The Sisterhood presents The S.O.S. Council ebook | Page 3

Chapter 1
Sheba
The light from the lamp blinked three times. Shelby rushed around the room,
grabbing clothing from the drawers and throwing them unfolded in the open
suitcase. Three more blinks, plus this time the framed picture of her and her
mother toppled from the dresser, landing face up on the floor. She had to
turn her body to the left to see it because her left eye was swollen shut. Her
heart raced and she involuntarily placed a hand on her protruding belly.
“I have to do it this time,” she said to the little girl growing inside of her.
“He’s gonna kill me next time.”
The loud muffler followed seconds later by the car door slamming caused her
to inhale sharply, momentarily losing focus and falling dangerously close to a
state of sheer panic. A deep breath brought her back. She looked at the clock
before quickly slamming the suitcase shut and shoving it under the bed.
“He’s early,” she muttered. “Damn.”
She rushed out of the room and into the kitchen, yanking pots and pans out
of the cupboard. Nervously, she poured water into one of the smaller pots,
turning the stove on high, sprinkling pepper when she meant to add salt. She
grabbed a package of chicken thighs out of the freezer and threw them into
the microwave, mistakenly pressing “cook” instead of “defrost.”
The sound of keys in the front door causes her right hand to shake. She
grabs it with the other, attempting to calm herself with deep breaths before
he walks in.
“You gotta get it together,” she whispers to herself.
She hears Nod walk into the house. The sound of his keys hitting the glass
tray on the console near the front door makes her heart skip a beat. The
glass tray that has managed to remain unbroken. The glass tray with the
words, “Give love a chance,” they got on a trip to New Orleans that started
on a high note and ended with her arm in a sling.
The water in the pot starts to boil, so she measures one cup of rice and pours
it in, noticing the pepper swirling, bubbling where the salt should have been.
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