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It wasn’t his fault her mom didn’t want her, but he didn’t have to be mean andsayit, even if itwasthe truth.
Ms. Belladidwant her, though, she thought. Both herandMariah.
But who was that with her?
It sounded like a guy.
Maybe it was Travis.
Then she heard another sound ... one she knew too well.
Ms. Bella wascrying.
It couldn’t be Travis. He wouldn’t make her cry.
Without thinking about it, or what she’d do, she ran to the room and threw the door open.
“Get away from ... ” She stopped because itwasTravis. He sat on the bed and Ms. Bella was on his lap—and both of them werenaked. Really naked.
And Ms. Bella had her arms around his neck and was crying like something hurt really bad inside while Travis was rubbing her back and rocking her. To make her feel better. So, he wasn’t hurting her ... ?
And they werenaked.
Confused, Brooklyn just stood there.
Ms. Bella sprang up.
“Brooklyn!”
“Um ... hi,” she whispered. “I had a nightmare.”
“Turn around, please,” Ms. Bella said.
Obediently, she did so, staring out into the dim hall while her belly rumbled and thoughts of pop-tarts roamed through her mind. Maybe she’d just go get one ...
“You can turn around now, sweetheart,” Ms. Bella said in a brisk voice.
Now she had on a robe and Travis had on the same pair of pants he’d worn to dinner, leaning against the tall, skinny pole that jutted up from the end of the pretty, fancy bed. Brooklyn eyed them both suspiciously. “Why were you naked?”
“Who said I was?” Travis responded, his brows arching.
“Well, Ms. Bellawas.” Brooklyn crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him before looking at Ms. Bella. “Andyou were crying.”
“I ... ” Her foster mother opened, then closed her mouth.
Travis put a hand on her shoulder and gave Brooklyn that kind of look that told her to mind her own business. It wasn’t a mean look—it was the sort of look Aaron gave her sometimes. Only with Travis, the look was ... bigger, somehow. “She was upset, Brooklyn. I was just holding her.”
“Naked?” Brooklyn squinted at him.
That look on his face deepened.
And Ms. Bella’s cheeks went red.
“If you’re having sex, just say so,” Brooklyn said. Her mom used to have sex all the time. But sometimes, she cried, like it was bad.
“Okay, kid. That’s enough,” Travis responded, and this time,heturned red. But his eyes had that too-bright look that Ms. Bella’s had. “You need to go back to bed.”
“But I had a nightmare.” She rubbed her belly and gave Ms. Bella a pleading look. “I need a pop tart.”
