‘I can’t believe it,’ she gushed, and looked around at everyone. And then a new wave descended, as if she was the Pied Piper who had beckoned all the children unto her. She kneeled down with the bowl as flocks of children gathered around her and stared at Sixty. My mouth fell open. Why were there so many children here? Where had they all come from? I felt an arm on my elbow.
‘My mom’s foster children,’ Andrew whispered next to me, as if reading my mind.
I nodded. They fostered a LOT of children. I started counting heads, and was interrupted again.
‘Those two redheads are my niece and nephew, from my older sister, Emma. The blond twins over there are from my middle sister, Shaleen. And that one crawling on the floor, that’s my youngest sister, Linda’s, child. And the rest are foster children.’
‘Ten. There are ten children. I’m not very good with children,’ I whispered.
‘Don’t worry, you can sit at the adults table, with me.’
‘Pippa.’ Andrew’s mom finally stood up with the fish. She was tall and muscular-looking and, I must say, very, very intimidating.
‘Yes,’ I said in the meek voice I’d been reduced to as she moved towards me. I wanted to step back; there was something in her voice and in her movements that was very authoritative. But I kept my feet firmly planted on the ground.
‘Where did you find this fish?’ she asked, but it felt more like an interrogation.
‘At a pet store. It was all alone in the back. He had a bacterial infection, but don’t worry, I’ve been treating it. But I must warn you, he might not live as long as a normal goldfish, but—’
‘That makes it even more perfect!’ The serious look on her face faded away as she beamed at the fish.
‘Here.’ I reached into my handbag and pulled out the fish food. ‘Only a tiny pinch a day. Very little. Just a few flakes. Once a day. And don’t put the bowl in the sun; it will encourage algae growth. And this is his medication: three drops a day in the water.’ She took the fish food and medication and then gently put the bowl down on the table.
‘Thank you. This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received.’ And then the muscular woman drew me into her massive arms and hugged me so hard I wondered if I would ever breathe again.
When she walked away, Andrew leaned in and whispered in my ear. ‘She’s a policewoman. Don’t worry, she intimidates everyone when they first meet her, but trust me, she’s a sweetheart.’
I nodded. So that’s where I knew that voice and pose from. The voice and pose designed to strike fear into your heart at roadblocks and car-licence checks. Police terrified me; if I was ever pulled over, I would frantically scan my mind, trying to figure out if I’d done anything wrong, even though I knew I hadn’t.
‘The licence disc on my car is about to expire, but I will get it renewed!’ I heard myself say, and everyone stared at me again. ‘But other than that, I’ve never broken the law and have no criminal record. Just so you know.’
Becca tipped her head at me. ‘Good to know, because I do run a full background check on everyone who comes into my house,’ she said, and then headed for the grill.
‘She’s joking, right?’ I asked Andrew.
‘I actually don’t know,’ he replied.
‘How did your moms meet?’
‘My mom Grace is a social worker, and my mom Becca works in the child protection unit.’
I nodded. That made sense.
‘My sister Emma is a dress designer. Shaleen is a librarian, and Linda is a golf instructor. We’re very different, but we’re all adopted.’
‘Really?’ I asked, looking from one to the other. Now that I thought about it, they looked nothing alike. ‘Are they going to adopt all these children too?’
Andrew’s shoulders slumped. ‘Unfortunately, they can’t. They foster some long term, but most are here on a short-term basis until they find forever homes. It takes a lot longer if they’re older though, so some land up staying permanently.’ I watched the kids playing. They all looked happy and well taken care of. But even so, sadness filled my chest like a helium balloon being blown up.
‘Some of them come from very bad circumstances,’ he said softly. ‘But they’re all great kids.’
‘Did you come from bad circumstances?’ I asked. Andrew’s eyes swept over mine quickly, and then he turned his back on me.Shit, my question had been too forward, too inappropriate. ‘Sorry,’ I said, and tried to reach out and touch his shoulder, but he was already walking away from me.
More feelings filled my chest. Unwanted children, unwanted fish, unwanted Andrew and his siblings. Everyone deserved someone that wanted them. Wanted to know them. Wanted to be there for them. Outside of my parents and Jennifer, I’d always struggled to make those kinds of connections with people. Perhaps that’s why I’d felt such an immediate connection with Sixty, and now why I felt like crying in the middle of a sixtieth-birthday celebration. Sometimes emotions overwhelmed me. They pounced on me out of nowhere and made me want to crumple in on myself. Some emotions felt too big to contain within me at times: sadness, anxiety, even happiness. And in moments like this I usually ran for the nearest bathroom, or the nearest quiet space, but that was not an option now.
‘So you’re an air traffic controller?’ one of his sisters asked.
Deep breath. Deep breath.‘Ye—’
