She sat in a chair near the door in a red sundress that hung loosely about her. Everything about her screamed she was sick. Or maybe it just seemed that way to me. She was pale with dark circles under her eyes. She was reading a book and looked as if she was having trouble picking it up. She had he legs pulled somewhat up so that she could prop the book on a knee.
Just a few minutes before, I had been speaking with the head of the adoption agency. She had seen me looking at the girl and immediately began to show me others. One boy was around ten and had a round face that was matched with his body. Another girl around the same age was playing with a Barbie. But my thoughts kept wondering toward the sickly girl.
"She was just diagnosed sir, stage four, Leukemia. They said the kemo wouldn't even help keep her alive longer. She just sits there now. Reading and thinking she says. I think she prays. Prays for a miracle, she does. But I needn't bother you with that. There is a beautiful two year old that is perfectly healt…." I interrupted her then.
"I would like to give that girl a home before she passes." I said not knowing why I had to help the girl. I had come here to adopt a child because well Esme needed someone else to take care of. What better then a sick child right?
"Sir, are you positive?" The woman looked confused at my decision. Like that girl didn't deserve to be taken out of the home.
"Yes, I am Miss Paten, if you don't like my choice perhaps you would like to get your superior. I'd be most happy to tell her your opinion on things." I could hear her pulse get faster and harder as she shook her head,
"No sir I don't mind your choice at all. I'll just introduce you to her. Her name is Laylona Stewart. Come with me Mr. Cullen." She started toward the girl in the beautiful red dress.
* ~ * ~ *
"Laylona Stewart meet Mr. Carlisle Cullen," I head Miss Paten say from beside me. I hated her voice. Well I pretty much just hated her. She was condescending and if you didn't suck up you didn't get a break. So I was highly surprised when she brought the man over to me.
I set my book on the table next to me and looked up. I was not expecting a man of this stature to be there. He was God-like. His beauty dulled everyone else in the room. The fist thing that caught my attention was how pale he was. He was whiter than anyone I had ever seen. Then there were his yes, golden, almost like honey but a little brighter.
"Um... Oh, hi," I said shaking my head to clear my thoughts. Just then pain shot though my body and I ground my teeth to keep from looking in pain.
"Hello Laylona," he said and it felt as though he was appraising me. His eyes shifted from my mouth to my stomach, which was a little weird.
"Mr. Cullen has asked to adopt you," Miss Paten said in the most confused voice I had ever heard come from her. She was looking at Mr. Cullen with such aggression I'm surprised he was still looking at me.
"Would you be opposed to that Laylona?" he was looking at me intently. I almost jumped up and started for the door just then. But instead I calmed myself and looked up.
"I wouldn't mind at all. I'd just like to get out of this place before I die," I was known for my ill humor about my inevitable death.
"Well I will, I guess I'll go get the paper work, Laylona you should go pack." Miss Paten looked utterly distraught as she turned to leave. Mr. Cullen turned to leave but I stopped him right before he left.
"She told you that I have cancer right?" I asked hoping to God that he didn't mind a sick girl in his house.
"Yes she did. I am a doctor and I think you could survive after all Laylona." Then with that and a smile he turned and walked toward the office on the other side of the room. I was getting adopted. It was a scary concept really, to not have to worry about not having a home. So I went to pack the small amount of personal items I had and the money I had saved from my job before I had been diagnosed.
When I came back down I thought for sure he had changed his mind. Things like this just didn't happen to me. But to my breathtaking relief he was standing by the stairs. He took my bags and led me out the doors of the home. As we entered the parking lot there was one car that stood out, it was a new Mercedes in pure black. I got a shock when I realized we were headed right for that black car.
"That's your car?" I asked knowing perfectly well that it was.
"Yeah that's my car," he said and chucked a heavenly sound. As we got in the car after he had put my bags in the car he turned to me.
"Laylona I will tell you before hand, I have seven other children and a wife. All my children are adopted and all are different in our own unique way." He hesitated then started the car. I thought the last was a weird thing to say but I didn't say anything. I didn't care if they all had a life ambition to join the circus. I was going to have a home.