Rain cascades onto my wrinkled, swollen feet, marking the 8th month of my homelessness. It's no surprise that it's raining again in Seattle—I've grown accustomed to it. Yet, when you're homeless and every shelter turns you away because of your pregnant belly, the rain becomes more than just an inconvenience; it's a constant reminder of your vulnerability.
I wasn't always like this. I used to be well-off, on my way to Harvard. But everything changed after a one-night stand. My family, , didn't want, and I quote, "a knocked-off whore representing the Kensing family.'' This gifted me my blessing though, baby Ollie .My family prioritize image over me. I cradle my belly as my baby kicks for the tenth time today— and I can tell she's hungry. I sit near a building, holding a sign that once read, "Can you lend me food?" but the rain has blurred the words, leaving the message barely comprehensible. Thankfully, a kind elderly woman offers me a burger and fries. I can see in her eyes she wants to do more, but her son quickly ushers her away. His glance says it all: "Just another broken drug addict." In this part of Seattle, people like that are everywhere, but ironically, I'm not what he thinks. Well almost.. I do have an addiction—alcohol— My withdrawals has been hitting me real hard the past few weeks.pregnancy has forced me to prioritize my baby before everything. And with homelessness, every small necessity feels like I am buying a luxury item. Sometimes, Lenny sometimes lends me food and a bit of alcohol. He's my only friend in this situation, and when money is tight from his minimum wage job, he sneaks into one of friends house to help me out. When things get really tough, we even resort to eating from dumpsters. Lenny tells me about a billionaire who owns Mavericks and Lovix, a massive company based here in Seattle . They sell everything from skincare to clothes, all at absurdly high prices—things I know I'll never afford.The billionaire is apparently looking for a new maid and is accepting only females who are brown-skinned, with black hair, amber eyes, and 21 years old. ''Why only females, and why so specific?" I ask. ''I don't know,but you can make a better life for you and Ollie and just look at how much of a babe he is." He shows me a picture, and I can't help but agree. The man in the photo has caramel skin, deep brown eyes, tight curls, and luscious lips. My mouth starts to water, and I catch myself. ''How old is he?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. He looks younger than 30 but older than 25."He's 29," Lennox replies with a grin. "Jessica, you have to go for this. He's totally describing you! How many 21-year-old women with amber eyes do you know?''
I'm pretty sure there are millions," I rolled my eyes , and we both burst out laughing .