“I mean it, Blake. I really do want you to tell me. Will you promise to tell me if there’s anything or anyone who scares you?”
I nodded, but I didn’t like that he was making me promise that. He didn’t know what it was like sometimes, not having anyone want you or love you. The other kids in school all had mommy and daddies. They liked their kids. I could tell when they picked them up after school.
I didn’t have that. Maybe one day. That would be amazing.
“You ready to meet Miss Marcie and your new foster brothers and sisters?”
I gave him another nod, though I never liked this part. I liked the part that we just did, when we sat in the car looking at the new home and I could pretend for a moment that my future family lived inside. Itwas the best, but then we’d actually go inside, and I always knew that they never really wanted me there.
Mr. Nathan got out of his car on his side, and I got out on my side, shutting the door.
He circled the front of the car, reaching for my hand.
I took it. My tummy started to twist. That had nothing to do with the candy Mr. Nathan let me have on the drive over.
He led the way to a back door and pushed the doorbell. He squeezed my hand. “It’ll be fine, Blake. I should’ve brought you here first. It’s just that Miss Marcie’s always filled to the maximum. Still, she said she’d meet you. We’ll make it work. This will be good for you and maybe her. She’s not had a little girl in so long. She’s been asking—”
There was a pounding of footsteps on the other side of the door.
“I got it—”
“Igot it!”
“You—”
“Boys!”
A bunch of boys were fighting on the other side of the door until someone hushed them. The door swung open. Oh, boy. All the boys! There were so many. Three right in front of us. One of them had flung the door open. He stood before us, his hand still on the door. He was older than me, and he looked me over before his nose wrinkled. “What? No way. We got another girl?”
One of the others shoved in front of him and pointed at me. “What happened to your face?”
That made the other boys start laughing before one shoved his elbow into the other’s chest, and that one wrapped his arm around the boy’s neck, yanking him down to the ground. Soon, all three were wrestling.
“Boys!” that same voice from before barked. “Take it outside or into the basement. And if someone gets hurt, you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah,” one of them whined. “We have to eatallthevegetablesthat the others don’t finish.Ugh.Broccoli!”
“Exactly. Death by vegetables.”
I wanted to hide behind Mr. Nathan, except as I began inching behind him, a woman moved in front of the door. She was big and tall, almost as tall as Mr. Nathan, and she was wearing the most colorful dress. Her skin was dark, darker than mine. Her hair was up in braids, wrapped around her head.
She looked like a goddess.
She wasbeautiful.
She was taking me in, too, and she knelt down, a smile on her face. “Well, hello there. Who have you brought me this time, Nathan?”
Mr. Nathan patted my shoulder, gently. “I’ve brought you a special one.”
“I can see that.” She was still taking me in, lingering on my face, and I knew she was seeing the bruises still there. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
I couldn’t speak. She was that beautiful.
“I’m Miss Marcie.” She held out her hand. “What should I call you?”
Oh. Whoa. This was a serious thing. I stepped forward and put my hand in hers.
Her smile was almost blinding as we shook, and I said, “Blake.” My voice came out as a whisper, and that was embarrassing. I ducked my head down, starting to inch back again.
