Thankfully, Mr. Kestler didn't keep us in his office for to long. He had Mrs. Jones and I sign the required paperwork and explained what would be happening in the coming months till my legal guardianship of my sister was approved.
He suggested that before the bank seized my father's house, I should collect the things that I didn't need or want and sell them for extra money. 'Every cent counts towards your case, Dougie.' He said.
After countless thank you's on my part, Mrs. Jones lead us to her car and offered to drive me to the hotel I was staying at to get my things before taking us to our new home.
"There has to be some way I can repay you for this." I said from the passenger seat. Debbie was sleeping soundly in the backseat, the excitement of the day's events tired her out quickly.
Mrs. Jones shook her head in amusement. "For the last time, Dougie, there is nothing I want."
"I'll pay you rent or something."
"No." She glanced over at me, smirking warmly. "You need as much money as you can get."
We drove in comfortable silence for a bit. I felt content watching the scenery fly past my window. My heart was still beating like a jackrabbit and my head was still trying to process everything that happened in such a sort time but knowing that I was going some place safe suppressed the urge to pass out in utter fear.
Eventually I began to recognize familiar landmarks and other things that told me we were close to home. I sat up straighter in my seat, a wave of unforeseen nerves crashing over me like a tidal wave. We were close to the house. Where I would be living. Where Danny lived. In all the hustle and bustle of seeing my sister and learning our fate, I had almost completely forgotten.
Thoughts raced through my head about what my first encounter with him would be. Would he be angry with me? Would he even want to look at me after all that happened?
I looked over at Mrs. Jones once more, nervously wiping the sweat from my palms onto my jeans. "How…how is Danny?"
The smile she wore during our trip slowly faded from her lips. "He's doing a lot better now that he knows what's been happening…well, as better as you can feel I suppose." She said softly.
"I should have tried to get in contact with him."
Her hand reached out and covered mine, squeezing it gently. "Dougie, don't you dare feel guilty." She said firmly. "Danny is a very understanding boy and the only thing he cares about right now is making sure that you and your sister are okay."
"Does he know about today?"
"I called him while you were signing some of the court papers." The smile returned to her face as if it never left and she removed her hand from mine with a loving pat. "It's the happiest I've heard him in a long time."
I smiled contently and settled back into my seat as we rounded the corner onto my street. She slowed the car and came to a halt outside my old house. From the outside it looked like all the other houses on the street, you would never know the horror that went on inside.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as looked at the driveway remembering the night my dad took me away. Every inch of me tingled in fear at the thought of going back inside…
"You don't have to go in now." Mrs. Jones said, watching me closely. Her motherly instincts instantly picking up on my apprehension. "The bank won't seize it until next week."
…every inch of me tingled in fear at the thought of going back inside but I had to get it over with eventually. I needed to put that part of my life behind me before I could move on with my future. "No, I want to get it over with now."
She nodded with an encouraging smile and reached over the seat to wake my sister as I stepped out of the car.
It was now or never.
