Stay

A story of being broken by a person, and an indifferent system that sees people as numbers and held together by the never-wavering support of love. Because sometimes it takes two to survive.

Dear Ashley,

Right now, you are on your hands and knees under a twelve-tonne neon dragon on Oxford Street, hoping the world won't notice you. You think that if you stay quiet, the red dirt of Alice Springs and its whispering judgements can't hurt you. But hiding won't save you.

Soon you'll crawl out from under that truck and meet a woman in silver wings who actually sees you. Loving her will change everything.

Seeking a fresh start, you'll run to the rigid safety of the Royal Australian Navy, hoping the logical world of engines will give you a place to belong. But the uniform won't protect you, and when your sanctuary is shattered, your instinct will be to disappear.

This is my promise to you: Hold on. Trust the woman with the silver wings. Because when the system tries to break you, she and the fiercely loving chosen family waiting for you in Newtown will build you back together.