The lady I’d become familiar with leaned over, elbows on knees. “She’ll be coming. I need to talk to you about something, sweetie.”
My eyes moved from the door to Sherry. “What?”
“I have good news and bad news.”
“What?” I asked again. I didn’t care what order she gave it to me in. As long as the good news meant we would be together again, that’s all I cared about.”
“I’ve found permanent homes for both of you.”
Even I could hear the desperation in my tone. “Together?”
Sherry leaned closer and took both my hands, sadness taking over her expression. Tears swelled in my throat before she spoke a word. I wasn’t going to be with her.
“I’m sorry. I’ve tried so hard. If you could just remember a family member. Anyone that could take you both. It’s hard to find a place that can accommodate one eleven year old, let alone two.”
“You mean nobody wants us.”
“That’s not true.”
“Who is it?”
“There’s two. A couple in Michigan.”
“The Walkers. I remember them.”
“Yes, they came here and met you both a couple months back. They want to help, but they can’t take you both. They run a home where they adopt the hard-to-place kids, but they have guidelines they must follow. They can’t take you both.”
“Why? We’ll be good.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie.”
My lips puckered no matter how hard I tried to control them. “Is that far away from Florida? Michigan? Can I still see her?”
“It’s a long way, but maybe the Walkers will let you phone each other.”
“Where’s my sister going?” I questioned, eyes wide with fear and pending pain.
“She’s going to stay here in Florida. There’s a program in trial that she’s going to go into. Her name is Ms. Porter. It’s a program to help older kids who need a place to live, matched with an elder. Someone that needs help doing things.”
I pulled my hands from hers and frowned. “She’s going to be a slave to an old person?”
Sherry resumed her posture and explained the situation. “No, no, it’s nothing like that, sweetie. Ms. Porter gets along just fine. She’s lonely. It’ll be good for her. For both of them.”
“Can I see her?”
“Ms. Porter?”
“Yes, I want to meet her.”
Sherry looked around and sighed a deep breath. “Okay, I guess that’s all right. Wait here.”
I slid from the chair and followed close behind Sherry, stopping at the door. I peered out, seeing the Walkers to the right. They were fairly young and they seemed to be nice people. I could tell they loved each other. Not like the kind of love my mom had with guys. This was different. Exclusive. Mr. Walker held her hand and they laughed at something in a magazine.
My head snapped to the grouchy lady in the corner next. She was huge. If I had to guess, I would say she was pushing four hundred pounds.
“Why do I have to meet the other kid? Why can’t I take the one I signed up for and go home? You’re making me miss my shows.” I really didn’t think she was that old. Just really big. That’s why she looked old.
“They’re sisters. Who knows when they’ll see each other again?”
“Fine, whatever.”
I darted back to my chair when Sherry turned. She didn’t come all the way in. She waved her hand and nodded for me to come. The Walkers turned and smiled at me. I couldn’t remember the wife’s name, but I remembered his was Trent. She waved her fingers at me, but I didn’t respond.
“This is the sister,” Sherry said with her hand on my back.
“Hello.” I was more interested in where they were taking my twin than the cute little couple on the other side of the room.
“You do look just like the other one,” the lady said.
“Yeah, we’re twins,” I said in small voice. Mouse-like. I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. I had to be brave. I had one chance and I couldn’t blow it. “Ms. Porter, can you please take us both? I’ll help you clean and do everything. We won’t be bad. I promise,” I begged.
Her head tilted to the side and her heart softened. Maybe it was the tears. I don’t know, but I know she felt something. She didn’t speak, she only smiled a sad smile, and I knew it was a no.
“Sweetie, we talked about this,” Sherry said quietly as she knelt to my level. I looked at her through tears, seeing her in a blur.
“Gabby!”
“Izzy!”
Excited screams echoed through the room when I saw her. My Clyde. My eyes left everyone in the waiting room to go to her, and my feet carried me to her in lightning speed. We embraced and cried like we hadn’t seen each other in years. Three weeks away from her seemed like three years.
“Girls, why don’t you step into my office? You can visit there while we have an adult conversation out here.”
~~
My head jerked and I jumped a foot. “Jesus, Row-row.” The tear I wiped with the back of my hand reminded me of the sad dream.
“What’s the matter, mommy?” Rowan asked, worry in her tone.
“You scared me. What time is it?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Okay, I’m coming. Where’s Phi?”
“She’s pooping.”
“Oh, well great. Don’t say that in front of your dad.”
I stumbled to the kitchen, trying to wake up. All it took was the time on the microwave. “Ten o’clock! Go get your sister. We’ve got to go. We have gymnastics. You have gymnastics. Ugh. Your dad is going to kill me. Ophelia. Let’s go,” I called. I couldn’t believe I’d slept that late. Paxton would be livid.
My finger glided over the calendar, stopping on Monday morning gymnastics. Ten a.m. I should have had them there already.
“Go, Row. Get dressed. We have to go.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“Oh, yeah. Food. Here, eat a muffin.”
“Hmm, this is good.”
“Go dress,” I pleaded while I ran to find them clothes. I hopped on one foot when I remembered I wasn’t ready for that. I wouldn’t be running anytime soon.
“Hey, I want a muffin,” Ophelia stated as soon as she saw it.
“I licked them all.”
“Rowan, you did not. Stop saying that. Go grab a muffin, Phi and then get dressed. We’re late.”
“Dad’s gonna be mad,” Ophelia warned.
“Thanks, Einstein. Go get dressed.”
That was the start of my crazy day. We totally missed gymnastics, I got lost, and took them to the stupid art by the bay at the time they were supposed to be at dance, or maybe it was piano. I don’t know. Neither of them were any help. All they did was argue who was right and who was wrong. Rowan insisted we were supposed to go to dance. I didn’t even have that on my notes.