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She slowly ate the small amount of food left for her without speaking up and telling on the much older teen. And, not wanting to ride to school with Kate, she ignored the kicks under the table for her to hurry up and gripped her fork tighter at the sudden blare of a car horn from outside.
“Let’s go, Alanna.” Kate stood up from the table expectantly.
Mrs. Fields turned from the sink. “Go ahead, Kate.” Moving to the stove, her foster mother carried a platter of French toast to the table to place three more on Alanna’s plate. “I’m sure Owen wouldn’t mind a ride to school; it’ll save him from being late again.”
Unfazed by the heated glare Owen turned on her, Mrs. Fields gave him a stony glance, showing him she was unmoved by his bullying behavior. “Unless you get your diploma, you won’t qualify for the transition housing your caseworker found for you.”
Alanna could see Owen biting back what he wanted to say. Instead, he jerked himself to his feet and carried his dirty dishes to the sink.
Kate jumped to her feet at the sound of the dishes crashing inside the sink.
Scarfing down the food once Kate and Owen had left, Alanna started to rise from the table with her empty plate in hand.
“There’s no need to rush.” Mrs. Fields gave her a gentle smile. “Your caseworker is coming by for a visit. She wants to have a chat with you.”
Feeling the color drain from her cheeks, she shakily sat back down. “You’re sending me back to the group home?”
Mrs. Fields covered her trembling hand with hers. “Only for a few days, until Kate and Owen leave.”
“I don’t understand.” Alanna stared at the older woman in confusion.
“I’ve been taking care of children in my home long enough to know when something isn’t right. I can see you becoming more terrified of Kate and Owen every day, so I think it’s best if you move to a group home until they are moved into their new housing.”
Alanna didn’t know whether to be relieved or become more frightened. Even when they moved out, they would still know where to find her when she returned to Mrs. Fields’s house, which school she went to. They were going to be furious about the birthday money, and not having someone to do their bidding when she was unfortunate enough to be around them. They knew she was afraid of them, and they wouldn’t give up without a fight. They fed on her terror, so they would starve until they found someone new to take advantage of. And when they went hungry, no one was safe.
Mrs. Fields gave her a discerning look. “If you don’t want to come back, I understand. That’s another reason your caseworker is coming. She can find another foster family where they’ll have a hard time finding you.”
“I don’t want another home.” Blinking back tears of fright, Alanna stared at her foster mother imploringly.
“I don’t want you, too, either. I’ve decided not to take in any more foster children. You’ll be the only one here, other than Sam. You and Sam get along okay, don’t you?”
“Yes.” She sniffled. “I like Sam.”
“I’m kind of partial to him myself. Of course, he’s my son, so I could be biased. With you and Sam to take care of, I’ll be able to take you back and forth to your appointments, and you won’t have to ride the bus anymore. You can go outside and sit on the back porch; think about it until your caseworker arrives.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Taking her dishes to the sink, Alanna started to head out the back door, but paused. Unable to hold back her happiness, she returned to the table to hug Mrs. Fields.
“Thank you. I like living here.”
“I like having you here, too,” Mrs. Fields returned gruffly. “Scoot. I hear a car in the driveway. I need a few minutes with your caseworker.”
Nodding, Alanna practically skipped out the back door to take a seat on the swing.
As she stared out at the overgrown lawn, she promised herself she would learn how to work the lawnmower, which gave Mrs. Fields such fits in her back each time she had to use it. Owen had refused to mow the grass each time he was asked. She also promised to do all the chores Kate hadn’t helped with.
Without Owen and Kate in the house and not having to see them again, it felt as if a whole new life was opening up to her. One where she wouldn’t have to be so afraid.
She bit her bottom lip as her happiness dimmed. No matter how much Mrs. Fields would try to protect her, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that Kate and Owen would just be waiting to strike when she least expected it.
“Should I not come back?” she mused out loud to herself. The last time she had left a foster home, she was stuck in a group home for thirteen months before Mrs. Fields accepted her as a placement.
There was nothing about her that drew the attention of prospective foster parents. She was too young to do many of the chores that would make life easier for those who wanted to foster. When she had been younger, she lived in several foster homes, and was shuffled out the door each time her foster parents found themselves expecting a child of their own.
“I don’t want to go to another home,” she mused out loud again. Mrs. Fields always made sure she had enough to eat and changed her bed as much as she did Sam’s. One of the biggest reasons that she didn’t want to leave was Sam. Despite the five-year age gap, she had grown closer to him while she and Kate had grown further apart. Both Owen and Kate were smart enough to keep their hands to themselves where Sam was concerned. Since he was Mrs. Fields’s natural son, they didn’t want to chance being thrown out by her. As far as foster homes went, Mrs. Fields’s was the best any of them had ever lived in.
“They’ll know where to find you.” Alanna knew Kate would never let her slip out of her grasp. On the other hand, did she want to chance being placed in a foster home where someone worse than Kate and Owen lived?
