Chapter 2: Concealing the truth

When Lynn walked to the front of their building, she see could no light coming from their window. She slowly walked to up the three flights of stairs skipping the floorboards that creaked. No voices could be heard from behind any door as she reached her own. Lynn placed her eye against the door to see if any noise was on the other side. When satisfied she took out the key from her boot and unlocked the door. She opened it slowly as a precaution and a sigh of relief escaped her lips when the moonlight shining through the window showed a deserted living room.

Lynn gently closed the door, being careful to make sure her mother didn't wake to the noise and quietly made her way to her bed located in the corner of the living room. She knew her mother would not be happy once she heard the news. She was relying on them two getting married. She remembered the first day her mother try to dress her up nicely.

"Lynn, you have to do to this." Her mother said as she pinned Lynn's hair up.

"But why? I'm only 15. I don't need to be thinking about marriage now." Lynn wanted nothing to with this.

"Well you aren't in the position to have that luxury. You need to find someone who will be able to take care of you. Once married he'll be forced to take care me. I am after all your mother."

As she stared at the blank wall in front of her, she realized it was better for now to let her mom think they were still together.

"She doesn't have to know." She whispered to herself and eyes slowly closed on a hard day.

-The next day-

"Hi Sarah." Lynn said as she took her seat at her station in the back room of the dress shop.

"Hi Lynn." Sarah said. She had brown and brown eye and was about 5'6". She was only other young seamstress at the dress shop with Lynn. The others much older and only worked half days trying to earn the extra income for their families but making sure the household chores were also taken care of.

"So how was your date with Jack?" She asked. Sarah had been dating the newsie leader for a couple of months now but Lynn never actually got to meet him. She only got to see him through the window when he sometimes picked Sarah up after work.

"It was good. We took a walk around Central Park and then he took me home." Sarah said. "But I still can't help but feel like something is missing."

"What do you mean?" Lynn asked as she tired to rip the seam of a skirt.

"I don't know." Sarah said absentmindedly. "I just feel like he's looking for something else that I can't give him. You know?"

"Wait you mean like something something or just something?" Lynn asked.

"You should know not to ask me that. You know I only kiss." Sarah said. Lynn could see her blushing as she tired to hide her face in her hand. "No. Just something." Lynn could see Sarah trying to smile but it wavered. Unfortunately Lynn understood all too well. "Anyways, how are you and Joshua?"

"I broke up with him last night." She said.

"What?" she said with a surprise. She dropped her mending and moved her chair to the opposite side of Lynn's station. "What happened?" she asked quietly. Trying to make sure the other ladies didn't hear.

"You know he's been a jerk so I decided I had enough of it." She said. Trying to make sure the tears wouldn't well up in her eyes. He hadn't been a good boyfriend for the better half of the time they were together but it still hurt Lynn because she did love him at one point. "I'm better off without him." Sarah looked at her and Lynn could tell she wanted ask the question she didn't want to hear. Lynn never told her anything more than he acted like a jerk sometimes.

"How did your mother take it?" She asked. She also knew Lynn's mother's hope that they would marry. But the relationship her mother knew was also a lie. She didn't know the dark reality of it all. Not that she thought her mother would care anyways.

"She doesn't know." Lynn said shortly. "As far as I'm concerned as long as she doesn't find out the better."

"But Lynn. You can't keep this from her forever. When doesn't see him coming around anymore, she's going to know something is up." Sarah said.

"I know. But I can keep peace at least for a little while." She said. "Until I can figure out what to do." she thought to herself.