Prompt: the hilltop tree by the gated ways

Character: Brittany.

Words: 1,071

Brittany wasn't ready, the first time she met Galen. He made her think of a tree on a hill. All alone and so lonely.

They'd been fostering eleven years by then. Had seen so many kids come and go through their door. Hani, their first baby, had beaten all the odds. He was twelve, and legally theirs, having grown into the preteen no one had expected. While still sick and small for his age, he had beaten the odds, and as a seventh grader, he had the lead role in Willy Wonka, a take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She'd just come in, having picked him up from play rehearsal when Santana called her over to the computer.

"Come look at this," she said, pulling a chair closer, and Brittany sat, studying the picture of three little boys. Brittany scanned the details with some difficulty, and Santana read out loud, sharing details.

"You want them, don't you?" Brittany asked.

"We're down to just Hani right now. Between other placements," Santana pointed out. "If we wanted to do it, this would be the perfect time…"

She tried to picture their house with seventy-five percent more kids. Brittany had a little sister. She didn't know anything about boys, and Santana was an only child. It didn't make sense for them. Plus, Brittany hadn't missed the parts of the profile on the boys that listed their difficulties: academic, social, possible autism spectrum disorder, background of abuse and neglect, looking for a permanent home. Still she found herself printing the picture and sleeping with it under her pillow, not able to get the boys out of her mind. If she and Santana took these boys in, Brittany knew they wouldn't terminate the placement. These boys were looking for a forever family. But were they the right fit?

Over the next few days, Brittany walked through their upstate New York country home. They had the room. It would be cramped, but it was possible. Each of the new boys would have their own rooms, plus one to spare.

It was the perfect place to raise a family. Still, Brittany took her time, thinking it over seriously, before she sat down to dinner with Santana and Hani. She eyed their son playfully, before asking:

"So, how do you feel about brothers?"

Santana's face split into a wide grin, and Hani insisted he would love brothers.


The first time they officially met, it wasn't like with Hani, who was too small to say anything. Galen, the oldest of his brothers at eight, came in with his head down, his arm protectively around four-year-old, Ethan. The youngest, Jayden, he carried. "Come on," he said to them quietly, leading them into the house.

Hani was in school, so it was just the two of them getting to know these boys for the next two hours. Since Ethan was behind so far that he only announced letters and numbers with any clarity, and Jayden was still a toddler, Galen was their only source of information. They sat down at the table for a snack, the boys still in their coats. Ethan was a screamer and Jayden clung to Galen, not even willing to sit in his own chair.

"Hi," Brittany said quietly. She had tried earlier but gotten no response. "I'm Brittany and this is Santana," she introduced. "You guys are going to be staying with us now, okay?"

"We know," Galen answered shortly.

Those were the only words spoken directly to Brittany by any of the boys for the entire two hours. Ethan screamed, Jayden cried, and Galen acted like a patient parent, while she and Santana felt completely out of their depth.


It wasn't until their first overnight a week later that Brittany was starting to feel more at ease around them. After settling Jayden and Ethan down to sleep, she went to check on Galen, while Santana helped Hani study for a test on US Geography the next day.

Brittany found Galen hovering in the corner between Ethan and Jayden's bedrooms. She extended a hand, which he didn't take and walked toward his room, stopping outside the door to let him enter first.

"They're okay," Brittany reassured, though she wasn't sure Ethan would ever sleep. She sat on the floor and waited patiently, not knowing if he wanted to hear a story, or if he was too old to be tucked in. She took her cues from the kids, especially early on. Watched their body language, and listened to them that way.

For the first time, Galen turned hazel eyes on Brittany and really looked at her, like he was gauging something about her. Finally, he spoke. "Don't tell my brothers," he said, with tears in his eyes, "but I'm scared."

Brittany cocked her head, and stayed quiet. Then she nodded. "Makes sense."

"No, it doesn't. I'm the oldest. Oldest ones aren't supposed to be scared. Who cares, though?"

"I think you do," Brittany pointed out gently. "You wouldn't be scared if this didn't mean something to you. If this wasn't important."

He narrowed his eyes, and when Brittany didn't say anything, he seemed to relax. "It's up to me to take care of them." Galen gestured vaguely to the bedrooms down the hall where his brothers slept. "It's up to me that we all stay together."

"Can I tell you something?" she said, avoiding the word 'secret', which could be tricky for kids.

Carefully, Galen nodded.

"I'm scared, too."

"Grown-ups don't get scared," he scoffed, climbing into bed and turning over.

Standing up, Brittany walked to the door and asked if he wanted the light on or off, and the door open or closed. Then, she said, "See you in the morning," and started down the hall.

"Brittany?" Galen's voice called when she was checking on Jayden, who was sleeping soundly, and Ethan, who was still awake.

She paused outside his door and knocked briefly before sticking her head in. "What, buddy?"

"Do you have a job?"

"Yes."

"Does Santana?"

"Yes. Do you think you can sleep now?" she asked, and he mumbled yes.

Just as she was about to leave, Galen called her back again.

"Brittany? Do we mean something to you? Is that why you're scared?"

"Yes."

"So…we're important?"

"So important I can't believe it," she confirmed, closing the door behind her before he could hear how her throat closed with tears.

The End.