Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary Above the Laundromat
The trek across four city blocks was a battle against the elements. Melanie wrapped the girls in whatever she could find—extra aprons, her coat, and plastic bags tied over their soaked shoes. She carried Lily on her hip while holding Sophia’s hand tightly, navigating the blinding snow until they reached the narrow side doorway next to the coin-operated laundromat.
Her studio apartment on the second floor was small, cold, and smelled of laundry detergent and old wood. The radiator knocked rhythmically, delivering only a pitiful draft of tepid air, but compared to the alley, it was a palace.
Melanie stripped away the wet clothing, pulled out her two thickest wool blankets, and laid the girls on her small twin bed. She turned on the stove burners to warm the studio, setting a pot of water to boil.
Sophia sat bolt upright on the bed, her eyes fixed on the door handle. "Is the lock strong?"
"It’s strong," Melanie reassured her, sitting beside them and rubbing Lily’s frozen feet until color returned to her skin. "Nobody is getting through that door tonight. I promise."
"The wolf has lots of men," Sophia said flatly. "He has guns. He made Uncle Paul bleed."
"Who is the wolf, Sophia?" Melanie asked softly.
"The man who wants Daddy's papers," Sophia replied, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Daddy is powerful, but the wolf said he was going to take everything."
Lily finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted by horror and cold, her tiny thumb tucked into her mouth. Sophia's eyes remained wide and vigilant, staring at the ceiling until exhaustion eventually dragged her under near 3:00 a.m.
Melanie didn't sleep. She sat in a wooden kitchen chair positioned directly between the bed and the front door, holding a heavy iron frying pan in her lap.
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Outside, the storm raged on, but inside her head, the reality of what she had done began to set in. She was hiding two children involved in what sounded like a mob hit. If the attackers found her, there would be no questions asked. If the authorities found her, she could be accused of kidnapping.
Yet every time she looked at those two little faces resting peacefully beneath her worn blankets, her hesitation evaporated. She was all they had tonight.
