The Day Silence Spoke novel Chapter 72

She insisted, pushing the phone into Mrs. Dashiell’s hands until the old woman reluctantly accepted.

Tears welled in Mrs. Dashiell’s eyes. “I never thought that at the end of my life, you’d be the one here with me.”

A lump formed in Latisha’s throat. She took Mrs. Dashiell’s hand, feeling a sense of kinship. She had never expected that when she had no one left, she would find comfort sitting with a woman decades her senior. They were separated by a century of life but shared the same profound loneliness.

Human loneliness, it turned out, was universal.

Latisha looked around the shelter. Despite the plastic sheeting, dampness had seeped into everything. The bedding was cold and moist. It was hard to imagine how this elderly woman had survived in such conditions for so long.

An idea sparked in her mind. She stood up, said her goodbyes to Mrs. Dashiell, and went to hail a cab.

Once in the car, she typed out a message and sent it to Clifford before calling him.

He was in a meeting. Seeing her name on the screen, he raised a hand to silence the speaker and declined the call. He opened WhatsApp and read her message.

Latisha had asked if she could hire a maid.

Clifford stared at the words for a moment. In all these years, she had never asked him for anything. This was the first time.

Naturally, he didn't refuse. He simply replied: [As you wish.]

Latisha was surprised to see his reply so quickly, and even more surprised that he had agreed. Clifford didn’t like having extra people around. She had used the excuse of hiring a maid to bring Mrs. Dashiell home, figuring it wouldn’t matter since Clifford never came back anyway.

With that thought, she quickly tapped the driver on the shoulder and showed him her phone. The driver nodded, understood, and turned the car around.

Latisha ran back to the shelter, her face bright with joy. She signed to Mrs. Dashiell, *Mrs. Dashiell, Clifford said you can come live with us.*

She visited Mrs. Dashiell, and Mrs. Dashiell liked her. She modeled for Nikita, and Nikita liked her. A person could like many things, but love was reserved for only one.

Noticing the shadow that passed over her face, Mrs. Dashiell changed the subject. “But Latisha, I’m so old. I don’t want to be a burden to you two.”

Latisha shook her head and signed, *Clifford wants you to come back and take care of him, like you used to.*

Mrs. Dashiell stared at her. “Really?”

Her legs were weak, but she could still manage daily chores. The thought that Clifford still remembered her, that he wanted her back, brought fresh tears to her eyes as she thought of her own estranged son.

Latisha nodded. She was lying to both of them, but seeing the glint of tears in Mrs. Dashiell’s eyes made it feel worthwhile.

A person only feels that their life has meaning when they are needed.