I tried to walk standing upright but the pain in my ribs was getting worse by the second. I hunched over slightly, carrying Alex while Eduardo followed behind holding Mia's hand with the backpack slung over his shoulder.
I felt Casey glancing at me nervously the whole way to her house. It made me uncomfortable so I pretended to be too occupied with Alex sitting on my lap to notice. Normally I would not be fine with Alex not strapped in a baby seat but this was not a normal situation.
"A donde vamos?" asked Mia from the backseat.
"We're going to Casey's house for a sleepover!" I said, trying to sound chipper. Casey glanced at me again, her eyes lingering on my bruised face. I prayed silently that Mia had recovered from her stomach bug and wouldn't puke all over Casey's car.
"Y el esta alli?" continued Mia, asking in Spanish if Roger will be there.
"We aren't talking about him, remember?" insisted Eduardo in Spanish. If Casey was confused she wasn't showing it.
Finally we pulled into Casey's driveway. I carried Alex on my hip and I tried to grab the backpack but Eduardo grabbed it from me after seeing me wince. I guess Roger really had done a number on me after all. I knew as long as I was able to stay up and doing things, I wouldn't need a hospital. Mia held Eduardo's hand and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Casey unlocked the door. Elsa was in the kitchen bending over to put a tray in the oven. With her back to us she said
"Oh good, you're back Casey. Did Isobel like the clothes?"
"Mom.." said Casey. "Don't freak out."
"Why would I freak out?" She stood up from the over, turned around and gasped.
"Oh my goodness! Oh my-" She looked at all of us standing there like the homeless Mexican Brady Bunch. She put her hands over her heart. "Oh, oh-" Her eyes settled on my messed up face. I wish I'd washed the blood off before we left my house. Oh well, for the dramatic effect I guess.
"What happened, sweetheart?" She said, her voice dripping with worry. I immediately backed up, this was not a good situation. I can't let her get to me, I can't crack. I need to stay strong in front of the kids. I could tell that Elsa was one second away from calling the cops and then we'd all be separated into different foster homes.
"I'm fine, Elsa." I said in what I hoped was a reassuring voice.
"Can Izzie and the kids sleep over tonight?" asked Casey as if there was any question about it.
"Of course! Of course. Stay as long as you need!" said Elsa. She tore her eyes away from my bruised face and turned to the kids. Alex buried her face in my chest but Mia stepped out from behind me where she had been hiding. "Now who are these cuties?" gushed Elsa, trying to compensate for her initial shock.
"I'm Mia! I'm four!" announced Mia. "This is Alex the baby and Eduardo. And Izzie is the biggest." she beamed.
"Nice to meet you, Mia!" said Elsa. "How does some chocolate milk and cookies sound?"
Good ole dependable Elsa. Nothing beats her hospitality.
"Yeah!" squealed Mia.
Elsa started directing the troops, getting back into her groove. "How about Mia and Eduardo have a seat at the table here. Casey, dear, can you go down to the basement and get the high chair for Alex? I set it aside for donations so it should be right by the door."
"Sure, Mom." said Casey, leaving the kitchen.
"Hey, Elsa, I'm back. The hardware store didn't have bolts I was looking for so I guess I can check online before I-" Doug entered the kitchen and stopped in his tracks, gaping at my mess of a face.
"Uh-" He stood, staring at me for a second. "Hey Izzie."
"This is Izzie's brother and sisters!" chirped Elsa, swooping in to the rescue. "They came to visit, how nice is that? There's Eduardo and Mia and this is little Alex!" She tickled Alex under the chin and Alex gave her a gummy grin.
Casey came bounding back into the kitchen with a red plastic high chair in her arms.
"Perfect, thank you Casey." Elsa sat the chair next to Eduardo at the table. "How about if Alex sits here, and then maybe Doug can take a quick look at you, dear? Make sure you're all right?"
I was confused for a second until I remembered that he works as an EMT. Eduardo takes Alex from my hands and carries her to the chair. As Doug lead me to the living room, I heard Elsa talking to the kids.
"How about some fresh chocolate chip cookies for a snack right now, and then what would you guys like for dinner? I can even go to the grocery store to pick up your favorite foods."
At least the kids will get a good meal in their bellies, even if Elsa ends up calling CPS and we all get split into different foster homes. I felt a little guilty, remembering the boxed mac and cheese and canned corn we've been eating for the past week. The week before my pay day is always the worst, these poor kids must be so malnourished. Elsa must be in heaven right now, with a group of hungry kids to cook for.
Doug grabbed a first aid kid from a shelf and led me to the couch.
"Those are some nasty looking cuts and bruises you've got there." he commented, pulling on a pair of medical gloves.
"I don't want to talk about what happened." I mumbled, looking at my shoes.
"Okay then." he said, simply. He put his fingers under my chin and gently tilted my head up to the light, inspecting the damage. With two fingers, he lightly pressed my cheekbones and across my eyebrows.
"Does that hurt?" He asked. I shook my head no.
He ripped open an alcohol pad and started wiping away the dried blood. Casey came in from the kitchen and sat down next to me on the couch.
"You really made my mom's day, you know?" she said. "She's so excited to cook food for everyone."
"That's good cause these kids need to eat something that doesn't come from a box or a vending machine." I wince as Doug starts cleaning out the cut on my forehead. I'm eternally grateful that neither Doug nor Casey push the issue of my injuries, or the police. I have enough to deal with already.