Within the first month after the adoption was finalized, Lacey would barely talk to anyone let alone look at them. The only person Lacey would talk to was Julia and that was only if they were completely alone. That was until one night, two months after Julia and Joel adoption of Lacey was official Lacey dreamt of her parents death, and when Julia and Joel went to comfort their daughter, she said something that neither of them expected
"Mommy! Daddy! No! Please let me go! Mommy! Daddy!" Lacey screamed and cried in her sleep as she dreamt about her parents death until she woke up and gasps to Julia and Joel running in her room.
"Lace, are you ok?" Julia asks in her motherly tone
Lacey shakes her head and cries until Joel asks, "What happened? What's wrong?"
Although Lacey was crying to hard to say any full sentence they were able to understand the jumbled statement she uttered. "Mommy... daddy...death...so scary"
Julia hugged her crying daughter and said in a reassuring tone, "Shh sweetie, it's ok. I'm here, so is dad. It's ok, sweetie"
Lacey's crying lessened and then she said, "I... scared... sleep."
Joel then asked to confirm, "You're scared to sleep? Is that was you said, princess?" To which Lacey nodded and then Joel replied, " Would you like to sleep with us just for tonight? Or do you want one of us to stay with you until you fall asleep?"
"Daddy, can you stay?" Lacey asked softly, scared that he would get mad at her for calling him daddy.
"Of course I'll stay with you, princess." Joel said
"Goodnight sweetie, I love you" Julia said as she stood up from the bed to make room for Joel. Julia was about to leave when she heard Lacey whisper, "I love you too, momma."
Julia smiles as she closes her daughter's door. Then in Lacey's room, Joel says, "Goodnight princess, I love you."
"Goodnight daddy, I love you" Lacey replies as she snuggles into her dad's chest and grips onto him like he might leave any minute. The she drifts off to sleep feeling safe and loved, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.
The next morning, Lacey and Sydney are eating breakfast and waiting to leave for school.
"Daddy, are you taking us to school? Or is mommy taking us?" Sydney asked including Lacey, since Lacey is her sister now
"Mommy is going to take you two" Joel replied
The next thing Lacey said surprised Sydney because she had never heard Lacey say it before. "Daddy, can't you take us?" Lacey asked
Joel shakes his head and says, "Sorry Lace, I can't I have a very important meeting today. If I were to take you two I would be late for my meeting." "Bye Lace. Bye Syd. I love you" Joel said as he kissed both his daughters' heads.
"Bye daddy, love you too" both Lacey and Sydney said in unison as they watched their dad leave. Once Joel was out the door Sydney said confused, "You called him dad"
"Well he technically is my dad now" Lacey replied. Then they heard their mom say, "Syd, Lace, are you ready to go?"
"Yes momma" the kids both replied as Julia smiled knowing she finally had the second kid she wanted. It might not have been Zoe's baby, but she did get a kid.
Ever since what happened last night, Lacey didn't care how little kid-ish she sounded. She needed her mommy and daddy, because last night when she had her walls down she realized that she isn't as tough as she thought, and that she needs to feel safe and loved.
When Julia drops Sydney and Lacey off at school
"Bye Syd, Bye Lace. I love you girls." Julia says
"Bye mommy, love you too" both girls reply in unison
At school during lunch, Lacey doesn't talk to anyone except Sydney and even then she whispers so no one else can hear. When some other kids start making fun of Lacey and calling her 'stupid' or 'mute', Sydney defends her sister.
"Hey leave my sister alone!" Sydney says angrily as she punches two kids in the face. Upon hearing the commotion, Miss Waters, who is Sydney and Lacey's teacher walks out side to see Sydney punch the two kids.
"Sydney Graham! Principal's office, now!" Miss Waters says sternly as Sydney looks at Miss Water and hangs her head apologetically. Sydney walks toward the principal's office.
"Hey Syd" Lacey calls out to her sister, to which Sydney turns her head, then Lacey whispers, "Thanks"
To which Sydney replies, "No problem, that's what family is for"
Sydney sits in the principal's office as she waits for her parents to arrive, so they can talk with the principal. Sydney is sitting looking sadly at her shoes because she feels ashamed until she remembers she did it for Lacey. Not long after, her parents arrive and the three of them are walking into the principal Steve Miller's office.
"Julia, Joel as you might be aware Sydney punched two kids. I don't know why, she hasn't told me anything yet." Steve explained
"I was protecting my sister" Sydney replied defensively, then she looked at her parents, " You always told me it is important to protect family, so I was." Sydney said
"Yeah but you don't punch people, Sydney. You know better than that" Julia gently scolded her daughter
"But mom, they were calling Lacey names, because she wouldn't talk to anyone but me. I don't know why she doesn't like to talk much, but she promised to tell me tonight at home." Sydney explained and then said angrily, " She told me not many people know what she has been through, and she told me she has been through a lot."
"Syd, you need to calm down." Joel said pausing afterward, then continuing again. " I know you wanted to protect your sister, Lacey, but punching people is not the way to do it. You should have walked away from them." Joel explained
"I know, daddy. I'm sorry, I was just so angry." Sydney replied
"Never the less, the school will have to suspend Sydney for three days." Steve stated
"Ok, thanks Mr. Miller" Julia said
Later that night at home, Sydney and Lacey are in Lacey's room.
"So Lace, you promised you'd tell me why you stopped talking when you were five." Sydney stated
Lacey sighed regretting her decision but still said, " Yeah but to do that I should tell you my story from the beginning, so you know how I ended up in foster care"
"Ok take your time" Sydney said "You don't need to rush"
"Kay" Lacey replied before starting her life's story. She was only ten and her story was already so tragic. "At the tender age of two, my mommy and daddy died in a car accident, which sadly I witnessed. I stayed with my mommy's sisters for a while, but the cops got too many noise complaints from their neighbors so I got taken away. They weren't abusing me, they took great care of me. Anyway a week after I was taken from them I was adopted, but then six months later lady lost her job and couldn't afford me anymore. I was a little over two and a half by that time. A few weeks after she returned me I was adopted again. This time I was in the house for a year, until I was returned again. She had a good reason, I just don't remember. The next home I was in, I was there until two months before my fifth birthday. My social worker said one of Momma Janet's neighbors complained that I wasn't being well cared for. I was though and I miss Momma Janet, she used to sing 'You are my sunshine to me'. Then at the tender age of five my foster brother, William, who I called Willie r..ra..pe..d me." Sydney gasped at the word, which she knew the meaning of from overhearing Amber. "I was being particularly annoying that day and my usually loving Willie just snapped. That was the day I stopped talking, but that is far from the end of my story. Lacey explained before asking,"Would you like me to continue?"
"If you want to" Sydney replied
"Okay, it feels nice to talk to someone about this" Lacey said before continuing her story," The next day, I was removed from that home because Willie felt bad and called social service. He was only thirteen which is why he didn't go to jail. Then four years and ten abusive and neglectful foster homes later, I ran away. At some of those foster homes, the foster mom, or foster dad, or even my foster sibling would call me bad words. Words that I'm not allowed to say. One time one of my younger foster sisters, she was 7 and she called me the b-word. Anyway a year later, I found my self living on the streets in Berkeley, where I was adopted my our mom. I love my family. I love you and Mommy and daddy." Lacey explained and then hugged her sister
"I love you too, Lacey' Sydney said hugging her sister back