Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Sloan
After Beck and I finally made it out of bed in Vegas. Beck, Ash and I flew back to Pittsburgh.
Within a week, my new home was furnished and decorated how I always dreamed mine would be.
The girls and I spent a lot of time at HomeGoods and Target. Going crazy picking out cute décor for each room in the house.
My living room walls are now painted a deep green. A gorgeous purple velvet sofa and chair fill the space. A gold coffee table, lamp and mirror accent the room. It even has a gorgeous cobblestone wood burning fireplace.
My bedroom has lavender purple walls. A giant king-sized bed with a sage comforter set where Beck, Mayhem and I fit perfectly. Almost the opposite of the living room, but so cozy and comforting to come home to.
My spare bedroom is lined with wall-to-wall bookshelves. Filled to the brim with thrillers and some romance novels. Something I’ve gotten more into because of Sutton and Quinn.
I have a pull-out sofa in the middle of the room for when Kailey and Maria come visit.
Beck and Asher helped me build a garden in the fenced in backyard. It’s filled with fruits and vegetables. Quinn and Sutton helped me pick out beautiful wood furniture to sit out back around the fire pit. Fairy lights are now draped in the trees. My own little fairy oasis.
We all love having nights out here, but I think Mayhem and Khaos might love it even more.
The front of the house is landscaped with a mix of roses, dahlias and peonies.
Lavender growing along the sides of the house.
It smells like heaven outside. As I sit on my beautiful porch swing that Beck installed for us, I get to watch the butterflies and hummingbirds flutter around all of the pretty flowers.
Getting to wake up on weekend mornings and cuddle up with Beck while drinking our coffee on our porch swing is my favorite part of the week.
Sometimes I feel like I need to be pinched. My life went from an absolute nightmare to a dream like the flip of a switch.
Beck and I spent six months living separately. He and Mayhem spent most nights at my house, before they finally moved in with me.
I never thought Beck would want to move out of the city. He had been in his apartment for so long, but he loves how quiet it is out here. Loves that Mayhem gets to run free in the backyard.
After I got settled into my house, I applied to several hospitals looking for a position as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner but nothing really felt like it fit.
So, I continued to help out at the café a few days a week until I could find something.
I honestly didn’t even have to work with the money James left me but I wanted to use my degree.
One day, Quinn and I were taking one of Beck and Asher’s self-defense classes and a woman we hadn’t seen before came in.
She was dressed similarly to how I was the first day I found their class almost two years ago now.
The woman was incredibly skittish and quiet.
She reminded me so much of myself when I first found my way here.
Beck partnered me up with her as sort of a kindred spirit to see if I could get her to open up at all. Kind of like he did with Sutton and me.
Before the woman had left that day, she had confided in me that she was working two jobs because her boyfriend was taking her hard-earned money from her for drugs. If she came home with less money than normal, he would hit her, shove her down, or kick her. Scream at her and call her worthless.
Her boyfriend couldn’t keep a job. He would try and find one and end up getting fired because of someone or something. He sat at her apartment playing video games all day, taking pills and smoking weed constantly. Always high. Always cruel.
The woman wanted to leave him but she didn’t know how and she was terrified. She had tried hiding money, but every time she did, he would notice and lash out.
She had told us her name was Remi. Beck and I had asked Remi to keep coming back to the classes. We told her that we would try to teach her how to fight back until we could come up with a solution to get Remi out of her situation.
That night when Beck and I were lying in bed, he asked me if he could move in with me. It wasn’t even a question. I had wanted him and Mayhem around all of the time.
We were lying there in silence, just holding each other, when Beck said, “I want to keep the apartment though. For women like you, like Remi. I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
“Your apartment?” I question, confused.
“The complex actually. Mrs. Hazel wants to put it up for sale. It’s getting to be too much for her and she wants to retire.
After the water damage, several tenants left so there are quite a few units available.
The insurance covered it but the stress was a lot for her.
I’ve saved most of the money from my fights.
I was thinking… What if there’s a way for us to start a program for women who need help getting out of a bad situation?
What if I bought it or we bought it?” Beck continues a bit unsure.
“In really bad situations, we may be able to get them out and put them up in the apartment until we can find a better solution for them? Teach them self-defense in the meantime?” I ask, thinking Beck’s on to something.
“Sutton is leaving to go back on tour. You’re looking for a job in your field. So, they’re going to need some help at the café too. We could even potentially get some of the women part-time positions at the café with Q,” Beck rattles off.
“I love that! It could help give them a purpose.” I’m nodding, loving this.
“Maybe you can even use your license to counsel women. I don’t mean this insensitively but who would be better at counseling women that are domestic violence victims or even survivors than you? You can offer them guidance, give them resources.” Beck sits up in bed, fueled with ideas.
“That’s actually a great idea. I can help screen them address any intimate partner violence.
Once we get them in a safe environment, I could help them with any psychological trauma they may have.
I’m sure I could find a doctor willing to come on board willing to help with that.
Even if that physician is more of a telemedicine provider.
Maybe find someone who works for one of the local psychiatric hospitals.
That way if someone is really in danger or struggling with something that needs inpatient treatment, I could assess them and get them safely where they need to be. ”
“Do you think we could make it happen?” Beck asks, really thinking about everything.
“Honestly, yes. James left me so much money I don’t know what to do with it.
I thought about finding a charity to donate it to.
This allows us to use it to help women in need.
Use my resources and yours. I honestly love this idea.
We may need to have it made into a nonprofit to get a physician on board.
I can start looking into that tomorrow though. ” I’m beaming at Beck.
“Where do we begin, Little Dove?” Beck pulls me into a kiss.
It is our official opening day of Hope Blossoms.
It has taken us several months to get everything together but we finally did it.
We had a few renovations done on the apartment complex.
There are twelve, one-bedroom apartment units that are about 750 square feet.
Four of the existing tenants want to continue renting from us, and they are aware that we are converting the complex into a women and children’s shelter.
We lightly furnished each apartment so they are move-in ready as we need them. Having cabinets stocked with nonperishables, as well, will be another way to help them.
We set up an office area on the main level and had it soundproofed for medical assessments and therapy sessions. I found three incredible psychiatric physicians who are available on an as needed basis and were happy to be my supervising physicians.
It’s in very close walking distance to the gym. Beck and Asher are holding weekly self-defense classes and it’s free for all women. Whether they are part of our program or not.
Remi is our first tenant moving in. We were able to get her name off of her lease and her ex will be evicted upon us safely getting her moved in to the complex. She’s also going to be quitting one of her other jobs, to start helping Quinn at the café.
Sutton and Quinn have small flyers on the windowsill at the café for our program, Hope Blossoms, for anyone in need of a safe space.
We started an Instagram page, sharing our hopes and goals for the program. WaggingWithWords and From Troy have been sharing it to get the word out.
As a survivor of domestic violence, I never knew who to turn to.
Always afraid it would get back to my ex and make my situation worse.
Afraid no one would believe me, because he groomed me into believing that.
Losing trust and faith in myself, so how could I trust someone else to help me?
Worried he had enough money to hunt me down, and James did just that.
I know I took the first step in removing myself from the situation, but I’m not sure I’d still be here if it weren’t for Beck and Ash teaching me how to protect myself.
If Quinn and Sutton hadn’t welcomed me in with open arms and become such incredible friends to a complete stranger, I don’t know where I would be.
My dream for Hope Blossoms is that the second a woman takes a chance to get out of their situation, we are there to offer them resources, friendship, counseling, and the guidance one needs after being a victim of abuse.
To learn to trust themselves again. Learn to lean on others in a time of distress.
Learn to protect themselves. A safe haven to find their way back to themselves; mentally, emotionally and physically, and to get away from their abuser.
A place to feel safe until they can get back on their own two feet.
Just like these beautiful humans did for me.
Staring up at our apartment complex, tears stream down my face.
“We did it!” I beam at Beck through my tears.
“Actually, you did it, Little Dove. You made this happen.” Beck pulls me close to him, kissing my forehead.
“This complex was your idea, Beckett Scott and it was a brilliant idea.” I kiss his chin.
“I love you, Little Dove. I’m so fucking proud to call you mine.” He leans down kissing my lips.
“I love you, Beck. We make a great team!”