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Hello, how many I help you?

Hi, it's Talie. I'm here to see Lucy.

Okay, sure. Come in.

I'm being led into a transition house near the border of Ontario and Quebec, in Canada.

There's a little video camera where staff can see me, and then they unlock the door.

These types of places used to be called halfway houses, but Transition House sounds more optimistic.

Yes, so I need to send you in. I didn't get your last name.

Yeah. A, B, E, C, A-S-S-B.

When I enter through the lobby, there are just a few mismatched chairs and a ratty Christmas

wreath hanging on the wall, even though Christmas was weeks ago.

It smells like coffee and old furniture, as if impermanence had an odor.

Some windows have floral curtains, and they're little laminated posters with inspirational

saying spread around.

Management are clearly trying to make things look warm and homey, but they also don't

want anything so nice that someone would want to steal it.

Every time I go, there's a different woman standing at the front door with a wheelie suitcase, waiting.

...