Fighting Lust: A Deadly Sins Novel by Jennifer Miller Page B

life wasn’t an easy one. Helen only took jobs where she could bring her daughter with her. She was afraid to leave her with anyone she didn’t know, or in a place where her husband could maybe find her.”
    “For a long time the only home and safe place she knew, was their little car.” She sets her brush down and uses her forearm to wipe off some sweat from her brow. It’s getting warmer outside. “She told me she went into an agency that helped people find and apply for work every single day. She was told over and over and over again that they didn’t have anything available. She said she refused to give up, never lost hope, and never had a negative outlook on life.”
    “How?” I can’t help but ask.
    Tessa blesses us with a wistful smile, “Helen told me that life is about having faith. It’s about being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see. So even though she didn’t see a job right then, that just meant she had to have faith and hope that it would happen for them when it was supposed to.”
    “She sounds amazing,” Levi, somber for once, says.
    “Yes,” she looks at Levi and nods. “One day going back into the agency for god knows how many times now, the woman told her they had just gotten an opening for a position as a waitress in a diner. The diner used the agency to find good reliable people, and they were looking for someone they could rely on to show up every day, on time. Helen was worried about her daughter, but they even offered to get her into a day care facility run by the state. She was nervous about that, but she said a voice told her to have faith. To do it. So, she said yes.” We all smile happy for a woman you can’t help but root for.
    “She started working at the restaurant and became very good friends with the owner, Gerald. When Gerald found out, quite by accident, that Helen and her daughter Alexis were living in their car, he was horrified. He just happened to see them in the restaurant parking lot one night when he went back for something he’d left behind after they closed. He berated her gently for not telling him, yet understood her need for privacy and respect and didn’t want to strip her off her pride. When he offered them an apartment to rent for free, Helen told me she cried happy tears and put her pride aside to say yes. You see, Gerald, was also an investor in apartment buildings and owned and operated them as well as the diner! It was a wonderful new start for them. But then,” she pauses and I swear all three of us lean forward anxious to hear the rest of the story. “Then, she and Gerald fell in love. He helped her get back on her feet, and they fell in love in the process. Helen’s husband had died in some bar fight, I guess, and so she didn’t have to worry about filing for divorce. Helen told me their wedding was glorious and they lived a very happy life.”
    “This is an amazing story, but what does it have to do with Helping Homes and your involvement?”
    Tessa smiles, “Helen and Gerald are the founders of Helping Homes. When Gerald heard Helen’s story, he started plotting and eventually surprised her with an idea for a non-profit organization that would help provide homes initially to women and children in need. Eventually, they started offering support to men too. Not only does the company help get families into homes, but they help them find jobs as well. They provide for families however they can until they’re able to get back on their feet. That’s what these homes are all about.”
    “Wow,” I say.
    “She sounds like a really cool chick,” Levi comments.
    “Right?” Tessa asks in excitement. “The best part is that once the families are back on their feet, if they choose to move forward and buy the house from Helping Homes, they can. Or they can move on and another family can move in. It’s really great and Helen convinced me to be a part of the organization. Not that she needed to try very hard after that