Stef and Lena weren't going to let me start working at the diner but after I told them how good it would be for me they finally allowed me, but only if one of the others drives me there and back every day. And when I get home from work, Mariana and I have to do everyone else's chores as well as our own, Jude helps us out though, it's not so bad. Mariana complains but about but I remind her what it would be like for me if I got kicked out of here, then she realizes that this life is actually pretty good, we only have two days left of being grounded anyway.
"Cressida, Mariana, dinner," We had only just had a second to sit down before we have to drag ourselves into the kitchen.
"Where are the others?" I ask, digging into my lasagne.
"They all had plans for dinner, Brandon is at his dad's with Callie and AJ, Jude is with Noah and Jesus is with Emma," Stef says.
"He's with Emma?" I didn't even know they were friends.
"Yeah they're back together now," Mariana says.
"Oh, they're dating, cool," I play it off but I can't lie to myself, it hurts. That's probably why Emma doesn't like me, because I was spending a lot of time with him.
"Anyway girls, we've been talking and we think you've been working so hard around the house, and Cress, Callie says you've been doing well at work, so we've decided that we're gonna end your grounding today," Lena smiles.
"Seriously?" Mariana perks up.
"Thank you guys so much!"
"I can finally enjoy my summer," Mariana and I high five, "I haven't seen Mat in like a month," I had forgotten that Mariana had a boyfriend, she's always so focused on getting stuff done.
After dinner, we hang out in our room and talk about what we're gonna do this summer, I'm focused on work but Mariana wants to do all this stuff with Mat.
"Can the two of us do something tonight though? Like a movie or something?" I ask her.
"Sure, why not? I've been wanting to see that new one with Johnny Depp,"
"Cressida!" Lena calls for me, "Can you come down for a second please?"
"So we were actually going to talk to you about this on the last day of school but things got in the way," Lena says.
"We know you're planning to get your own place and make your own way in life, but after what happened your social worker wanted to take you somewhere else, we're just worried that you might be taken away from us. So we were wondering how you would feel about us adopting you?" Stef holds my hand across the table.
"So like, I'd live here permanently?" I feel sort of confused.
"You could stay until you go off to college or you could still get your own place, it's completely up to you, we just want to make sure that this is your home until you make that choice," Lena takes the other hand.
"Wow, I'm... I'm shocked, I knew you weren't kicking me out but I didn't expect this, you guys really wanna take care of so much you'd adopt me? Even though you've got five other kids?"
"You've felt like part of the family since you got here. We want you to feel safe and loved, because you are," I fall speechless. I walk over to them hug them both so tight, they hug back, I can't help but cry a little, "Oh sweetie," Lena strokes my hair. All this talk of adoption reminds of AJ's, I wonder if he's going ahead with it.
"Hey," I say to Mike as he opens his apartment door, "Can I talk to AJ?"
"Sure, come on in," the apartment is small but big enough for the two of them, "We just ordered pizza, you want some?"
"No thanks, I just had dinner," I walk into the living room, Callie, AJ, and Brandon are all watching TV on the couch, "Hi AJ," He turns around.
"Hey, uh," He gets up, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, um yeah I just wanted to catch up you know, can we go talk in your room?"
"Okay, it's just through here," I follow him into his bedroom, it's big, well not as big as Callie and Mariana's but there's three of us in there, "Listen, I'm sorry I've been avoiding you the past few weeks, after finding out what... what you did, and then hearing about the drugs, I just needed space,"
"No, it's fine, I understand,"
"Cool, so uh, what's up?"
"I just wanted to ask you if you're still thinking about getting adopted, or like where you guys are in that process? I guess," I sway nervously.
"Oh that, yeah Mike's started the paperwork, is that cool?"
"Yeah it's fine, I don't know why I overreacted the way I did, actually," I sit next to him, "Stef and Lena want to adopt me,"
"Seriously?" I nod, "That's great, Cressida, I'm so happy for you!" He hugs me for the first time in a while.
"I really miss you AJ, I missed you before I knew you, do you think maybe we can get back to how we were before all the crap? If you're ready, I mean,"
"Yeah, yeah I'm ready," A wave of relief washes over me, he hugs me again.
"We're okay," I say to myself, "We're gonna be fine,"