Ella Finds Her Higher Purpose

Ella is still undecided about staying in Florida when she meets Nyla, a woman who works at the local church center. Nyla is busy helping the children with their homework when her boyfriend shows up, unannounced, and removes Nyla for a private conversation.

When she returns, Ella and Janine notice that Nyla's entire demeanor has changed and that there is a cut on her mouth. She tries to play off the injury as clumsiness, but Ella doesn't buy it. She recognizes that Nyla is being abused.

Ella and Janine make their concern very clear, but Nyla explains that she has more than just her own well-being to worry about. "I have two kids," she says. "He took us in, and he is good to them. You know he gave us a place to stay, Miss Ella? We were homeless. He's okay. He just gets upset, that's all."

Ella shakes her head. "No, no, no. This is not all right."

Nyla goes on to say that he never hits her in front of her children, who are just happy to have a roof over their heads. In any case, she has nowhere else to go. "You don't know what I've been through," she tells Ella.

"No, I do not," Ella says. "But I do know that you don't have to keep going through it."

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