Background
Anna is a young mother striving to find a way out of an abusive marriage. She meets a stranger, Troy. Troy fights his own demons. Can they help each other find love, or are their struggles too much.
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After dinner Margaret removed her sketchpad and charcoal pencils from a large flowered bag. "I'm ready so let's get down to business. We'll start with the shape of her face. Is it oval, square, triangle, or round?"
Troy rubbed his chin. "Oval, I think."
Margaret sketched lightly.
"It's more heart-shaped," interjected Paul.
Margaret moved down the paper and drew a heart-shaped face and sighed. "Gentlemen, which is it?" She held up the pad for them to see.
"How about somewhere in between?" Betty grinned at her son, then winked at her husband.
"I think your mom's right." Paul ran his fingers through his hair.
"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Margaret smiled and made a few adjustments to the original shape. "How about the eyes? How far apart and the shape? We'll add the color later."
"Large almond-shaped eyes." Troy used his fingers to indicate the shape.
Margaret added eyes to the face and then glanced at Paul. "What do you think?"
"I think more oval than almond but when I saw them they were swollen and bruised."
She softened the eye's curves. "Is that better?" She set the pencil down. "Do I even want to ask about her nose?" Her grin lit up her eyes.
"Cute little button nose covered with freckles," answered Troy.
"But you aren't involved with her, are you?" Paul patted his son's back.
"How would you describe it?" Margaret glanced toward Paul.
"A normal nose, but not so many freckles." He sighed. "Maybe the bruises and swelling hid her freckles.
"Anna has freckles across the bridge of her nose and they flow onto her cheeks."
Margaret laughed. "At least you agree that she has freckles. Why don't we try her hair, then we can change features as we need to."
"Shoulder length, with a part on the," Troy turned, pretending to face Anna, "left side. The bangs went behind her right ear. It's medium auburn."
Margaret glanced at Paul. "Do you agree?"
"I agree about the length and the part. Her hair flipped under, but it's a bit lighter, like honey."
"I think they're describing a bob-cut." Betty stood over her sister's shoulder and studied the sketch.
Margaret added the hair and worked on the rest of the features. When she finished, she held up the sketch. "What do I need to change?"
Troy studied it. "The eyes need to be a littler farther apart." He rubbed his razor stubbles. "The bottom lip needs to be a little fuller. Other than that, I think you have it. What do you think, Dad?"
"I'll let Margaret make the changes, before I decide."
Margaret drew, erased, and drew. She paused, took a few sips of ice tea, then erased, and drew some more. "All right Paul, what do you think?" She held up the sketch.
He studied the face. "Something isn't quite right, but I'm not sure what it is."
Troy moved to get a better look. "I agree, but I don't know what's wrong either."
Betty turned toward the kitchen. "Let's have some peach pie and vanilla ice cream." Her glance went from Paul to Troy. "Maybe if the sketch sets awhile you'll be able to figure out what's wrong."
The three followed Betty to the dining room. Paul cut the warm pie and handed each slice to Troy. He added ice cream and passed the first plate to his aunt and then one to his mother. After the men sat, they ate and attempted to ignore the sketch.
*****
Troy finished his desert and excused himself from the table. He held the sketch up to get better light on it. When he heard someone enter the room, he turned. "Aunt Margaret, this area isn't right." He pointed to the lines that flowed between the edges of the cheeks, mouth, and the nose.
She took it from him. "Let's see what I can do."
Paul stood beside Troy and watched Margaret. "It's looking more like Anna all the time."
"Dad, I don't think Anna is in a hotel. My gut says she's someplace else and safe. Maybe she doesn't want to be found until she's ready."
"You're probably right, but she needs to press charges against her husband and petition the court for a restraining order. It wouldn't hurt to start divorce proceedings either."
Troy studied the eyes, then glanced at his aunt. "Can you color in the eyes? She has soft brown eyes, almost puppy like. I think after that, it'll be really close."
Margaret adjusted the eyes and then shaded them in. When she held up the sketch, Troy smiled. "That's pretty good. I see a resemblance. I don't think we'll get any closer. Mom, is your camera handy? I'll take a picture and make some copies."
Paul and Troy went into the den to print the photos.
Soon the men returned. Troy held up a handful of pictures and passed one out to each of the ladies. "Everett has something to show the hotel receptionists and managers."
"I'm glad I could help. I hope you find this young lady." Margaret glanced at her watch. "Oh my, it's getting late. I better hurry home or I'll miss the ten o'clock news." She put her sketchpad and pencils in the flowered bag and picked up it together with her purse. "I can't wait to attend Troy and Anna's wedding."
"Aunt Margaret, you're putting the cart before the horse. We aren't even dating." Troy took his aunt's arm and escorted her to the door.
"You aren't dating, yet." Paul chuckled.
"I think it's time for me to head home myself. I see I'm out numbered." Troy kissed his aunt's and then his mother's cheek. "I have both you beautiful women in my life. It's full enough."
After Troy escorted his aunt to her car, he watched her drive away. He then hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. "I'll come by around seven in the morning." He nodded at his dad, then walked to the car and left.
Author Notes
Thank you annie-angel for allowing me to use your artwork Abused.
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) and 1-800-787-3224 (TDD)
Each state also has their own hotline.
Nearly 2.2 million people called a domestic violence crisis or hot line in 2004 to escape crisis situations, seek advice, or assist someone they thought might be victims.
(National Network to End Domestic Violence)
Studies show that access to shelter services leads to a 60-70% reduction in incidence and severity of re-assault during the 3-12 months follow up period compared to women who did not access shelter. Shelter services led to greater reduction in severe re-assault than did seeking court or law enforcement protection, or moving to a new location.
(Campbell, JC, PhD, RN, FAAN. Anna D. Wolf, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Protective Action and Re-assault: Findings from the RAVE study.)
Nearly three out of four (74%) of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence. 30% of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.
(Allstate Foundation National Poll on Domestic Violence, 2006. Lieberman Research Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for The Advertising Council and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, July - October 1996)
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