Bloom

by UnadithGreenleaf

Kat moves in with an unlikely caregiver.

I suppose it really all started when I was little. My father had returned home from Europe a few days before. He had been shooting a film called "Wilde" for which he was doing makeup. I was six and it was the first week of December. He had gotten all of his things put away and had rested up so he decided to take me out for a drive so we could spend some quality time together. I'm sure he really wanted to, but now I also realize it was probably so Mom could stay home and wrap some presents for us while we weren't there to see what she'd gotten us. I wouldn't be getting what I asked "Santa" for - a pony.

My father liked to go to the empty parking lots in town and spin the car around doing donuts and sliding to check the brakes and wheels on the ice. It was some of the best fun I'd ever had in the winter. We finished swirling around one parking lot and then drove off to find the next one. We had done this every year as long as I could remember - which, of course, was maybe three years at the maximum. I had loved it. But that year ruined it.

We were driving down the street to find the next lot. We were approaching a stop light and the light turned red. Dad braked, but we hit a patch of ice and he lost control of the car for a few moments. But a few moments was all it took. We slid out into the cross-traffic. A car hit us and others swerved out of the way as they tried to avoid the crash. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and clutching my seat belt before it was suddenly dark.

I awoke to bright lights and the smell of anesthetics. I don't actually remember much about the hospital. I remember crying for "Daddy" and "Mommy", but only my mother was able to visit me. My father was in a hospital room down the hall. He had gotten a concussion when we hit another car. I had just screamed so much that I had passed out from lack of oxygen. I was released the same day I woke up. My father was in the hospital for a few days after that. The house was strange those few days, and Christmas was quiet that year.

I never went with my father for those drives again. I was always hesitant to get into a car in the winter. I was afraid of the icy roads and I didn't want to get into another crash. I went when necessary, but you could not make me get in a car, during winter, when it was dark outside. Friends that invited us to Christmas parties always knew to expect me to stay the night or take some sleeping pills so I wouldn't be bothered by the drive home.

I was six then. But "it" happened when I was thirteen. We had finally had our first freeze. Because of weather the last years, northern Indiana was expected to get our first snowfall the beginning of November. I thanked God that it waited until the beginning of December, even though it meant we'd have an icy New Year's. I was home baking cookies for the upcoming holiday when my parents came into the kitchen.

"Alright, Kat," Mom said in her mixed, Italian-American accent, "we're heading out. Will you be alright by yourself for a while?"

"Where are you guys going?"

"For a drive," Dad answered. "We're going to check the brakes and tires. I don't suppose you want to come?"

He was teasing, but my heart thumped faster at the thought, "Erm, no thanks. Besides, I was about to put some cookies in the oven."

It was an obvious lie. I didn't even have the cookies cut out yet. But Mom and Dad let it slide; they knew how I felt about those rides. They left and I continued to make my cookies. They were sugar cookies. I cut out shapes from the dough and put them all on four different cookies sheets. I put sprinkles and sugar on some and waited to put a glaze or icing on others.

But I never made only cookies. I made biscuits. Dog biscuits, to be exact. Of course, I always had to keep my dogs out of the kitchen because of this. I didn't want them to beg for dough or jump up on the table or anything. So I put two cookie pans and one dog treat pan in the oven before heading our into the living room. I closed the kitchen door and plopped down on my couch. Topaz and Ruby immediately jumped up with me and I turned on the TV. We were watching a Christmas special on ABC. It was some Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movie. I don't remember which one, but I always liked the original best.

I remember faintly hearing sirens pass my house as I went into the kitchen to take the baking sheets out of the oven and replace them with the other three. I went back into the living room and kept watching the movie. Sirens weren't uncommon on my street since we lived close to the hospital. I kept watching the movie and took the other cookies and biscuits out when they were finished. I glazed and frosted the few plain cookies and left them to set. I grabbed two of the cooled dog biscuits and gave one to Ruby and the other to Topaz. We continued to watch ABC for the rest of the afternoon.

The sun began to come in through the east windows and I began to wonder over where my parents had gone. Topaz and Ruby were sitting on the couch and Onyx had come to join us. He sat on my lap as I lazily pet his ears. It had been a few hours since they had left. I thought nothing of it at first. Dad often had spontaneous urges to go for a long drive around the countryside. I couldn't blame him. The cornfields in our area looked beautiful with the snow covering the rolling hills. That was one of the only reasons I ever got into the car in winter: I loved the scenery.

It was getting near supper time and I wondered if there was anything I could to to prep for dinner. I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and called Mom's cell phone. There was no answer the first time. I tried again. Still no answer. I became frustrated and tried again. This time there was an answer.

'Hello?'

The voice was male and unfamiliar, so I answered carefully.

"Hello. I was trying to get a hold of my mother," I began. "Did I dial a wrong number?"

'Depends,' was the answer.

"On what?"

'Is your mother Valentina Scholz?'

"Yes." My heart was pounding.

There was silence for a bit and I held my breath. Why did some strange man have my mother's phone?

'I need to come get you, then.'

"What?" I cried, frightening my animals and causing Onyx to jump off my lap. "Who are you?"

'I'm sorry. My name is Aaron Hayes. I'm with the police department. You need to come down to the station.' He stopped and his voice dropped its official tone. 'What's your name, hon?"

"Kat," I squeaked.

'Alright, Kat. I just need you to come down to the station for a few official things.'

"Why? What happened?"

'It wouldn't be ideal to say over the phone. I'll be there soon.'

"How...?"

'We ran the license plate on the car. Don't worry.' With that, Officer Hayes hung up.

I ended the call and sat there for a minute. I then hurried to grab my small purse. I put in my wallet, ten dollars, my house key, and my phone. I pulled on a jacket and waited for Officer Hayes to come and get me. I put the cookies and dog biscuits away as I waited. Ruby and Topaz followed me everywhere. I suppose they wondered why I was leaving and why I was so upset. I hated to think that something had happened. But what other explanation was there?

I saw the police car drive up nearly fifteen minutes later. I hurried outside, locking the door behind me. It was a police officer and not some stalker, so I was glad. I got in the back of the car and Officer Hayes drove me downtown to the police station. I was shown to the sheriff's office. I was sat down in a chair in front of the desk and Officer Hayes left to tend to his duties. I sat there for a while, waiting for the sheriff to finally show up. Sheriff Monroe was a large man. He wasn't overweight or obese. But he was tall and broad. He scared me - had ever since I was a young girl. But as he walked into his office with a sad and soft expression on his face, my fear lessened a bit. He sat in his chair and folded his hands on top of his desk. He opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.

"Why am I here and where are my parents?" I asked.

Sheriff Monroe sighed, "You're here because I need to explain to you that you are going to be getting into some legal trouble."

"And where are my parents?"

"They're in the hospital."

My heart stopped. I felt cold, like all the blood had left my veins.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"An oncoming car lost control and crashed into their front bumper."

I wanted to cry. This was why I hated getting in cars during the winter. People lost control more easily on the icy roads. But I was glad for his bluntness. I didn't like it very much when people sugar-coated things. I felt like a child when they did that.

"H-how are they?" My voice cracked.

Sheriff Monroe was reluctant to say anything. There were a few minutes of silence as be tried to work out in his mind what to say.

"Don't sugar-coat it, please," I whispered. "Just tell me the facts."

"They are in critical condition." He hesitated again, and then continued in a softer, quieter voice, "The doctors don't expect them to make it."

I felt tears burning the back of my eyes, but they wouldn't fall. I stared at my hands in my lap as the Sheriff continued. He told me that there would be legal complications if my parents did... pass away. I would likely have to move to a new town, live in a new home with people I didn't know well - if at all, and would have to go to a new school and try get used to the public school system. I didn't want that to happen. Not one bit.

At some point I asked when I would be allowed to go home. Sheriff Monroe explained that they couldn't leave me home by myself and asked if I had a place where I could stay. I called my friend Meagen and asked if I could stay at her place for the night. She asked her father and it was fine with him. I had to write down their contact information for the police station in case they needed to get a hold of me again.

Meagen Weaver had been my best girl friend for as long as I could remember. We went to church together and had been very excited when we discovered we would be going to the same school. Her father was the pastor at our church and a very nice man. His name was Todd. He preached the Word of God every Sunday and was always on the good side of the youth within the church. His wife's name was Rebekka and she was fun to be around because of her enthusiasm regarding anything crazy or insane. This normally lead to interesting recipes on holidays, Halloween costumes, and other certain activities that I am not allowed to disclose. Our families were close friends and I knew I would be able to stay with them as long as I needed.

Pastor Todd came and picked me up from the police station and we drove back to his house in silence, making sure he was careful. He knew how I was one icy roads. But I wasn't paying much attention to the ice. Once we had gotten inside the house, Meagen was immediately all over me making sure I wasn't at the police station because I had been mugged. I gently pulled her off and mumbled that I hadn't been mugged, or attacked, or violated, or anything of the sort. Meagen helped me take of my coat, pulled me into their living room, and sat me on the couch. Pastor Todd sat in a chair next to the couch. Rebekka came in and was about to say something when she saw the somber mood of the three of us. She closed her mouth and sat on the floor next to me.

"Kat," Meagen started, "what happened? Where are your parents?"

I took a shaky breath as tears stung my eyes again.

"My parents were in a car crash," I whispered. "They aren't expected to make it."

Tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to swallow my sobs. It didn't work and I broke down. Meagen held me and Rebekka sat next to me on the couch rubbing my back for comfort. Pastor Todd left the room for a moment and then came back to the doorway while talking on the phone with someone. It took me a bit to be calm again and we sat on the couch even after I had finished crying. Rebekka offered to heat up some dinner for me, but I wasn't hungry. Meagen and I went upstairs and she helped me get settled in the guest room. She'd given me a pair of her pyjamas and then left after I was under the covers. It was only eight o'clock but I fell asleep anyway.

I didn't have any dreams, so I woke up when the cold, winter sun hit my face through the blinds and pierced the darkness of my sleep. I awoke feeling tired - body and soul. My heart hurt and I had a throbbing headache. I peeped out of the room and began to head downstairs. I didn't want to be alone. It was Saturday and I didn't really expect anyone to be up, but I'd seen Meagen's door open. I found her in the kitchen where she was getting herself a glass of orange juice. She turned around and asked me if I wanted one, too. I nodded and she got me a glass.

We sat at the kitchen table in silence. I leaned on her shoulder and occasionally raised my head to take a sip of my juice. Pastor Todd was the next one up and he began to make breakfast. He was making pancakes. Rebekka came into the kitchen as he was turning on the burners under the griddle. As Pastor Todd put the first few pancakes on the griddle, the phone rang. He handed the spatula to his wife and went to answer it. Rebekka finished the pancakes before Pastor Todd came back. We ate. Well, they ate. I couldn't get down more than my orange juice and half a pancake, and only because Meagen convinced me that I needed more in my stomach. After a few minutes, I finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been on my mind.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked. "Unless, it had nothing to do with me, of course. I don't want to be nosy."

Pastor Todd smiled sadly, "It's fine Kat. It was Sheriff Monroe."

"What did he say?" Meagen and I asked at the same time. It was good to know she was so worried for me.

"Your father passed away last night," Pastor Todd said, softly. "They don't expect your mother to make it much longer. But you can visit her if you want."

My heart broke a little more hearing that my father had passed and that my mother wouldn't make it much longer. But I wanted to see her before she died. Meagen let me borrow some of her clothes and we all got dressed and headed to the hospital. Once inside, we were directed to room 384. I was not prepared for what I saw. Mom lay in the bed. She had all sorts of wires and tubes connected to her in one way or another. There were bandages wrapped around her face, her arms, and probably her legs and torso, too. Much of her hair had been cut off so they could wrap her head. She looked so different and I wanted to cry.

I threw my coat to the side and sat in a chair next to the bed. And held one of Mom's hands. A heart monitor was beeping, so I knew she was still alive. Meagen stood behind me and hugged me around my shoulders. Pastor Todd and Rebekka stood on the other side of the bed. But I wasn't paying attention to them. I was glad for their presence; it was comforting. But, otherwise, all I was aware of was Mom and the heart monitor that was beeping next to me. I anticipated the beats. Each time one was late or skipped, my breath would catch and my heart would skip one of its own beats.

We stayed there for most of the day. We were pulled out every so often so that the doctor could change Mom's bandages and do any other medical check-up things that were necessary. I was always just glad when I could be by my mother's side again. She never woke up while we were there. I didn't eat at all, but they managed to force some water into me. The day dragged on and soon it was nighttime. I didn't want to leave, so Pastor Todd stayed with me while Rebekka took Meagen home - of course, Meagen actually wanted to stay with me and promised she'd be back the next morning. I laid down on a couch near the window and Pastor Todd took the chair. I didn't get any sleep, though. I was too worried.

It was near 11 o' clock. I was listening to the heart monitor. It had been going steady for a while but I began to hear it slow down. I sat up. Pastor Todd was praying over Mom. Her heart beat continued to slow and then became erratic for a few moments before stopping completely. I cried out in shock and ran to the bed. I grabbed my mother's hand.

"Mommy! Mommy wake up!" I screamed, sobbing. "No! No! No! This isn't supposed to happen!"

Pastor Todd pulled me back and held me until I was calm. It took a while and the doctor came in while I was still hysterical. They removed the wires and tubes from my mother before wheeling her bed out if the room and to some other part of the hospital. I cried for a long time. Pastor Todd told me it was nearly half an hour. I believed him. I was so exhausted. We pulled on our jackets and left the room, but I only made it part way down the hall before my knees buckled and I fell. Pastor Todd picked me up and carried me to the car. He drove us home and put me to bed.

I stayed in bed late the next morning. Pastor Todd was at the church preaching. I went downstairs at about 10:30 after getting dressed and brushing my teeth. Meagen was sitting on the couch and Rebekka was in the kitchen. I sat next to Meagen, who instantly pulled me into her arms. I held her tight and buried my head in the crook of her neck. We sat like that for a while and then I laid my head on her lap while she played with my hair. It felt nice as she braided my hair and twisted it into a bun before letting it go and combing her fingers through it again.

"Breakfast?" Meagen asked, softly.

I almost agreed when an image of my mother popped into my head and made my stomach churn.

"No, thank you," I whispered.

Meagen didn't answer but instead kept playing with my hair. We sat there for a bit before Rebekka told us she was heading over to go to the eleven o'clock service at church. She didn't ask us if we wanted to come, knowing that I wasn't in the mood to go anywhere today and that Meagen would be sticking to me like glue. She said she'd make sure that a prayer was said for me. I nodded, but I wast really listening to what she said. I faintly heard the door close and just tried to focus on how nice Meagen's fingers felt as they played with my hair. It was comforting. I wanted to stay there forever and just be loved like that. But it wasn't long before there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" Meagen called.

The door opened and Andy Clarke walked in with his satchel over his shoulder. Andy was Meagen's and my other other best friend. He went to school with us and to the eleven o'clock service at our church - or he normally did. I sat up as he closed he door behind himself. He left his coat in the front room and dropped his satchel on the floor by the couch before sitting next to me and hugging me tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Kat. I wish I could make it better."

I laughed humourlessly, and no smile made its way onto my face. Andy pulled away and put a small kiss on my forehead. He then reached down and pulled his satchel onto his lap.

"Meagen and I planned something to cheer you up!" Andy chirped.

He hurried over the DVD player and put in a disc that I wasn't able to get a glimpse of. I frowned in confusion, but he and Meagen just smiled at me. Andy manually turned on the TV and then jumped back onto the couch with us. Meagen took the remote and changed the input to DVD. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the menu screen for the extended edition of "The Fellowship of the Ring" pop up. A trace of happiness sparked in my chest.

"So we're doing a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon?" I asked, quietly.

"Well, yes and no," Meagen answered.

"Meagen already has 'Pirates of the Caribbean' here so I didn't need to find that anywhere," Andy added. "But I also picked up this movie called 'Wilde'. I - I think this is one your dad worked on.

I looked at them confused. What did any of these movies have to do with each other? Well, they were sort of period movies. I also knew that we couldn't watch all of them in one day.

"We won't be able to watch all of them," I lamented.

"Well be taking the week off with you," Andy said. "You're not going though this alone. Our first two days we'll spend watching these movies."

"We know you'll like them!" Meagen said, giggling.

Meagen pressed "play" and we started to watch the first movie. Pastor Todd and Rebekka came home and made us a snack platter to eat from while we watched our movies. We were able to watch all if them within two days. And they were right, I did like them for the one thing they all had in common.

Legolas had always been my favourite character in "Lord of the Rings", movies and books. We watched the trilogy the first day. The next day we watched the other three movies. Will Turner was definitely adorable in the way he had puppy-eyes only for Elizabeth. And during "Wilde" my eyes were drawn to a character only named in the credits as "Rent Boy". Orlando Bloom had been my favourite actor ever since he had played Legolas. I don't want to say that I idolized him, but he was an inspiration to my acting. My parents had always found that funny for some reason. They always giggled to themselves when I talked about it.

I found myself physically unable to smile. But I thanked my friends as tears of gratitude made their way down my cheeks. They knew how watching movies with my favourite actors could cheer me up, and watching those movies made the rest of that week bearable.

The next day I had to get up early to meet with my parents lawyer and nine o'clock.

I knew who Hayden Bennett was, but I'd never spent much time around him before. I had only met him once when I was six. My parents had to meet with him to discuss car insurance after the accident. He was very nice to me and had even let me sit in his office chair. I'd spent the next few minutes spinning in the chair until my mother pulled me off and onto her lap. I hadn't paid much attention to what they'd spoken about, but I remember that they also talked about my parents' wills. I hadn't known what a will was at the time. I knew now, and that was part of what I was going to speak to Mr. Bennett about.

Pastor Todd drove me - carefully, with the radio on to distract me - to the law office and waited in the waiting room for me at my request. I walked inside and walked up to the desk. The woman there looked up from her computer and smiled.

"What can I do for you?"

"I have an appointment with Mr. Bennett," I answered.

She turned back to her computer, "Name, please."

"Katharine Scholz."

"Spelling?"

I spelled it for her and she typed it into her computer. She took a moment to read over the screen and then turned back to me.

"His office is down the hall, second door on the left."

"Thank you."

I walked down the hall and found the room. The door was closed, so I wasn't sure if he was in. I raised my hand to knock, but then brought it back to my side. What it he was meeting with someone? I didn't want to interrupt an important conversation. I looked for something else that might allow me to let him know I was here. Psychiatrists' offices had lights, but apparently not lawyers' offices. I put my ear to the door to see if I could hear if anyone was there.

"Excuse me," a voice said, amused. I spun around to face a man. "What are you doing?"

"I was trying to see, hear, if there was anyone in," I answered, trying to keep cool.

The man smiled, "Well, no one is. But we will be. Are you Katharine?"

"Yes, sir."

He smiled and opened the door for me. I walked inside.

"I am Hayden Bennett. It's been a while since I last saw you, Katharine. You've gotten quite tall."

"I was six," I deadpanned.

Mr. Bennett smiled, "Yes, you were."

He motioned for me to sit and I dropped into one of the chairs opposite of his desk and slipped my coat from my shoulders.. He sat in his own chair and pulled a few files out of his desk. He said that there was only one that I should be really concerned about. He pulled out a file from the middle and moved the others to the side. He opened the file and flipped through the papers. He finally found the paper he was looking for and looked it over.

"Okay." He was ready to begin. "Since you parents are no longer able to care for you, we need to send you to someone who can. They put in their will who it is and I need to explain to you how this is going to work."

I nodded. I didn't have a problem with it. But I will admit that I was unsure of who it would be, and if the person would be a good choice. I didn't know many of my parents' good friends and we had no other close family that I knew. And I certainly didn't know of any second or third cousins. I didn't want to be thrown into an awkward situation. A stranger I could get to know as a friend and they could share my sadness as they would have just lost a friend. But I felt that living with family would come with certain expectations that I wouldn't live up to: "You're nothing like your parents," "You don't look anything like a Scholz," "Too bad you didn't inherit your mother's genes, she was so pretty." I knew it was all petty, but I had no idea how someone in my extended gang would except me. I certainly didn't want it to end up like Harry Potter.

"What do I need to know?"

"First off, you're going to another country."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"The man your parents want to you live with lives in London. But these means it'll be a little harder for you. Okay?" I nodded. "CPS will send a representative to your home, maybe two, and they'll help you pack up what's yours and what your parents have willed to you. We won't be able to get you out of the country right away. We'll have to do quite a bit of paperwork. You'll need a passport, first of all, and you'll need to become a legal citizen of England if you're going to live there with your guardian. We can't have them adopt you In the States so that will be their problem once you're a citizen over there. You alright so far?"

I nodded. "CPS. Passport. Citizenship. Picked up by new guardian," I summarized.

Mr. Bennett smiled and continued to go on about some of the finer points of how I would get my passport and my citizenship once I was in England. He told me that I would probably not want to take much with me overseas. There would be things I could replace, such as furniture, clothes, and books. He also said it would be a good idea to donate things that I wouldn't need now that I was older, such as baby books, clothes, and toys. But, really, if there was anything I wanted in my new home there were ways I could get it there. But I definitely wouldn't want it all on the plane.

After about an hour Mr. Bennett had explained everything to me that I needed to know at that moment. He put the files away and shook my hand. He led me out to the front desk where Pastor Todd was talking to the secretary while waiting for me. He and Mr. Bennett spoke privately for a few minutes. After they shook hands Pastor Todd and I walked out to the car and we drove back to his house - radio still playing. It was during the drive that I realized Mr. Bennett had only referred to my new guardian as such. He hadn't used the person's name.

"Pastor Todd?" I began, quietly.

"Yes, Kat?" he acknowledged, turning down the radio a bit.

"He didn't tell me who my new guardian would be."

"Oh?"

"Apparently they live in England. Do you have any idea who it might be? Did my parents ever talk to you about a friend who lived in England?"

"No, they never spoke to me about anyone. At least, not that I can remember."

"Okay."

We rode the rest of the way just listening to the radio. Once we got back to the house, we saw that Meagen had set up a game of Monopoly. We played until lunch. Meagen was winning, like she always did. I never could figure put how she always managed to beat us. We played what we called "last man standing". We would start with several people and play until all but one person had run out of money. More often the not Meagen and I were the last two still battling it out. Games out last for days sometimes.

We paused to get something to eat. We went out to a restaurant and ate there. It was on our way back, passing my house along the way that I suddenly realized that I hadn't fed my animals in about three days. We turned the car around and I hurried inside. Ruby and Topaz tackled me and I loved on them for a while. Onyx pestered me until I followed him to the food dishes. I fed the dogs and then filled the cat's dish. Onyx ate and then finally let me pet him. Pastor Todd, Rebekka, and Meagen had come inside with me and we all sat in the living room, talking.

"I think you should stay here, Kat," Pastor Todd said. "You need to take care of your animals and you should probably start deciding what you want to do with your things."

I nodded but then asked, "Alone?"

"I could stay with her!" Meagen suggested.

Her parents looked at each other. They spoke quietly for a few moments before consenting. They left soon after and Meagen and I decided to go to my room and go through my things. We found several clothing items to donate as well as some old toys that I wasn't too upset about giving away. We had a few boxes of stuff by the time we were ready to eat something for dinner.

Not only were we ready to eat, but Ruby and Topaz were scratching at my bedroom door and barking. Meagen and I headed downstairs. She went through the fridge while I filled the animals' food dishes. I joined Meagen at the fridge when the dogs and cat were happily eating. We pulled out the eggs and made eggs sandwiches for dinner. We ate in front of the TV while watching NCIS. When we were finished with our food, I cuddle up to Meagen and she held me as we watched the show. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best thing to do since the whole show was about investigating murders. It put bad thoughts in my head and didn't sleep well that night.

Meagen and I fell asleep on the couch like that. We woke up the next morning to Law and Order. We turned it off and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. Meagen wanted to make eggs but I just felt like eating cereal. We ended up eating bowls of Coco Puffs while turning on Little Einsteins. We watched a few episodes before the door bell rang. Meagen and I got up and went to the door. As we looked out the window, we saw Mr. Bennett. I opened the door and let him in. He sat down with us in the dining room and helped me figure out what was in the house that my parents had willed me. It wasn't much, just things they knew I would like and things that were certain family heirlooms.

I took some things and had them buried with Mom and Dad. The funeral was sad, and I was silent the whole time. Pastor Todd did the service. He said it would be nice to say a few words about them, but I had nothing to say. I couldn't think of anything and I knew my mouth wouldn't work if I tried. So I sat silently in my seat and tried to ignore the looks of pity sent my way from the other people attending. I didn't want their pity or their sorrow. I wanted my parents back. But that wouldn't be happening. I wouldn't even be living in the country anymore.

Those few months with Mr. Bennett, CPS, Andy, and Meagen's family helping me were a blur. There was one woman with CPS who came most often. Silvia Ramirez was a wonderful Spanish lady who really took care of me. She made sure that I ate and slept well through my depression and helped me stay more positive through all the legal craziness that was going on.

I don't remember what the specifics of how we got everything in my parents' house out to whomever they willed it to. People I didn't know we're coming over to speak with Mr. Bennett and take home what now belonged to them. The first people started coming over around Christmas. They would hug me and offer their condolences. I would nod and mutter a weak "thank you" before they spoke to Mr. Bennett about what had been willed to them. Then they would leave, giving me a sad smile as they walked out the door. I hated it. Ruby, Topaz, and Onyx didn't like the constant visitors either. Meagen was over one day helping me go through the bookshelves and saw the reactions of me and my animals when the door bell rang. It had turned out to be Silvia, who started helping us go through all the books. Meagen excused herself to make a phone call while Silvia and I looked for books that people would be coming to pick up.

"How are you holding up, honey?" Silvia asked in her Spanish accent. I loved the way she spoke; it was comforting.

"I wish so many people didn't always come over. I don't even know half of them," I explained.

She smiled apologetically at me, "I'm sorry, honey. It'll all be over before you know it."

I tried to smile, but I think it showed as more of a grimace. The grimace would have more accurately matched my feelings. I didn't want it to be over. I wanted to have never started. But I didn't get any farther with my thought before Meagen came back.

"Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"If you don't wanna be here for these next few weeks you can stay with us for Christmas and New Year's. You and your pets," Meagen suggested.

I stared at her, "R-really?"

"Yeah. Mom and Dad thought it was a good idea. We can still come over at times to pack and such."

Silvia smiled, "That would be fine! Just call me when you want to come over so I can help."

I nodded, "Thank you."

Meagen went out to call her parents back and arranged for them to pick us both up, with my pets, when we were ready.

We all finished going through the books and then began to get things together for me to take over to Meagen's house. I packed a suitcase with as many clothes as I could, even though I knew I could come back at any time for clothes. I grabbed the cat and dog food bags and bowls, stuffing them into a beach bag so I could make transporting them a bit easier. I found Ruby's and Topaz's leashes and Onyx's cat-carrier. It took us a bit to find Onyx, but we finally git him into his carrier. Silvia had gone and all we had to do was get Ruby and Topaz on leashes, so Meagen called her parents. They were there within ten minutes with their van.

I thanked Pastor Todd and Rebekka profusely as we figured out where to seat the animals. They assured me that it was no trouble at all, and I was grateful. Once we were back at their house, I hurried to take Onyx up to the room I would be using. I wanted him to be more comfortable there than under the sink or something. I left him in the carrier so that he wouldn't run off somewhere, and so he could become comfortable with the smell of the room. When I got back downstairs, I saw that Meagen had already taken Ruby and Topaz out to sniff around the backyard. I was glad she'd kept them on a leash. I didn't want to try and catch them while running through snow. I joined Meagen and we walked the dogs around the yard before taking them in so the pads on their paws wouldn't freeze. We walked them around the house and let them off the leashes once they had calmed down.

I went back upstairs to the guest room to check on Onyx. He was pawing at the door of the cat carrier and I closed the bedroom door before pulling him out of the carrier. I carried him around the room for a few minutes before setting him down at letting him explore the room a bit on his own. He finally decided to curl up an nap on the bed pillows. I left the room, closing the door behind me. I couldn't have Onyx running around the house and hiding himself somewhere because he got scared.

We ate dinner and after I sat in the living room, looking at their Christmas tree that they already had up. The lights were on and they glinted on the ornaments. I thought about the ornament I had at home. I wouldn't take them all with me; just the ones with significant sentimental value. Ones like those that I had made and the few that Mom and Dad really liked or reminded me of them. It hurt to think that I would never spend another Christmas with my parents. I sniffed. Meagen was making a call in her room and her parents were cleaning up in the kitchen. I heard the jingle of a collar and saw Ruby trot into the room. She walked right up to me and put her head in my lap. I scratched behind her ears.

"Hey, Ruby. You like it here?"

She looked up at me and licked my hand. I smiled. I pet her for a while before Topaz came in, looking for attention. I beckoned him over and pet him as well. We sat for a bit before Meagen came back downstairs and we both played with the dogs. When Pastor Todd and Rebekka were finished cleaning up, we all sat and watched "A Year Without a Santa Claus". When the movie was over Meagen and I went upstairs to go to bed.

Christmas was depressing that year. I spent all my time inside, whether at Meagen's house or mine. I'd packed up most of what I would take with me to my new home. I had my clothes all packed up in boxes. Silvia and Meagen helped me pick out book, toys, and childhood momentous to pack. We also went through everything and figured out what should be donated and where we should donate it to. It took a while, but we finally got everything to different charities and organizations. I wasn't sure how I would get all my things over to my new home, but Mr. Bennett said we would ship it through UPS or something.

I asked Meagen's family not to get me anything for Christmas, telling them that their housing and feeding me was enough this year. Meagen protested but eventually agreed. She ended up getting me a notebook for Christmas anyway. I scolded her but accepted it anyways. I used it as a journal to let out frustrations of the season and of the move

We addressed the boxes and took them to the UPS office. We put my name on the address so that if the boxes got there before me, my new guardian would know who all these boxes were for. Apparently he knew my name. But I had yet to learn anything about him other than his gender. It scared me a bit, but I supposed there was a reason behind it; besides the fact that Mr. Bennett obviously enjoyed keeping me guessing.

I had a hard time deciding what I should do with my pets. They couldn't come with me. I ended up letting Andy take in Ruby and Topaz, and Onyx would stay with Meagen and her family. I loved my pets, but they would have to be quarantined once we made it to England, and I didn't want them to go through that. I knew they would be well cared for and loved in their new homes.

It was well into February before I was ready to go. We had packed up all the clothes I would send and I had packed everything I would need with me during the trip. I had two weeks worth of clothes and some toiletries. Pastor Todd, Rebekka, and Meagen drove me to the local airport. I would meet Silvia there and we would board a plane that would take us to New York.

Andy came with us, to say goodbye and give me some things. Once we were at the airport, he gave me a small box that had my name on it.

"Don't open it until you land in England," Andy said. "You'll need it most then!"

I hugged him, "Thank you, Andy. Is your email address still the same? I may be able to get Wi-Fi on the plane."

"Yeah. It is. I'll be watching," he assured.

I pulled back and gave him a small peck on his cheek, "Thank you."

I hugged Meagen and we held each other tightly.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Kat," Meagen sniffed.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Meagen. But I'll keep in touch, I promise."

I took a shaky breath and let go. Silvia was waiting and our flight wouldn't wait for me to say goodbye. I shook hands with Pastor Todd and hugged Rebekka. I hugged Meagen and Andy one last time. I pulled my back pack up on my shoulders and grabbed my two large suitcases before going to join Silvia.

It was nearly two hours before we took off. I busied myself with a sketchbook. When I had become a fan of Lord of the Rings I had loved drawing the characters. But it was so frustrating that I could never seem to get the Elves' and Hobbits' ears right. So I had spent a lot of time practicing drawing pointed ears. They had quickly become my favourite things to draw, and so I drew pointed ears during the greater part of our flight. The plane ride was boring, but fast enough. Three hours went by fast, and it helped that I slept. The New York airport was large, and we didn't even leave before catching our next flight. We ate something in the airport before making our way through security again.

We waited for nearly an hour before our flight was called. We played card games like Uno and Go Fish, and Silvia taught me some Solitaire strategy. The plane was nice. Nicer than the one we'd been on earlier anyway. They finally called us and we got on our plane for a seven hour flight to London. The plane ride was fairly uneventful. I spent much of the time writing, drawing, or listening to music.

My wrist quickly became sore from writing and drawing, so I took a break. I looked out of the window and flinched when I saw ocean below us.

Suddenly, the reality of the move hit me like a bunch of bricks.

I was leaving. I would not see my pets again. I would not see my friends in person for a long time, if ever again. And I was leaving behind the place that I had stayed with my parents. I would not likely get back to my hometown, or any of the places I would have fond memories of. I felt tears come to my eyes and I couldn't hold back the sobs that choked me. Silvia put her arm around me and held me as I tried to cry quietly.

"I know, little one, I know," she murmured. "But you will see home again one

day."

I nodded into her shoulder, but I couldn't find the heart to believe her. I stayed in her arms until I calmed down enough to occupy myself again. I drew some more and focused on the ears I was drawing and the Britt Nicole songs streaming through my earbuds. I drew ears until I couldn't stand to look at another one. I closed my eyes and let Britt Nicole sing "Headphones" to me. It calmed me down and allowed me to relax. There was a tap on my shoulder. I pulled out my earbuds and looked over at Silvia. She was offering me a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels. I took them and thanked her. I ate the pretzels slowly as I looked out of the window. It was endless blue, both below and around. I feel asleep as I watched the rolling sea down below.

I awoke to someone shaking my shoulder. Silvia was smiling at me.

"Sit up, baby. We are landing soon."

I sat up and buckled myself to the seat. I pulled out my earbuds and stuffed them back into my bag. The landing was a little rough, but we were alive. I looked out the window and saw that it was dark. I looked at Silvia, confused.

Silvia chuckled, "Its because of the time change, baby. It's eleven here. Well get something to eat and then I'll take you to the house."

It took us near an hour to get out of the airport, including getting something to eat. Silvia drove us around for a bit in a rented car. Despite it being about eight o'clock to my body, I was very tired from the flight - having not gotten comfortable sleep - and was ready to sleep in a bed. The drive was calming and I was ready to nod off when we pulled up to a house. Silvia explained that she would go back to the airport as soon as she dropped me off, so this was our goodbye.

"Now be good, and don't make me have to come back and give you a tongue-lashing!" Silvia warned, playfully.

"I'll behave, I promise."

We hugged across the seat.

"Goodbye Silvia. And thank you."

"It was my pleasure, baby." Her eyes widened, "Oh! I nearly forgot." She pulled a key out of her pocket and handed it to me. "This is your key to the house. He won't be home until tomorrow. It's for business, so he sent us a key for you." She looked me straight in the eye," Do not leave the house before he returns. It would not do to get lost."

"I won't. I'll probably spend time exploring the house and unpacking if the boxes are here yet."

Silvia smiled, "Good. Now go on, and get some sleep. You will need it."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, baby."

I got out of the car and walked up to the door, waving to Silvia. I looked over the door. It was white with a bronze knocker, handle, and lock. I put the key in the lock and turned it to the left. It unlocked and I walked inside. I closed the door and looked out its window to watch Silvia drive away. I would not soon forget her. But my time with her was in the past, and now I needed to face my future.

I turned from the window and looked over the house. From the front door I could see two rooms, and then there was a staircase and coat rack to my left, and I hung up my coat and set my two carry-on bags on the stairs. To the right, there was a living room. There was a television set on the right wall and a leather couch on the wall across from it. There was a coffee table in front of the couch that was made of a dark wood that I didn't know. The television sat on a table; on its right side there was a VCR and on its left side there was a DVD player. Under the window there was a box with two shelves that was lined with DVD's and video tapes.

Past the living room I could see through a small archway into the kitchen. I walked into the room and looked around. On my immediate right there was a door that led outside to a driveway. Next to the door was a fridge, and then a counter lined the back wall. There was some counter space after the fridge and then an inlaid sink that was placed under a window. There was a bit more counter space before I spotted a dishwasher. From the dishwasher, the counter went a bit further before disappearing into the wall. A stovetop oven sat opposite the fridge. I saw another door next to the oven that led to a small bathroom, and a table with two chairs was set in the middle of the room.

Another small archway led into a dining room that had a table and four chairs. It didn't seem to be used for eating much. The room had nothing else except lights and papers covering the table. I exited it using an archway to my left that took me back to the living room. I sat on the couch and looked around the room. It was nice. But a piece of paper on the coffee table caught my eye. I picked it up, and realized that it was a note for me.

Katharine

I know it's probably late and you're probably tired. Your room is not ready yet, and for that I apologize. You can sleep in the master bedroom since I won't be home until late. There is food in the fridge if you are hungry. I will be home before you wake up, so do not be alarmed when there is another person in the house tomorrow morning, or if you hear someone come I'm during the night. I will see you soon.

~O

O? It was odd to me that they didn't sign their name. But whatever. I'd already eaten so I didn't need food, but I was tired from the flight. I'd slept, but it was uncomfortable and I longed to sleep in a bed. I grabbed my bags and trudged up the stairs. There were about ten stairs up before they turned to the right and went up another four steps. There was a room immediately to my right, a closet in front of me, and a hallway to my left. There were two rooms on the left side of the hallway and one on the right side. There were some boxes of what I guessed were my things in the hall, so I couldn't explore the room on the right or the room farthest down the hall. But the first door on the left was a bathroom, and I was glad that it wasn't blocked by boxes.

I poked my head into the room on my right. I had correctly guessed that it was the master bedroom. I quickly changed into my pajamas and then went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After brushing my teeth and hair I went back to the bedroom and laid down in the bed. It felt much better compared to an airplane seat, and I found myself drifting of fairly quickly, though it was early for my body. I woke up once, a couple hours later when the door opened. I wasn't too awake, but I was aware of someone's head peeking around the door. They didn't say anything, and left fairly quickly. It took me a bit to get back to sleep. But I finally did after about half an hour.

I knew I would be dreaming about home often, but I didn't expect the dreams to be so vivid and real. I found myself waking up in my bed at home. I went through my morning routine: shower, get dressed, eat, and take care of the animals. I hugged and kissed my parents before heading out to catch the bus. I went to school and sat through all my classes. I hung out with Meagen and Andy after school at Meagen's house. Pastor Todd and Rebekka were there are being wonderful parents. It wasn't long before my parents came to pick me up and take me home. I helped my mother cook dinner and then we all ate. After dinner I took care for the animals again before heading up to my room to to whatever until bed. I got ready for bed and then crawled under my covers. I fell asleep quickly and seemed to wake up very quickly.

But when I woke up I wasn't at home. I was in a strange bed, in a strange room, in a strange houses, in a town and country I had never been to before. I was miles and miles away from home, and I would probably only ever make it back in my dreams. I felt tears form in my eyes.