polar bear.
Carefully, I lower myself down to the step she’s sitting on and turn to face her. She’s a beautiful little girl with dark hair and eyes so deep blue they’re almost purple. She’s wearing a frilly yellow dress, black Mary Jane’s, and has a Build a Bear box at her feet. I bet she built the bear she’s clutching this morning. My heart absolutely breaks for her.
“Hi there,” I say softly, trying to get her attention.
“My name is April, and Officer Martinez thought maybe you and I could talk a little bit. I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma. I’m sure she loved you so very much.”
I pass her a tissue from my purse and she wipes her face with it but it doesn’t stop the torrent of tears or sobs coming from her tiny little body.
“Do you think you can tell me your name, sweetie?”
She takes a few hiccupping sobs and holds my gaze with hers. “My name is Mia Faith Ramos.” Her lower lip quivers and more tears pour from her eyes. Suddenly, her arms wrap around me and she’s hugging me with all her might.
I spot Jake out of the corner of my eye, the concern on his face evident. I’m not one who usually brings my work home with me. I love my job, but it can be sad a lot of the time.
Doing the best I can to comfort Mia, I run my hands through her hair and hug her back. We’re supposed to be compassionate but maintain a distance if we can. Right now, Mia needs love however she can get it, and I’m happy to give it to her.
My boss has been trying to keep me from the more emotional cases, aside from the ones I’ve been on for a while. She said pregnancy hormones and emotion-filled cases don’t mix. I like my boss, but she has mastered the distance aspect of her job. I can’t. I feel everything, pregnant or not. Kids should not have to go through the things they do, and there are many sleepless nights for me because I don’t know how to create distance from the bad things in the world.
I’m glad. I don’t ever want to become so detached from my feelings that I don’t get emotional anymore. I need to feel it. If I feel it, I know I’ll do my damnedest to fix it however I can. Right now, I’d give anything to take away Mia’s pain.
“Mia, we’re going to help you through this, I promise.”
After about fifteen minutes of her wrapped in my arms, her worker finally shows up. It’s my friend Marie and she looks frazzled.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. There was a major accident on the 101, the freeway is backed up for miles. I finally got off and took the streets. Did they call you in?” Her words are whispered because Mia fell asleep in my arms.
Shaking my head, I scoot over so she can sit down, too.
“Jake and I were doing some shopping and had just finished lunch when Derek saw me and asked me to come over and help out. Do you have any info on her case yet? “
Marie nods and continues to whisper, “Both parents are deceased, and other than the deceased grandmother there are no other relatives. The grandmother has had full custody of her since she was three when her mother died, and her dad was killed in a gang shootout when she was just a baby.”
“How did you get all this information so fast?” I’m amazed she knows so much already.
“Her grandmother’s friend, who was here, filled out the incident report and gave their address. Believe it or not, they live on the same street as the Robinsons. Actually, they live directly across the street and Denise Robinson knew Mia’s grandmother very well. The circumstances are tragic but the timing couldn’t have been better.”
“How so?”
“Denise has an opening and since she’s our number one choice for cases like Mia’s, it’s already a done deal. Denise has a key to Mia’s house and she’ll slowly help her move her things over, but she did go over there and get a few things for now.”
“That’s incredible.” Denise Robinson is the best foster mother I have ever met. She has been taking kids for twenty
Carefully, I lower myself down to the step she’s sitting on and turn to face her. She’s a beautiful little girl with dark hair and eyes so deep blue they’re almost purple. She’s wearing a frilly yellow dress, black Mary Jane’s, and has a Build a Bear box at her feet. I bet she built the bear she’s clutching this morning. My heart absolutely breaks for her.
“Hi there,” I say softly, trying to get her attention.
“My name is April, and Officer Martinez thought maybe you and I could talk a little bit. I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma. I’m sure she loved you so very much.”
I pass her a tissue from my purse and she wipes her face with it but it doesn’t stop the torrent of tears or sobs coming from her tiny little body.
“Do you think you can tell me your name, sweetie?”
She takes a few hiccupping sobs and holds my gaze with hers. “My name is Mia Faith Ramos.” Her lower lip quivers and more tears pour from her eyes. Suddenly, her arms wrap around me and she’s hugging me with all her might.
I spot Jake out of the corner of my eye, the concern on his face evident. I’m not one who usually brings my work home with me. I love my job, but it can be sad a lot of the time.
Doing the best I can to comfort Mia, I run my hands through her hair and hug her back. We’re supposed to be compassionate but maintain a distance if we can. Right now, Mia needs love however she can get it, and I’m happy to give it to her.
My boss has been trying to keep me from the more emotional cases, aside from the ones I’ve been on for a while. She said pregnancy hormones and emotion-filled cases don’t mix. I like my boss, but she has mastered the distance aspect of her job. I can’t. I feel everything, pregnant or not. Kids should not have to go through the things they do, and there are many sleepless nights for me because I don’t know how to create distance from the bad things in the world.
I’m glad. I don’t ever want to become so detached from my feelings that I don’t get emotional anymore. I need to feel it. If I feel it, I know I’ll do my damnedest to fix it however I can. Right now, I’d give anything to take away Mia’s pain.
“Mia, we’re going to help you through this, I promise.”
After about fifteen minutes of her wrapped in my arms, her worker finally shows up. It’s my friend Marie and she looks frazzled.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. There was a major accident on the 101, the freeway is backed up for miles. I finally got off and took the streets. Did they call you in?” Her words are whispered because Mia fell asleep in my arms.
Shaking my head, I scoot over so she can sit down, too.
“Jake and I were doing some shopping and had just finished lunch when Derek saw me and asked me to come over and help out. Do you have any info on her case yet? “
Marie nods and continues to whisper, “Both parents are deceased, and other than the deceased grandmother there are no other relatives. The grandmother has had full custody of her since she was three when her mother died, and her dad was killed in a gang shootout when she was just a baby.”
“How did you get all this information so fast?” I’m amazed she knows so much already.
“Her grandmother’s friend, who was here, filled out the incident report and gave their address. Believe it or not, they live on the same street as the Robinsons. Actually, they live directly across the street and Denise Robinson knew Mia’s grandmother very well. The circumstances are tragic but the timing couldn’t have been better.”
“How so?”
“Denise has an opening and since she’s our number one choice for cases like Mia’s, it’s already a done deal. Denise has a key to Mia’s house and she’ll slowly help her move her things over, but she did go over there and get a few things for now.”
“That’s incredible.” Denise Robinson is the best foster mother I have ever met. She has been taking kids for twenty
Similar Books
Light Errant
Chaz Brenchley
Off Kilter
Glen Robins
Lost Causes
Ken McClure
Shifting Dreams
Elizabeth Hunter
Sister Girls 2
Angel M. Hunter
The Villa
Rosanna Ley
Matecumbe
James A. Michener
Once Upon A Wedding Night
Sophie Jordan
Playland
John Gregory Dunne