"Hello?" Lena answered her cell phone one April afternoon.

"Lena? This is Bill. I have a big favor to ask."

"If it is another child, I am afraid we are done for the moment. We feel like we are stretched a little thin as it is sometimes." Lena said looking over her calendar.

"Well, she is really only barely a child. Most people would consider her almost an adult really. I just need somewhere for her to go for right now. I know that you still have a fostering license and you all would be a great fit. It would be very temporary, I assure you. No pressure to adopt, in fact she probably isn't adoptable. Please, just hear me out."

"Okay, I am listening. Tell me about this nearly grown girl."

"Her name is Daphne and she is fifteen. She has been in a little trouble and she is going to be released from juvie this afternoon. I have a group home lined up for her, but they don't have any room right now. The moment there is space, I would come back for her."

"What exactly is she in trouble for? I have five children that I have to be concerned about, you know."

"I wouldn't place her with you if I thought it would put any of you in danger. I think, though, that Stef being a cop will help keep her in line. Plus, until this incident, she had never shown herself to be violent in any way. She has been in the system awhile and we have gotten almost no complaints from any of the houses she has lived in. Well, there was one other, but I think that will be okay since you have no teenage boys living with you."

"Wait, what? What kind of violent act are we talking about? Exactly how many houses has she been in? What sort of incident was she involved in with a teenage boy?"

"Daphne has had a hard life. She has been in and out of the system most of her life. Her father has never been in the picture and her mom struggles with mental health issues. She has moved around quite a bit. Like, we have been pretty lucky if she made it in a household for six months. When she was little, it was easier to place her, but people were less interested when they found out she wasn't adoptable. She got older and harder to place. And I guess I should tell you that she is currently pregnant. That was another reason she is being released from juvie a little earlier than expected. I am just trying to find a nice place for her to stay." Bill answered trying to sound hopeful.

Lena noticed that he didn't really answer her question on the violence, but was thinking about her own children. Any of them, other than Brandon, could have ended up with the same fate as this girl. Lena couldn't imagine them being thrust into the system now and being moved from home to home. It would break even her strongest child. "I will meet her. That's all I can promise."

"Thank you, Lena. Meet me at the detention center around four-thirty."

"Okay, I will see you then, Bill."

Lena hung up the phone and immediately started to call her wife and then stopped. Stef wasn't going to be happy about this overall. For all she knew, she could be inviting a true juvenile delinquent into their home. Lena reasoned out that it would be better to just wait. Maybe she would get there and not even take the girl in, then Stef would never even have to know about this phone call. Now it was just a matter of what do with the other kids. Obviously they should not go to the place to get the girl.

She dialed her phone. "Hello, Mrs. Rivera? I know this is short notice, but something just came up, could you take Mariana home with you until supper time? Thank you!"

Lena made a few more similar phone calls and had all of her kids set up for the afternoon. She then made a quick round to their classrooms to let them all know that something came up and that they were going home with friends. Everyone seemed pleased.

Lena asked her boss if she could leave a little bit early since the trip could take almost an hour and she took an enrollment packet just in case. She pulled up at the juvenile center a few minutes early. Bill was already there. "Thank you so much for being willing to take on Daphne. I heard that she got into a little altercation earlier today, so she might look kind of rough, but she really isn't a bad girl."

"I have only agreed to meet her, remember that." Lena said looking a little uneasy. "And I never label children by their actions. As a mom I know that kids are a mixture. Everyone has some good and bad inside."

The gate opened and a young African American girl who was obviously pregnant walked out looking slightly beaten and maintaining a scowl. "That would be Daphne." Bill said quietly to Lena. "Hey, Daphne. It is good to see you. I would like you to meet your new foster mother, Mrs. Lena Adams Foster."

Daphne looked Lena up and down. She noted the upscale clothing the woman wore and saw a little hope in the woman's eyes. Lena reached out a hand to shake Daphne's hand, but Daphne had none of it. Instead she nodded her head a little. "Hey, I am Daphne. I don't take up much space and I promise not to stay long."

"As Bill said, I am Lena Adams Foster. You may call me Lena. My van is right over there." Lena said pointing and then she looked at the girl again. "Is that everything you own?"

Daphne shrugged her shoulders. "I travel light. Like I said, I don't take up much space and I won't stay very long." With that the girl ambled toward the van.

Lena eyed Bill and he spoke before she could. "It is just for a few days. As you can see, she has been very hurt by many people in the past. I thought of you and Stef because you have no adult males in the house and I know how much both of you care about your kids. Think of Daphne as just like them, just a little taller."

"And quite a lot more pregnant." Lena added with a small smile. "Do you have her paperwork?"

"I will drop it off at your house when I can. I think we can even get her file with her whole history to you tonight if you are willing to wait a little while. First, though, I have to sign some papers here. Thank you so much. I promise it is temporary."

"Hey, what's your name again? If this is your van do you think you could open it? A pregnant lady needs to get off her feet every now and then!" Daphne yelled from beside the van.

"I believe that is my cue." Lena said waving at Bill and walking toward her car. She pressed the unlock button on the way and Daphne climbed into the backseat.

Once Lena got into the front seat of the van, she glanced at the girl again through the rear view mirror. "My name is Lena, by the way. I know it is a lot to take in the first day. So, Daphne, when is your baby due?"

"How should I know? Maybe a month or maybe longer."

"I am going to call a doctor today and see if we can get you in. It is very important to get regular prenatal check-ups for both your health and the baby's health. Maybe we can even get an ultrasound and see him or her growing inside of you."

"It don't matter anyway. I can't keep her. I would rather not even get involved. Besides, doctors ask too many questions." Daphne answered in annoyance.

"Okay, no ultrasound, but you still need to be checked out by a doctor. I noticed you referred to the baby as a girl. When did you find that out?"

"I have just always known." Both let the subject drop for a little while. Daphne found a half bag of chips in the car and then noticed a candy wrapper or two. "You got kids?"

"I sure do. I have five children. They are all younger than you. I am a vice principal at Anchor Beach Charter School so I have interacted with teenagers before, but my kids are still all in elementary school. We will get you enrolled there tomorrow after you go to the doctor. I think you will like it. Our campus is right on the beach. We have several outdoor classrooms. Most of our class sizes are fairly small. We offer a wide variety of sports and activities. Over ninety percent of our high school graduates go on to college. No one from last year's graduating class had to take any remedial courses as freshmen in college."

"I dropped out of school. It wasn't my thing."

Lena refrained from looking shocked as she knew this was what Daphne was expecting. "Well then, I think we can fix that situation also. Education is very important to me. It should be important to you also. Education is the only way to get out of your current state and rise above it all. I can help you get back into school. We have some teachers who would love to help you as well."

"It's not for me. Teachers never get me. You don't even know me or my life. I need to just get a job somewhere and save up to get my own place. If I can just earn enough money I can become emancipated. I don't need no one then. Just myself."

"I see." Lena was thankful that she had sent her kids other places for the afternoon as she continued to drive in silence. She was beginning to hope that when Bill said he would find the girl a new place soon, it would be before Stef and the kids came home.

Daphne stared out the window. She was in a part of the San Diego area she had never seen. "Where are we even going?"

"I live in Mission Bay. It is just south of the city."

"Oh." Daphne answered continuing to watch the city that she knew pass before her eyes. She was a little concerned about this arrangement herself if she was honest. She had never lived in the suburbs before. Never had someone been so interested in her schooling and health. This woman knew nothing about her or her background and yet apparently thought she was worth something. At the same time, Daphne had always lived in the city itself. She knew the backstreets of the worst neighborhoods by heart. All of her friends were there. Out in Mission Bay she would be more alone than ever. What if this lady wasn't as great as she seemed? What if her husband was like so many other men she had met? "How often do you come into San Diego?"

"Almost never. We have everything we need in Mission Bay. With a full time job and five kids I don't find much time to head into the city for really anything. I like the laid back atmosphere of the suburbs. We know our neighbors and the traffic is not bad at all. We have grocery stores, restaurants, and jobs right here. I suppose, though, that you probably grew up in the city?"

"Just my whole life." Daphne answered showing a little of her uneasiness. "This is my first time out of San Diego, actually."

"I understand. Believe it or not, I was raised in Boston. As an adult, I moved to Chicago. However, when I moved here, I was ready to settle into a smaller sort of place where I could raise my kids without all of the big city issues, but yet close enough to get back into a big city anytime I wanted. I have found, though, that I need less and less from there all the time. I just know that you will love it here also."

"Oh." Daphne said again clearly not believing the woman. Their trip continued in some silence.

"So, Daphne, what do you like to eat? When we get to the house in a few minutes, we will only have about a half hour to cook before my babies all come home. Any suggestions for something quick?" Lena asked trying to smile at the girl again.

"Couldn't we just pick something up? Maybe we could get hamburgers or pizza or something?"

"We could, but I prefer to feed my children with healthy types of food. It is important that you are eating well also since you are eating for two right now. My kids really like spaghetti and I think I have everything for that on hand. How would you like to help make a salad to go with it?"

Daphne had a little moment of revelation. She had been in this situation before. Obviously, Lena needed help with her kids and was hoping that taking in a girl such as herself would help ease the strain. In the last place this happened, she was allowed to drop out as soon as she showed herself to be helpful. Perhaps Lena would feel the same way. "I could do that and I could also make something else. Maybe a dessert or something."

"That would be lovely. Cooking is one of my favorite things and I have always found it even more fun to share with one of my kids." Lena noted a negative reaction from Daphne. "Or a new friend."

They pulled up at the house. Daphne was once again amazed. "Is the whole house yours? Like the upstairs and the downstairs?"

"Yep. We have lived in it for years. When the kids were little it seemed large, but now it seems small. It is our house and we like it here."

Daphne wondered how anyone could look at a house this size and ever consider it to be small. It was much bigger than any of the houses she had lived in before. Compared to her jail cell, this place was amazing. She grabbed her backpack and followed Lena into the house in a little bit of awe. She hadn't even noticed that Lena was talking again.

"For now, we will put your bag in the family room. We don't have any extra bedrooms so you might have to camp out here on the couch for the first night while we figure out a new arrangement. I didn't know you were coming until a few hours ago." Lena halfway apologized.

"That's okay." Daphne said snapping back into reality. She dropped her bag and followed Lena into the kitchen.

"Do you prefer whole wheat or gluten-free noodles? I have both right now because we wanted to try to the gluten-free ones."

Daphne had never had either of those kinds before nor had she been asked her preference before. "Um, I guess the gluten-free if you wanted to try them. I don't know."

"Gluten-free it is. Do you know how to brown beef?" Daphne nodded a little. "How about you get that started while I cut up the vegetables for the sauce."

Daphne looked at some of the things Lena was pulling out with disgust. "You put all of that in the sauce? Your kids actually eat it?"

"Yes. My kids like green peppers, onions, and mushrooms in the sauce as long as they are cut up small. I like to feed them as many vegetables as I can get into their systems so they grow strong and healthy." Lena made short work of the green pepper and threw it in two pots on the counter, a big one and a very small one.

"Why are you making two pans of sauce?" Daphne asked as she stirred the beef.

"My youngest, Jude, prefers vegetarian food. I don't always cater to him, but this is easy enough to do and it will make him very happy. It is our secret though. Don't tell the others."

Daphne could hardly believe that not only did this woman take the time to make her own sauce, but cared enough to make a small amount for one child differently. She considered requesting sauce without vegetables, but wasn't sure if that would fly.

Both sets of sauce were simmering along with the noodles. Daphne was cutting the lettuce for the salad. Lena was stirring the sauces and glancing the preheating oven. "What type of dessert are you planning to make?"

"I was thinking cookies. Do you have dough?" Daphne asked.

"No, but we have flour and other ingredients that go into cookies. I usually make them from scratch so that I can use the things I like. Do you want me to show you where everything is kept?"

"Sure." Lena opened up the cabinets that served as the family's pantry. She pulled out the cookie ingredients as she went and placed them on the counter. "If you need a recipe, I keep those over here. Our kids' favorite cookies are all dog-eared pages. I would suggest making one of those kinds."

Daphne looked at the book and then back at Lena. "I don't know about any of these kinds. Maybe I should just concentrate on the salad. Maybe we can have cookies tomorrow since we are sort of running out of time."

Lena thought it was a little odd. "Suit yourself I guess. We don't actually need cookies anyway, so it isn't a big deal either way. You are right about time, though. I am expecting the kids home anytime now."