How long since you've had a place to stay?"

"I just left today."

"Domestic violence?"

I hesitated. "Family situation."

She nodded and handed me a clipboard with forms. "Fill these out. We can give you a bed for three nights while you get on your feet. After that, you'll need to reapply. Dinner is at six, lights out at ten. No drugs, no alcohol, no men allowed past the front desk."

I took the clipboard and found a seat in the common area. Women of all ages sat in plastic chairs around me, some reading donated paperbacks, others just staring at muted television screens mounted on the walls. A little...