"Sophie-Anne!" A crackly loudspeaker voice called. "Sophie-Anne, please report to the pick-up zone immediately, your Uncle is waiting for you!" 8-year old Sophie stood up and wiped her eyes, her first day with her uncle and she was already getting into trouble. She didn't mean too, but she had been sidetracked by a book store, and the social worker and Lauren had been swallowed up by the sea of people by the time she looked up. Sophie stared around, searching for a sign or something that would lead her through the crowded train station to the pick-up zone. Finally an old man in a red uniform walked over to her. "Are you Sophie-Anne?" he said in a kind gravelly voice. "Yes," Sophie murmured embarrassedly. "Come on, I'll take you to the pick-up zone," he said with a smile. By the time they arrived at the pick-up zone Sophie had gotten over her shyness and was talking the old man's ear off. When she saw Lauren she ran towards her, gave her a giant hug and an apology, she had promised herself she'd protect her little sister and she wasn't about to break her promise. She turned around and thanked the old man, then turned to her uncle. She'd met him once before when he'd came and visited them, Lauren, had been a newborn. He was not a warm man but she remembered him being nice enough. Still holding Lauren's hand she went up to him and apologized for getting lost. His stormy eyes just looked at her and nodded, before turning and leading them away, to their new life.
"This will be your room," he said emotionlessly to Sophie. "Your sister's is just down the hall." He paused awkwardly for a minute before turning to leave, "Dinner is at 6," he said. Sophie, stunned, sat on the bed. The house was huge; her own bedroom was at least the size of her living room and bedroom back home put together. No, don't think of home she cautioned herself, feeling the tingling of her nose that signaled tears. She hadn't cried since…no, she mustn't think of that either. She had to stay strong for Lauren. Sophie took a deep breath and stood up. She walked to her little sister's room and stayed there until dinner time.
Dinner was an awkward silent affair. After dinner Sophie puts Lauren to bed and then goes into her own room. Lying in bed Sophie finally lets herself go. Silent tears stream down her face as she lets everything hit her. Eventually she falls into a fitful sleep full of her parent's faces and Lauren's screams. She is awakened early the next morning by bright sunlight streaming through the cracks in the darkness. Silently she sits up in bed and puts her feet on the floor. The bitter coldness seeps through her skin into her bones and she hurries to her suitcase to get her slippers. Her footsteps muffled she creeps through the early morning silence, the creak of the stairs are as loud as gunshots as she walks down the old staircase. The big house makes her feel puny and insignificant and its emptiness is only amplified by the early hours. Suddenly she jumps as a large hand grabs her shoulder. Whirling around, she is only semi-relived to see her uncle at the end of the hand.
2 hours later all three of them are sitting at the breakfast table when her uncle makes an announcement, "You will be starting school Wednesday," he says. Sophie and Lauren only stare at him as he continues; this is the most he's spoken since they met him. "Sophie, you will be attending Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary and Lauren, you will be attending 's preschool academy. Sophie fakes a smile and nods, thinking, our Lady of Sorrows? They finish dinner in silence then retire upstairs. "Sophie?" Lauren says quietly as they lie in her bed. "Yeah?" Sophie responds. "I'm bored," Lauren whines. Sophie smiles and rolls over onto her stomach. "Hmmm," Sophie says in mock questioning, "I guess you wouldn't want to possibly play in the snow, would you?" Lauren jumps up excitedly and Sophie follows her down the stairs. When they're all bundled up they rush out into the frigid air and for the first time since they arrive they have fun.
Later that night when dinner is cleared away and the girls are up in their rooms their uncle sits in the living room staring into the fire, remembering himself and his own sister, Carrie having fun. It isn't fair that she should have to die while her daughters live on, if he could he'd trade them for her in a heartbeat. She had been the only one to stick up for him when he was a kid and she'd always been there for him, until she met that wretched man and had those little brats, then she only had time for them and he was completely forgotten. And Now! Now he was stuck with the same brats who'd occupied all his sister's time. It was ridiculously unfair that all he had left of her was her brats. But he'd promised her he'd take care of them and so he would, but that didn't mean he had to love them.