The airport was crowded, but Sara managed to move quickly to gate 15. "Excuse me," she said to the attendant, who was reading People. "Is this the flight from Yuster, South Dakota?"
The attendant gestured to the sign above her head without looking up from People. "Flight 735 from Yuster, Boise, Lemmings, and Okinoba. Arrived ten minutes ago."
"I got a call that my niece was here. Where do I pick her up?"
"Waiting area's over there, but she's probably at the baggage carousel.""You don't understand. My niece has cerebral palsy, she's in a wheelchair. The man I spoke to said he would meet me here."
"What was his name?"
"Uhh... Michael." "That'd be Michael Armguster, our Special Transport Head for this flight. He's over there." The attendant gestured with her chin, popping a bubble of pink gum.
There was indeed a tall man standing near gate 15. Sara turned to him. "I'm Sara Sidle, you called me about my niece."
"Yes, Emily Sidle?"
"That's correct."
"We're bringing her chair off the plane now. You'll need to sign some release forms, but she's basically yours."
"I don't understand."
"What do you mean, Ms. Sidle?"
"No one called to tell me she was coming."
"Was there a family crisis?"
"There might be," she said faintly. Emily's mother had cancer. Her brother was a drug addict and involved in part-time low-profile robbery. Her father, Sara's brother, was a self-absorbed college professor only interested in the history of the Punic Wars. Her sister, Claire, had gotten herself pregnant at sixteen, two years ago, and now lived in the garage at the family's house in Yuster, South Dakota with her two sons, dabbled in drugs, and had been arrested twice. Anything along those lines could be considered a family crisis.
"We'll know soon enough," said Michael.
The door to the gate opened then, and two flight attendants came out. One headed for the attendant's station at the side of the gate, but the other stopped and began to speak to Michael in a low tone. Michael turned back to Sara. "Ms. Sidle, your niece is here."
"Thank you," Sara answered. She turned to the door. Coming up the ramp from the plane was a girl Sara remembered all too well.
Emily was Sara's second niece. Her brother David and her sister Claire were unimportant to Sara. She loved Emily. And it wasn't just because Emily was so obviously handicapped. It was because no one really loved Emily besides Sara. Her parents were too busy and so were her siblings. That left Sara, who was her father's only sibling. Her mother was an only child. Emily lived for the short visits her father allowed each year, when his college gave him a break.
Sara wanted desperately to adopt Emily, citing child abuse on her father's part and neglect on her mother's. State officials wouldn't allow it, as they figured that any child whose parents were both at home with her was better than all of the children they saw who were missing at least one parent, and abused far worse.
"Hi!" Emily said broadly, pushing her chair to a stop in front of Sarah. "Miss me?"
Sara leaned down to hug Emily. "Yes, of course, but why are you here?"
Emily shrugged. "Got sick of being at home. Davy got arrested again and Claire's been gone for four days... I got sick of changing diapers and stuff. Mom's back in the hospital and Dad's been away at a conference."
"Where are the boys?" Sara asked, meaning Claire's two sons, Ephraim and Eli.
"I left them with Grandma Eliza," Emily answered. Grandma Eliza wasn't her grandmother at all; she was a kindly neighbor woman. "And I told her to call Social Services."
Sara looked back at Emily. "You did?"
Emily nodded. "I got sick of it. I'm staying here now."
Sara pursed her lips, then smiled and nodded. "Let's get your luggage, then I've got to stop by the office for a few minutes, and then we can go home. You must be starving."
Emily grinned, grabbing her wheelchair's push rims. "I thought you'd never ask!"