it had taken her to get a new phone, Dean had kept up a steady stream of calls and texts until she'd blocked him. She'd answered once, out of habit, only to be hammered with a rant she couldn't even follow before she recovered and hung up. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Lacey changed the subject. "Say, do you care if the sewing machine is new or used?"
"I don't, as long as it does what I need," Maya said. "I wouldn't mind a good used one at all."
"Cool, I know some thrift shops. I know it's hit-or-miss with their stock, but it'd be worth a look. Plus I love looking in second-hand shops." Lacey gestured at the crocheted vest she wore over a blouse. "Can't say I have any real fashion sense, but with this at least I can say it's retro. Then it seems like I have fashion sense." She grinned.
Maya laughed. "Your fashion sense is just fine. I like second-hand shops, too. It was always fun to find clothes I could adapt into something else, or duplicate. I haven't been to one in a long time."
"Great, then. What time do you want to go?" Lacey asked.
"Anytime, I suppose. I don't have anywhere else to be today." She sighed. "Still working on finding a job."
"Don't worry about it," said Lacey. "You'll get there, and sometimes it just takes a while."
"I know, but I don't like feeling like I'm not pulling my weight."
"You're doing fine." Lacey smiled. "Krista and I really appreciate the help with cleaning and cooking. And if I may say so, you had a lot of things change quickly. I know my head would still be spinning."
Maya laughed. "You sound like my cousin, Allie. She said almost exactly the same thing."
"There, see, that's two in favor of you not being so hard on yourself," Lacey said. "Give me a minute, and we can head out."
Maya gathered her camera and equipment while Lacey got her jacket and purse. Outside, Maya took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air and reminded herself to enjoy the day.
"I love this little park," said Lacey. "It's almost never crowded and it's so nice. See, there's a gazebo, and a little pond."
"It's wonderful," Maya agreed. She couldn't wait to take some pictures. Sunlight fell softly through the trees, there were plants in and around the pond, and flowers around the base of the gazebo. "Let me just get myself set up."
Maya pulled out her camera and sorted through her lenses and found what she wanted. She chatted with Lacey as they followed the walking path, occasionally stopping to get some shots.
"I don't know how you get up so early," Maya said, squatting down to get closer to a bush. "I only do it when I can't sleep."
Lacey laughed. "A lifetime of habit. I was raised by my aunts for the most part, and they were firm believers in early birds getting worms. I used to get up and do my homework before school, at least until school started too early. Even I wasn't going to get up at four in the morning to do homework when I was in high school."
"I was more the type to do it as soon as I got home," Maya said. "Or at the library before I went home."
"Did you parents hassle you about homework?" Lacey asked.
"No." Maya shook her head. "My parents divorced when I pretty young, so it wasn't an issue there. When my mom remarried, I wanted to stay out of the way."
"Did you not get along with your stepfather?"
"I guess we had something of a détente," Maya said. "Mostly we left each other alone. I had hoped it'd be different, but Roger is not a warm and fuzzy type."
"Family can be tough," Lacey said with sympathy.
"Sounds like you've had some tough times yourself," said Maya. "You said your aunts raised you?"
"Yeah, they're terrific." Lacey smiled. "My father decided he didn't want a wife and kid, and then my mom decided she didn't want to be a single mother." She shrugged.
"Lacey, I'm sorry. That's terrible."
"Thank you. I can't say I didn't feel the loss, but my aunts were everything I could have asked for. They let me be angry about it all when I needed to, made sure I had someone to talk to. In some ways, I was pretty lucky."
"It sounds like you were," said Maya. She wasn't sure she could have seen the silver lining in such a situation.
"They let me be upset, because let's face it, that's a pretty shitty situation for a kid," Lacey said. "It's a difficult lesson to learn that you matter, when the people that you're supposed to matter the most to don't care. But they wouldn't let me dwell on it, or spiral down. They always let me know I mattered to them."
"I like that," said Maya. "And I'm glad you had your aunts."
"Hey, look at this," said Lacey. "I didn't know this was here." She pushed aside some vines to reveal a small statue of a mermaid with a plaque on the pedestal. "It's a little memorial, I think."
"Neat." Maya knelt down and took some shots. "Lacey, could you get next to it? Just so I can show some scale? You don't have to look at the camera."
"Sure, how's this?" Lacey knelt next to the statue and turned partly away.
"Perfect." Maya hit the shutter and snapped a few pictures in succession. She stood and reviewed the pictures. Lacey looked beautiful in the partial profile as she looked down at the statue, and Maya told her so.
"That's sweet of you to say, but I'm sure it's more the camera angle than me," Lacey said.
"You're too modest," Maya told her. "Say, what do you think of a little photo shoot?"
"With me?"
"Sure." May grinned. "Think of it as helping me practice. Seriously, though, I won't do anything with these and I'll delete them afterwards if you'd like. Just a few, and then we can find a thrift store."
"All right, I guess." Lacey hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, why not."
"I'd try to bribe you with coffee, but you get enough of that already. Okay, stand right there, and lean on the railing." Maya snapped more pictures, guiding Lacey through different poses.
"Do you ever work with film?" Lacey asked.
"Yeah, I've taken some classes, and learned how to develop and everything. I wouldn't mind having my own place with a darkroom someday, but digital is a lot easier." Maya took one last picture. "Okay, we can call it done now."
"That was fun. I've never modeled before." Lacey smiled. "You'll have to show me the pictures later."
"Sure." Maya yawned. "I think I'll be the one needing the coffee."
"We'll stop and get one on the way to the thrift shop," said Lacey. She nudged Maya. "I like to check out the competition."
With a latte in hand, and sugar in her system, Maya felt more awake. It had been a good day so far, she thought. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she'd been able to do what she wanted, without worrying what anyone else thought. There'd been no one to roll their eyes or heave big sighs when she stopped to compose a picture or study a scene.
It was an amazing feeling of relief. She realized she'd even forgot to worry if Dean was around, and put it out of her head since at this time of day, he should be at work.
"Thanks, Lacey," Maya said.
"You're welcome, and it's been fun." Lacey smiled. "With my schedule I don't always get to hang out with everybody." She stopped in front of a shop called Third Chances. "This is the place, let's go in."
Maya switched her backpack to her other shoulder and followed Lacey in. Like a lot of such stores, it was crowded, but it was clean and well-organized. There were lots of clothes and some housewares. Lacey wandered over to look at the jewelry while Maya decided to see if she might be able to find a sewing machine.
"Hello, can I help you?" A woman with dirty blond hair up in a bun, wearing jeans and a plain black sweater, came out from a back room.
"I was wondering if you might have a used sewing machine," Maya said. She slipped her backpack off her shoulder to hold it in her hand so she wouldn't knock anything over.
"No, I'm sorry." The woman shook her head and Maya noticed her eyes kept flicking to Lacey. "We tend to be primarily clothes and knick-knacks, that sort of thing."
"Sure, just thought I'd ask," said Maya. "Do you know of a store around here that might carry them?"
"No, I'm sorry," the woman said hurriedly and strode over to the cabinet where Lacey was browsing. "Can I help you?"
"No, thank you." Lacey smiled at the woman. "I'm just looking." She went back to browsing the jewelry.
The employee backed up a couple of steps and pretended to straighten a rack of shirts. Maya watched, eyes narrowed, as the woman stared at Lacey more than the clothes. When Lacey wandered over to a shelf with some decorative glassware, the woman moved to another rack and pretended to neaten that.
Maya walked over to Lacey. "Come on, we should go."
"Yes, you're right." Lacey nodded. "I don't like to be places where I'm not wanted."
"I don't like to be places where you aren't wanted either," said Maya. "I prefer places where my friends are welcomed, not followed."
The woman gaped as they left.
"I'm really sorry about that," said Maya.
"It's not your fault, and I'm glad for the backup," said Lacey. "That doesn't happen a lot, but it's always so frustrating when it does."
"I can only imagine."
