a place we know| ✓

eleven

"And find a place where every single thing you see tells you to stay."
S E E K E R
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December 14th
4:34 PM
New York
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Gunner and Audrey had taken the public transit East toward midtown Manhattan. The journey was nearly an hour, and by the time they arrived, Audrey made a call to Penelope, asking if Leah could be picked up.

As much as she wanted to be the one to see her daughter after school, her boyfriend insisted on spending whatever quality time this was with each other. Although neither of them worked, they were on the hunt for Christmas presents that she worried wouldn't fit into their budgets despite Gunner's persistence.

He was the one who dragged them into an overpriced toy store, to begin with. The store was wedged between two taller buildings. It looked squeezed, as if the neighbours were closing in.

Audrey's head almost popped off at the cost of most of the items, to which Gunner forced her to relax as he guided them down aisles and to the back of the shop.

"You think she'll like this?" He pointed at a doll-house display, eyes aglow with the laughter that hadn't quite translated to his lips. "It's pink and girly, I think it's perfect for her."

She arched a brow and crossed her arms, his grin a contagion she couldn't fight. "Let's see..." She searched for the price tag and frowned the instant the numbers stared back at her. "It's two hundred dollars."

He shrugged at her answer, laughing in a way that was all child and no man, tracing the delicate curve of her lips with his thumb whilst his other hand took her own. "I think we should buy it."

Audrey's brows creased, her face doubtful. 

"Don't worry about how much it costs," he added. "It's Christmas, c'mon. For Leah."

She returned to her previous task of inspecting the dollhouse. Then she remembered things about her childhood. Audrey's parents gifted her something similar to this for her tenth birthday.

It was a hot, summer's day when it happened. Her brother blindfolded her and led her down the stairs, out into the backyard where her entire family–close and extended–screeched "surprise" as soon as she stepped outside.

Her father had built a dollhouse just for her.

To this day it was in her room–in her parent's house, of course. She just wondered if it was still there. Maybe it belonged to a cousin now. Perhaps they got rid of it because it was a strong reminder of just how much of a disappointment she became.

As an unmarried, pregnant teenager, she understood the gravity of the situation and the repercussions it would have on her family's reputation. She knew that the family had to take drastic measures to protect their name and their standing in the community. And even though she felt like she deserved it, the judgment and condemnation from her own family members and society only added to the pain and guilt she already carried.

"Rey, baby, what's going on?" The frailty his voice exuded warded her thoughts away and drew her attention back to the dollhouse.

To her left a tall woman brushed by, arms full of expensive toys her children would no doubt receive. As she glanced at Gunner and Audrey, her expression twisted into a strange mixture of disgust, shock, and confusion. "Excuse me," she muttered, forcefully brushing past them.

Audrey stumbled forward, almost knocking over a nearby shelf. Gunner quickly caught her by the waist and steadied her. Despite the pain in her back where the woman's elbow had collided with her, Audrey tried to ignore the incident and carry on. However, Gunner's protective instinct kicked in, and he wasn't as forgiving.