Like the morning I met these foster kids, I was sure she must have felt our stares, even as we tried to listen to Dale’s request. We’d all been in her spot with varying degrees of trauma. Maybe it was because we all felt her uncertainty, fear, and pain that we couldn’t help watching her.
The silence around the table was deafening as she lifted her head, and I stared into the darkest sapphire eyes I had ever seen. But they weren’t shimmering with hope or humor as a girl her age should experience. Instead, they felt empty. Almost like a doll’s lifeless eyes.
And then I saw the rest of her face. The purple skin surrounding her swollen left eye. Tiny cuts around both. A split bottom lip. A bruise forming on her right cheek. Crusted, dried blood around her nose.
Jesus. Someone beat the fuck outta her.
Sarah’s hand darted under the table to mine. She clenched it so damn hard I almost winced. Her facial features revealed nothing of her emotional status, but I knew this sight affected her deeply.
I squeezed lightly under the table, offering whatever support I could because I still didn’t know her story yet. Besides, I owed her this, and I wanted to do it. She had been there for me in a crucial way when I most needed it. It only made sense that I reciprocated.
It was then that I noticed the others. Ethan’s head had lowered, and he nearly vibrated with quiet rage. Caleb blinked so rapidly, I knew he fought back tears. Gage, usually the jokester, didn’t show any humor. He looked as devastated as I felt. Finn formed a fist on the table by his plate, revealing anger that rivaled Ethan’s. His light complexion was flushed, deepening the brown color of his freckles.
But Seb? He caught the girl’s gaze when it switched to him, holding it as if he offered quiet but unyielding strength. Then, her chin wobbled. He was the only one of us who stood, walking toward the girl. As if somehow recognizing each other, she watched his approach. I didn’t know what the hell he was thinking, but it sure wasn’t holding out his arm and inviting her to dinner.
Like this wasn’t the most tragic of circumstances. Like she hadn’t just been through hell.
“H-hi. You h-h-hungry? We’re j-just eating d-d-dinner.”
Maybe it was the stutter. Or maybe it was the fact that he smiled with genuine warmth and wasn’t fazed by the marks of her long-term abuse. It wasn’t hard to comprehend this level of harm had occurred over a long period of time. Months, if not years. For whatever reason, she accepted.
The girl didn’t speak, but she followed Seb to the table where he usually sat, giving up his seat for her. Finn vacated the chair beside her, and Seb sank into it as they exchanged a quick look. Finn ended up taking a seat in the empty chair to my left until he noticed Sarah still gripping my hand. His chair scraped the floor as he pushed it from the table and left the room, no explanation offered.
Maybe I should’ve cared more, but Sarah, focused on the new girl, audibly swallowed. Whatever demons she fought, they were trying to gain a foothold. I wouldn’t let that happen. As I squeezed back, her head rested on my shoulder. There wasn’t anything improper or sexual about it. This was about trust and comfort. Nothing more. However, Ethan’s gaze swept over us and something in him shifted. It was slight, but I couldn’t tell what it meant.
While I’m wondering what jealousy storm I just stumbled into, Caleb locked eyes with Sarah, also. Although, I respected how he seemed to not read too much into this. He understood her needs. He dipped his chin slightly, like an unspoken acknowledgement of her inner turmoil and trust that he was there for her, too.
Kristen left, and the front door closed.
After setting the backpack on the floor, Dale and Harmony joined us at the table. Harmony gestured to our plates. “Let’s eat while we do some introductions.”
Sarah released my hand and lifted her head, pushing her fork around on her plate.
Dale cleared his throat. “This is…”
While Dale spoke what sounded like some rare biblical name I would’ve had to write down and study before daring to repeat, I couldn’t help but notice the girl cringing at every syllable. I assumed she hated her name.
Dale continued. “She’s going to stay with us while Kristen sorts through everything.”
Harmony gave her a welcoming smile. “I’m glad you’re here—” Harmony looked to Dale like, How do I say her name again?
Calm as always, Dale rattled off the foreign name.
Harmony smiled. “Yes, we’re just having dinner, but afterward I’ll show you the room you’ll share with Sarah.”
The girl’s piercing eyes landed on Sarah. She dipped her chin shyly.
Sarah smiled. It wobbled but remained friendly. “It’s about time another girl arrived. There are far too many boys.” She made it sound annoying and teasing, which was quite a skill considering it didn’t extend to her pale eyes. I could see the effort, though. Ethan and Caleb noticed too. “It’ll be like a sleepover every night.”
The girl didn’t speak. She appeared pitifully timid, like it would cost her too much and she had already paid too high a price.
Sarah continued as if she understood the girl’s silence and the possible reasons behind it. “I’ve always wanted to be invited to one.”
Harmony sniffled, and I caught the tears she tried to hide as they shimmered in her eyes. “Sleepovers were always my favorite as a girl.”
Dale couldn’t hide the love he felt for his wife as their eyes met and held. In a single glance, they shared years of trust, adoration, and affection. A foundation that had been built with a strong base and then brick by brick had formed an impenetrable fortress.
I was in awe.
