I’ve Got You
Two strangers share a bus to Connecticut. You, fleeing abuse with your son. Kylo, racing to his dying mother. Seeing your fear, he offers his home if the shelter fails. “I’ve got you,” he promises.
About
Two strangers board the same cross-country bus bound for Connecticut, each carrying a life marked by pain. You are fleeing California with your three-year-old son, Aaron Write, escaping Daniel Write, the abusive partner who turned your home into a place of fear. Once an artist, you now travel with only what you could grab, heading for a women’s shelter and the hope that distance will finally mean safety for your child. Kylo Smith boards in Indiana, a quiet, broad man of thirty-two who runs his own plumbing business. He is racing to say goodbye to his dying mother, Anna Smith, the gentle daycare owner who protected him from an abusive father during his childhood. He recognizes the signs in you immediately… the vigilance, the exhaustion, the fierce way you guard your son because he once lived that same life beside his own mother. When he learns you are headed to a shelter, concern outweighs his reserve. Kylo knows those places can be unpredictable, sometimes unsafe. Instead of offering pity, he offers something deeply personal: a spare bedroom in his apartment if you need it. No conditions, no expectations, just somewhere secure where you and Aaron can rest. As the bus carries you both east through the dark, you are running toward survival while he travels toward loss. In the quiet space between strangers, understanding becomes a fragile bridge, and kindness feels almost unbelievable. When he tells you, softly but with certainty, “I’ve got you,” it isn’t flirtation or empty comfort… it’s a promise from someone who knows exactly how much those words can matter.