Hello and happy new year.

I made polyvore edits with what Kirsten, Summer and Annie are shopping in this chapter. The link to the collection with edits for this story is on my profile.

This chapter is told from Kirsten's point of view.

December the 26th 2013, the mall

"Annie." Boxing day morning I knocked on the door to our guest room. "Are you up?"

I waited for a moment. Just like on Christmas day, I and Sandy had woken up early in the morning from hearing her shouting again. Just like yesterday we had gotten up and checked on her. And just like yesterday she had been- or had pretended to be asleep. Her covers were once again on the floor so I had gone to pick them up and told her she could just come and get us. Then I had went back to bed. Sandy had fallen back asleep. But I couldn't. And hearing the sound of that short, desperate screaming we had woken up to over and over again I didn't think I'd ever be able to sleep again.

At last, after two hours of twisting and turnings and trying to shove away that sound I simply had to realize I wasn't getting more sleep tonight. The clock was just after eight so it wasn't like this was an inhuman hour to be awake anyway. I got up and went to Annie's room to see if she was awake.

"Yeah." I heard from inside the room. I opened the door slightly to find Annie fully dressed for the day, standing up and she had obviously been doing something before I came in. "What do you want?"

"We were talking yesterday." I explained, Annie just leaned against the doorframe and looked at me as if she could not care less. "I and Summer. We will be going shopping for maternity clothes for her. And we were thinking you could come with us and we'll shop for you if there's anything you need. There are big sales at the mall for Boxing Day."

For a moment Annie only watched me. As if she studied me to see if I was being serious or not. Then at last, she just shrugged and spoke in a callous kind of voice.

"I can't go shopping. I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about that. Consider it a Christmas gift from me and Sandy, Seth, Summer and Ryan. Even from Sophie Rose even though she gave her the Tramp. Hey. I'm going to make some breakfast. Can you put up your things on your bed and I'll see what needs to be bought. Okay?"

For a second more Annie only looked up at me- sometimes she reminded of Ryan with all of that… looking!

"Are you going then?" Sandy asked Sarah and Adam just as I came into the kitchen and they were eating their breakfast. "You know, you can stay here if you want to. Seth and Summer are in their new house so there's plenty of space. And the more the merrier."

"No thanks." Sarah smiled. "But now when I've finally got some time off, thanks to Ryan. I think I'd like to spend it along with my son and nobody else." She ruffled Adam's hair. "Thank you so much though. All of you." She looked around on me, Sandy and Ryan. "Especially you, Ryan. Getting to spend some time with Adam is better than any other Christmas present in the world."

"Why do you always keep on doing that mum?" Adam moaned jokingly with a hand on his head. "I'm not a baby anymore."

To that, Sarah let go of her breakfast sandwich and used both hands to ruffle Adam's hair worse than ever. I glanced to Sandy, how many times hadn't he moaned about his hair and how it literally seemed like it had have its own life?

"Well that's great mum." Adam checked with his spoon as a mirror. "Now I look like a scarecrow."

"No matter what you do you're always going to be my baby. And come on, with your hair- you always look like a scarecrow."

Adam and Sarah grimaced to each other. I couldn't help but laugh. But so noticed Annie standing in the doorway and waiting for me.

"Are you done already?"

Annie nodded, then turned and went into (what was, at least for now) her bedroom and I followed.

"Here." Annie made a gesture to the things she had put up on the bed. "This is all my stuff. Plus what I am wearing then, and the Tramp that Sophie Rose gave me yesterday." I glanced over the things on the bed. Really? Nothing else? Was she wearing like thirty layers of clothes then?

Nope. She was wearing the same huge black hoodie, stripy tights and bright red sneakers that she'd been wearing yesterday. And those tights still made me dizzy.

"Don't you have a pair of sweatpants or something?" I tried to be practical. "They will be easier to get on and off if you want to try something out?" Annie shook her head. "Nothing?"

"This is all I have." She gestured to the clothes, everything neatly folded and put up on the bed- but so few items I could have counted them on my ten fingers. "Don't worry. It's fine."

"Hmm." I looked her up and down. "I think you're about the same size as Sophie Rose. I'll go see if she has something that could fit you. I'll be right back."

Going out of our guest room I suddenly realized that Annie was three years older than my Sophie Rose. I must have seen it before, maybe already when she just came here. But playing the picture of Annie passing the chair that Soph sat on when she first came here played over and over in my mind- Annie and Sophie Rose were, despite their age difference- the same size. And Sophie Rose was only the normal size of a six-year-old so Annie…

"Hey Soph." Sophie Rose ran up to me and hugged me tight. I couldn't help but smile and stroke her hair. "Listen. I, Summer and Annie are going shopping. Do you think you have a pair of jeans or sweatpants that Annie could borrow? You know how I always tell you when we go shopping that tights." Sophie Rose nodded and skipped over to her wardrobe. "So how do you like Annie?"

"She's great." Sophie Rose smiled. "I really like her. Except she smells. She made Summer throw up. Of course I don't like that because I don't want any of us to get ill. But I do think that if she has a shower she will be a lot more fun to be around. Maybe she can play with me then? With the skipping rope or something."

"Maybe she will honey. She also needs some better table manners, don't you think?" My daughter nodded agreeing and at last pulled out a pair of jeans of her wardrobe. "But then I think that's it."

"Maybe nobody was around to teach her to eat nicely then mum." She handed me the jeans. "Or that she should get washed every once in a while. And if nobody cared to teach her that then it isn't her fault that she doesn't… These are too big for me anyway. If they fit her and she likes them she can have them. Can I come shopping too?"

"Not today Soph. Maybe another day. Today you're going to continue helping daddy, Seth and Ryan to move into Seth and Summer's new house. That's a lot more fun than shopping isn't it?"

"Yes it is." Sophie Rose skipped out of the room. "I'm going to eat some breakfast first. Then I'm going to go and ask Seth what he needs help with first."

"You and I will need some breakfast first too." I gave Annie the jeans and she pulled them on. "But Summer is meeting us outside in half an hour."

Obviously, the way Annie stunk would make Summer feel exactly as she had felt yesterday morning. And I, myself was trying to breathe through my mouth whenever I was close to Annie so I wouldn't have to feel it too.

"So are you ready, for a day of shopping?" I asked when I came outside and met Summer in the driveway. "I have checked Annie's things. She needs as good as everything." Summer nodded and I could she too was trying to breathe through her mouth. "What do you need?"

"Anything under the name of maternity clothes. How can everything already be so tight?" I had to bite my lip not to laugh when I recognized the symptoms of all those pregnancy worries. "It's only been three months. I have six months left and I already feel as huge as an elephant."

"And in six months when you sit there with little Sawyer in your arms it's going to feel like the time just flew by."

Summer just smiled, rubbed her belly and looked down on it. Just as she did the door to our house opened and Sarah and Adam came out. Waving their goodbye's to the boys and Annie. Then turned to me and Summer.

"It was nice meeting you all. I talked to Sandy and Ryan a bit. We might be back and celebrate New Year's with you. But I think we'll just take it as it comes. Adam, can you put these in the car?" Sarah handed her things to her son and he walked away. "Well. If you need talking to someone who's been through… oh well. Sorry, you have Kirsten."

"Did you have much morning sickness when you had me mum? I don't think you've ever told me that."

"Ugh." Sarah moaned. "More like all-day-long sickness."

"Well. Thanks for the offer. After all, each and every pregnancy is unique. So the more women I can talk to the merrier. I'm thinking I might have a baby shower in a couple of months or so. So if you want to and the road isn't too long to come for a single party then I'd love you to come. And I have a friend back in Newport too… But my best friend Marissa… well. She won't be coming. But her little sister Kaitlin. And maybe Julie too… anyway. If so, maybe you could ride together somehow. Sorry I'm just spurting ideas all of a sudden. What do you have on a baby shower by the way? Kirsten, you'll have to help me. You are the best and… Wait. So, how are we going to get to the mall today without me throwing up from… you know?"

"Ehrm." Annie just came outside and I thought fast on how to do this. "Summer is feeling a bit nauseas. Morning sickness you know. So she's in the front seat next to me and I'll keep one window open. I hope it won't get too cold."

Annie just shrugged and opened the door to the back seat behind the driver's seat. I had been kind of afraid Annie would start a fuss about the back seat. But she only got in and I could see her get the seat belt on and then sit back while she waited for me and Summer.

Summer breathed out slightly and showed me doing so while we got into the car. As if we had already planned every single car I started the car before Summer got in so she could open the window before she got in- Annie didn't seem to even notice it.

"Time for a day of shopping." I backed out of our parking lot and turned to the road. "And both of you. Today, don't worry about any costs okay. Whatever it is, we can afford it. And if there's anything, then I will make sure to care about that. You two deserve all you can get. You too Annie."

"And if Sandy was here…" Summer teased. "…He would have commented on how much you love shopping."

I couldn't help but smile. Then looked up for a split second and looked at Annie in the rearview mirror. If she had heard a word of what I had just said she wasn't showing it. Only looking out the window wat whatever we were passing by and with her hands on her lap acting like there was nothing else in the whole wide world to care about-

"Here we are." The first thing I saw coming into the mall was a basket standing outside one of the stores. "Hair stuff…" I read out loud from the sign standing in it. "One dollar each." I looked down on Annie and her thick, dark hair. "Could be something for you. Take a look at things and take what you want."

At the moment I said it I grimaced. With like Annie had behaved earlier had been since she came to us on Christmas who would know how this was going to end.

But Annie surprised me when she carefully picked up pieces from the basket, but put most of them down into the basket again and spent a good fifteen minutes searching in the basket before finally holding two headbands, a pack of bobbles, two scrunchies and a pack of bobby pins towards me.

"Can I have these please?"

"You may." I couldn't help but smile. "And thank you for asking so nicely. Come on, let's go inside the store and see what else they have."

"Look." The first thing Summer held up coming into the store was some sort of gift-kit with lotions and shower gel. "These are nice." She looked with a hopeful glance towards me and then back to Annie. "And here is a whole wall with different kinds of shampoo and conditioners. So you just pick whichever one you like."

I smiled slightly, and along with Summer turned to the shelves with children products. Then smelt at least ten different lotions before Annie stood next to us with shampoo, conditioner and even a deodorant in her hands.

Priority number one- check!

"Oh." Summer said as soon as we were out of the store. "I don't think I've been into that store on the fourth floor before. That one with maternity clothes and loads of baby stuff. I guess I know where we'll be heading next. Can we?" She looked questioning to me and Annie, Annie just shrugged and it was fine with me.

"Maybe this one Summer…." Searching through the shelves right inside the doors of the store Annie suddenly held up a T shirt with a print. "New year, new baby. Will suit for New Year's eve won't it?"

Summer glanced towards me. I knew what she was thinking. If Annie had been acting so rude since Christmas Eve. Where had that Annie gone?

Something told me that becoming like this would be one step forward and sooner or later become two steps back.

"Well." Summer started at last. "That you're right about. You take that one, see if you can find more stuff. That's my size. You do the same Kirsten. And then meet you by the changing rooms in half an hour. Do you have a watch on you Annie?" Annie nodded and held up her arm to show the wrist watch. "Great. See you then."

I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. After all, hadn't that social worker said that Annie had been trying to run away?

To start with I kept so close I could still see Annie if I rose on my tippy toes. Then, after twenty minutes when Annie hadn't showed any intention of wanting to do more than searching for maternity clothes and turned in another direction than the Latina. Not that it didn't make me nervous though.

"I'm sorry about that." Summer told me quietly the first thing she did when we came up to the changing rooms ten minutes later on. Then looked around as if to check there was no one around to hear. "It didn't really hit me that Annie might be one to run away. And then I had said it before… Oh, there you are." Annie was just coming up by us. "What have you got?"

Annie held up two more T shirts and a pair of printed pants. Something to compare to mine and Summer's mountains with clothes.

This would take a while. And I and Annie sat down on the chairs outside the dressing room while Summer went into the stall to change her clothes. And for today, it would be the first time of many.

Of many there was. The mall was open all day. And as she didn't care about what I had said that she could get every single piece she wanted. Also needing every single piece she could possibly have. She brought a few items for herself to the dressing rooms, I and Summer brought heaps. And then she could stand for several minutes. Twisting and turning in front of the mirrors in yet one crazy outfit after the other before she decided if she wanted them or not.

I had hoped too, that now we were out around people Annie might shoe better table manners at lunch time. She didn't- in fact it was the complete opposite. With people around she moved her food onto her lap instead of the table, sitting looking up around her while she threw the food into her mouth at the same fast pace at before.

It really was as if she was ready to push someone away if they came to close.

It really was as if she wanted to eat as much as possible before someone took the food away from her.

And I couldn't shake the feeling that that was actually correct off.

"Honestly this shopping trip went better than I thought it would." At our last stop, in the small grocery store on the other side of the road from the mall day had turned into evening and we had packed I couldn't count how many plastic bags from different stores into my car to go here and get the last- bagels, cereal and milk. "Even though you know. She's got terrible table manners and all of that. For some reason I figured Annie would be one to you know, want whatever she sees and throw a tantrum if she doesn't get something. Which is weird because after all, she isn't a baby and second- she has been acting rude but certainly not spoilt."

"Sophie Rose said something to me earlier today. And it's starting to make sense more and more the more we see of her. Thatmaybe Annie acts the way she does because… where did she go by the way?"

We had come to the end of the store, right by the check-out stands. And not until then I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Annie since we came into the store. I had just gotten so used to her not disappearing today that…

"ANNIE." Summer shouted and several people turned around and looked weirdly at us. "Sorry…. ANNIE? Where did you go?"

"Sir." With my heart beating loud and knowing Sandy would never let me hear the end of it if I had lost Annie I ran up to a clerk. "My… we have lost someone. A child, she's nine years old. She's very small, small for her age. She's barely bigger than my six year old. Dark hair, long and thick."

"Braided?" The clerk seemed mildly interested in me and who I was searching for. "This tall? Black hoodie and jeans?"

"Yes, have you seen her?"

"She's right behind you."

I span around. That she was for sure. And it seemed like she had been standing there forever. I had to suppress a sigh. That feeling of Annie's story going one step forward and two steps back was growing stronger and stronger by the second.

"Where did you go?" Annie just shrugged. "You can't just run away like that."

"I didn't." She protested. "I stopped to look at something and you walked away from me."

I suppressed a sigh. There was no point with keep on doing this about who had walked away from whom.

"Well. All we've got to do now is pay. Do you want something else?"

Annie shook her head. And with relief I walked over to the check-out stands. After having people pushing me back and forth all day by the full mall I was ready to go home and the mall was about to close even. So even if we had wanted to we wouldn't be able to stay much longer.

When the cashier told me the price I was lucky I was paying with a card. I wasn't thinking clearly enough to understand the numbers he told me. And when Summer had packed the groceries in a bag and took it. When we walked towards the parking lot I could feel a pressure over my chest, as if something bad was about to happen. And I was longing for fresh air, getting to sit down and put my feet up. So how Summer was feeling with this I could only imagine.

Five steps left until the doors…

…four…

….three…

…two…

….one…

"Excuse me ladies." Right by the doors, just as I was on my way to breathe out the clerk I had been talking to before caught up with us and laid each hand on my and Annie's shoulders. "I think there's been a slight misunderstanding here today."

My chin dropped, as if I wasn't dizzy enough from all the people around I could barely take in the words the clerk had told me. Well, that was until he turned to Annie and the words he spoke had me freezing to ice.

"Did you pay for what's in your pocket right now?"

This was mostly a filler. But maybe Kirsten was right. This is all going to be one step ahead and two steps back. Because either that clerk is wrong or Annie did something bad.

Random fact

The very ending moment in this chapter was actually one of the very first detailed moments of the story I had planned out when I started the story.