Sleeping With Strangers

A police car sat in the driveway, lights flashing, doors opened. Sam ditched his car on the side of the road.

Sarah sat on the front step in her blue bathrobe. Sam dragged his bad leg, stumbling forward. As he drew closer, he attempted to gauge his wife's demeanor. He wasn't sure if he needed to kneel first and beg Sarah for forgiveness. He wanted to wait and see what the police found inside before he repented.

Sarah raised her hands in the air, as if she would claw at him should he step closer. The veins in her neck swelled. She turned away for a moment and looked at the fields across the way. His heart tightened until it hurt.

"Sam, I know there's something you're not telling me." She stood, but it wasn't to give him a hug. "Please don't tell me this has to do with the shelter. I just know someone's in the house."

Sam put a hand on her shoulder. "Let the police do their work."

"I told them to check the attic. I know what I heard, a cellphone ring, muffled shuffling."

Sam hugged his wife. She caved into him. The door popped open. A young dark-haired police man in his twenties talked on the radio attached to him, as he looked at Sam. He quizzed him. "Are you the husband?"
Sam nodded.

"We've got him."

Sarah cut in. "Who? Got who?"

"He ran out the back patio door, but we had another patrol car head him off on the road and then caught up to him before he headed into the woods."

"There was someone!" Sarah shuddered in Sam's arms.

"The officer looked at Sarah, turning white as a sheet. "Do you want me to call an ambulance, ma'am?"

Sam was light-headed. "Can we go inside?"

"We think it's the drug dealer from Syracuse. We've been looking for this guy."

Sam and Sarah held on to each other. "My wife is cold. Can we go inside now?"

"Let me check with my partner. I'm officer Davis, by the way." He opened the door and leaned inside the house. He looked upstairs. Kelly, you got her down?"

Looking above the stairs to the open hallway stood a female police officer with her brown hair cropped, holding the pregnant Taylor by the arm. The draw ladder was down with the pole rope dangling from access to the attic.

The policewoman led Taylor down the stairs. The other officer made a motion with handcuffs. Taylor looked like she crawled around some with smudged white sweatpants and a tan tank top stretched over her pregnant belly.

Sam stood in the doorway wearing his best bland face to what should have been a shock. He turned to Sarah, whose jaw dropped over the image of a fully pregnant girl taken from their attic, about to be handcuffed. She covered her mouth with a hand and looked at Sam, as if he should be the one offering an explanation. The pair parted from the door, making way for Taylor and the officers.

Suddenly Sarah's expression went from shock to compassion, as Taylor was led away. She couldn't have helped noticing Taylor's sunken face, the bags under her eyes, and dirty blonde hair like a rat's nest. "Please wait. Is it necessary to handcuff her?"

Officer Davis was about to snap the cuffs on her. "You are pressing charges, aren't you?"

Sarah looked at Sam who couldn't hide his disdain for Taylor any longer. Instead of answering the officer directly. She took aim at her husband. "She's from the shelter, isn't she? The one you've been dealing with?"

Sam nodded. The policewoman spoke up. "We need to take her in for questioning. Even if you don't press charges, she needs to account for whether she was helping a fugitive. She needs to fill some details for us."

Sarah took a step towards Taylor as if to comfort her. She held her hand. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Taylor looked at Sarah, then Sam. She barely spoke above a whisper. "I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry about this. My life isn't worth two cents."

Suddenly it was the Sarah Sam knew when they were dating. She'd stop and talk to homeless people at intersections holding signs. Her compassion knew no bounds until jaded by a childless life. "You have someone inside you who needs you," she said. "The innocent baby will one day look into your eyes as if you were--priceless."

It was magical if not miraculous with how barriers broke down and what was a tense moment between everyone changed. Even the policewoman's steely blue eyes moistened.

Sam inserted himself. "I think what my wife and are saying is that we don't want to press charges against her, but we want her to get the medical attention she needs. We understand that you will need to hold her for questioning."

Officer Davis nodded. "We will see she gets checked out first. We do need to ask her some questions about helping her boyfriend whose wanted."

Officer Jessica responded. "So long as Taylor cooperates, she won't need to be cuffed. It doesn't look like she can get too far in her condition."

Before Sarah let go of her hand, she spoke directly to Taylor. "I don't know all your past. But you need to know you are loved. You are worthy. And if you need us, we are here for you."

As the police led Taylor away, she appeared confused and broken. Leaving through the front door, it appeared as if it was the first time someone had told her she was worth something.

Sam didn't know what to expect from Sarah when the door closed. Maybe she'd have mercy on him. He could taste the churning acid rising from his stomach.