I was finally free from John, but I was entirely stranded. Even though I had just secured that job at the complex office, I had no money in my pocket yet, no formula, and no milk for my son.Desperate, I walked out into the courtyard. For all those months of terror under John, there had been a constant noise upstairs to my left on the second story. I never knew who it was. But that day, I looked up. There he was—the confident man from the Santa line, the lean and toned machine with the thick blonde hair. It turns out he lived right above me with his mom. His son had just been visiting for the Christmas pictures before going back home to his own mother.I looked up at him and struck up a conversation out of pure necessity. I asked him if he had any milk for my son, explaining that Bradley's dad had left us with nothing. His name was Tony, and without hesitation, he handed me a gallon of milk. I was able to feed Bradley, put him to sleep, and stand outside talking to Tony for a while with the baby monitor in my hand.(Next time: Chapter 5 — Rescues 2 & 3: Swept to Safety)
