6.3 Squished Dreams of Freedom

With Madison injured as bad as she was, and since Ricky was "out of town", Gavin felt compelled to stay. He, like any other teen, had been counting down the days until he was old enough to move out. But with an injured mother, two sisters, and no job, Gavin knew he'd have to wait until his mother healed.

But Madison didn't recover overnight. Neither did she remember her attackers. But Gavin used this time to take care of his family. He saw his sisters on the bus each morning, before sitting in bed with his mother for a bit. It was during their time alone that Madison knew she needed to ask him.


"Gavin," she said weakly one morning. Instead of answering verbally, Gavin grunted a response as he plopped on the bed next to her. "I have been talking to your sisters, and they are scared." Gavin grunted yet another acknowledging response.

He knew exactly where this was going, and he had already planned his answer. NO. "We, myself included, would feel safer if you'd stay with us." "Mom," Gavin wanted to whine before spilling his well rehearsed speech. Gavin turned to look at his mom, and in that moment he knew he wasn't going to say no.


He couldn't leave his little sisters unprotected. He knew that he would stay.