Chapter 14. Auf Wiedersehen

“… Alex.” The woman opens her eyes to find herself in a humble wooden shack, just large enough to fit a bed, stove, and table. A young man with short dark hair and soft brown eyes gives her a smile. “So what have you been up to?”

She groans. “Don’t even get me started,” and she takes a wine glass as the young man pours the bottle for her. “Georgie, the one I told you about, he still insists on ‘showing me how much he loves me,’ all the while seeing other women! God, what will it take for that child to grow up?”

There’s a chuckle from the man. “Well, I wonder why he hasn’t grown up?” and he brings a hand underneath his chin. “I can’t speak for him, but I was already working by the time I was ten; I had to figure out who to trust, what I could do to protect myself, make sure I could have a meal, and find a bed to sleep in.”

“A lack of hardship?” Alex starts to follow.

“Maybe, or… Or maybe he’s just that lonely; burning through women like that, inconsiderate of