Standard Disclaimer – I don't own Twilight or any of the characters from the story. All song selections have been provided by me amazing beta, NoWayWithWords. She is the greatest! She has set up a YouTube Playlist that includes the songs chosen for the chapters. If you would like to check it out, see my profile for the link.

The song for the chapter is "Beauty from Pain" by Superchick.

(I promise, I didn't really skip chapter 21. I just renumbered the chapters so they would match the numbering on the website.)

Chapter 22 – Introductions, Part 1

I logged into my bank account and found that a huge amount had been deposited. The deposit was from EC Entertainment. I picked up my phone and called Edward's cell phone. Of course, Esme answered.

"Bella, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Cullen."

"Please, call me Esme," she said warmly.

"Thank you, Esme."

"You sound a little flustered, dear. What can I help you with?"

"I just logged onto my bank account and found a deposit from EC Entertainment."

"Yes. I finally finished allocating the costs for the tour. That is half of your portion. The other half should come through in the next couple of weeks, once I get the rest of the money in from the final shows. Your manager was aware that we were splitting the payment up into two portions. Did she not tell you?"

"No, she didn't, but…"

"Was it not as much as you expected?"

"No, actually it was much more than I expected. When I checked my bank account, when I got home, I had several large deposits already. I thought I had already been paid for the concerts."

"No, this was the first payment for your part of the concerts. Those may have been royalty payments or your part of merchandise sales. Your manger makes all of your direct deposit arrangements. She would know who she set up. She can probably tell you what everything is for. Rosalie is a bright woman, and I've enjoyed working with her."

I smiled at Esme's glowing complimentary about Rosalie. "Yes, she is great. So you say there is another payment coming?"

"Yes, as of right now, I am expecting it will be just slightly larger than the last, but not by much. The New York concert tickets were much more expensive than any of the other locations, but the venue was more expensive, so I have to work out the difference."

"That must be very confusing."

"I guess you could say that. After all, I have been trying to determine how much goes to you, how much to the other band, and how much goes to charity. I had to deduct personal expenses, equipment rental, transportation expenses, and food and lodging for each band, and then I had to determine which charity benefited from each performance. That is why it has taken so long to make the first payment."

"You should have a room full of accountants helping with that," I pointed out.

Esme laughed. "Edward doesn't trust anyone else with is money. Usually he and I take care of all of this together, but this time, I insisted that I do it on my own. Otherwise, you wouldn't get paid until he got back from Europe. That just wasn't acceptable."

"I really appreciate it, Esme. You are wonderful."

"Thank you. It's always good to hear that someone thinks you're doing a good job. So, since I have you on the phone, how are you doing? You seemed a little off the last time we spoke. Have things changed since then?" she asked. I could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yes, a little. I've decided to stick with the music business. I'm thinking about getting my own place, in Seattle."

"Is that far from where you live now?"

"I'm living with my dad, right now. Seattle is about four hours away. It's not too bad of a drive. I could come home for lunch and still make it home in time for dinner."

"That doesn't sound too bad. I have always loved Seattle. Carlisle and I went there on vacation a few times. Do you know where you want to live?"

"Not yet. I'm going to start looking around."

"Well, you will have to let me know when you find something. I've done interior design and interior decorating for years. That's what I did when Edward was a kid and when he was too busy to need my help with anything. I would love to check out your new place and give you some pointers. Even though I just recently retired, I still have all of my contacts. I may be able to get you some pretty decent deals on things."

"That would be great, Esme. Thank you."

"It's really no trouble at all."

We talked for a few more minutes. When I got off the phone, I was definitely excited about my future. The first thing I did was pay off the rest of my student loans and my credit cards. Even after paying everything, I had enough money that I would be able to spend a week or two in Florida without worrying.

I spoke to Clarence the next day and told him about my plans to visit Lucia. He was thrilled. He gave me a list of hotels that were near his home and told me the positives and negatives of each location. While I was talking to him, I checked out the places online. I found one that used to be an old apartment complex. Even though it was expensive, I thought it would be a good place because it would feel more like she and I were spending time at home. I could cook for her in the kitchen and I had a utility closet, so I could do laundry and not have to bring so many clothes. I made my reservations and found a flight from Seattle to Orlando.

I asked Clarence about the other kids that he had at his house. I told him that I wanted to bring each of them a small gift and asked what they needed. He said they could each use a duffle bag, or something they could put their things in when they moved around from place to place. They all come to him carrying their things in garbage bags. He said that he thought it made them feel like they were unwanted garbage, or bums, being shifted from one place to another. I liked his suggestion, so when I got off the phone with him, I started looking into places online that sold luggage.

I found a place that sold luggage that opened up and could be tucked under a bed. I sent an email to the company telling them why I was interested their bags. Three hours later I received a return email offering me a discount for buying them in bulk at a considerably reduced rate. I placed an order for 20 bags. I knew it was more than Clarence's kids could use, but I figured that he probably knew of other foster parents that kept kids as well and he could give some to them as well.

I went to Port Angeles and picked up each kid their own personal gift. I knew they didn't have much space, and I didn't want to get them something to share, so I stuck with small things that they could call their own. I got a baby doll for Lucia, a Barbie and a change of clothes for the 7 year old girl, a football for the 12 year old boy, a purse and some lip gloss for the 14 year old girl, some cologne for the 17 year old boy and a different kind of cologne for his twin brother. I brought them home and wrapped them all in generic wrapping paper with their names on them.

I called Rosalie and told her that I was leaving that night for Florida. She said she thought it was a good idea, but not to get too attached because we didn't know if the mother was going to forfeit her rights to the child or if the courts were going to force her to do it. We also didn't know if the courts would give me custody even if they did. I was young, single, and lived on the other side of the country. I also had a job that some might consider unstable. For all we knew, they may have a happily married couple already waiting to adopt her.

I told her that I was going to cross my fingers, say a prayer, and hope for the best. When I got off the phone I packed my bags and called Jasper to let him know what was going on. He didn't even seem surprised.

"When I get off the phone with you, I'll email the lyrics and music that I have been working on during the tour, so you can have Nate look them over. I don't know if they're any good or not, but it's a start," I told him.

"How many songs do you have?"

"I only like two of them, but I also have two others and a few parts of songs that I'm still working on."

"That sounds good. Send me the ones you like. We'll work with the others when you get back."

I sent him the songs that I promised I would send. While I had my computer up, I paid some bills online and emailed a beautiful picture I had taken of Edward smiling, one of him making a funny face, and one of him sleeping, to his mom's email address. I thought she would like them. I looked back through the pictures and printed a few for my dad to show off to his friends. I printed one of me onstage by myself in Austin and one of me that was taken from backstage, in New York. You could see me singing and see the full house in front of me. I took the pictures downstairs, along with my luggage.

Dad was just getting ready to walk out the door, heading for work. I gave him the pictures and explained where they were and what was going on when they were taken. I also gave dad Clarence's phone number, in case he needed to reach me while I was gone and my cell phone wasn't working, and a printout of the hotel information where I would be staying.

Dad wasn't too keen on the idea of me driving myself to Seattle and he especially didn't like the idea of me traveling alone, but he knew better than to tell me I couldn't go. Instead, he warned me to be careful, made me promise to call him when I got there, reminded me to keep my eyes open for people following me, and to always keep my cell phone charged. He would have kept going if I hadn't reminded him that he was expected at the police station.

I tossed my luggage into the car and stopped for gas before heading to Seattle. While I was waiting for my car to fill up, I received a text from Rosalie asking me to call her when I got a chance, so I walked into the station's little convenience store to return her call.

"Hey, Rose, I just got your message. What's up?"

"Are you on your way to the airport yet?"

"I was just getting ready to head that way as soon as I finish gassing up my car. Why?"

"So, you're still in Forks?"

"Yes, but not for long. The pump just shut off."

"Do you think you can run by my house on your way to Seattle and pick up Emmett?" Rosalie and Emmett had a nice little house in Port Angeles, which was on my way, so it wouldn't be a problem. It would also give me someone to talk to for three of the four hour trip.

"Umm… Sure. I guess. He needs a ride to Seattle?"

"He could drive himself, but I thought it would be better if you went together."

"Ok, but I'm not going to be back for a week and a half. Are you going to come to Seattle to come get him?"

"No, actually, he can ride back with you. I'm sending him to Florida with you," she announced in a no-nonsense tone.

"You're what?" I sputtered.

"Don't get upset, Bella. He and I talked about it and we both agree that you need a body guard. Emmett offered to do it and I agreed that he would be the best person for the job right now. I already bought his ticket and I went online and made sure you were sitting together."

"Don't you think you should have cleared it with me?"

"Probably, but what's done is done. Come by and get him. He's packed and ready to go."

"Where is he going to stay?"

"The hotel you booked has two rooms and a sleeper sofa. I'm sure he can find somewhere to sleep."

"What if I was planning on picking up a stranger in a bar and having loud passionate sex every night?"

Rosalie laughed. "First of all, that's not your style. Even if it was, Emmett is a grown man. He can go in the other room and ignore you until it's over. Of course, you know he will give you a mountain of shit about it later, but it's your party. Do what you want."

"Rose, the purpose of the trip is to get to know Lucia. Don't you think having someone tagging along is going to interfere a little?"

"Bella, with your popularity skyrocketing the way it is, you are going to have bodyguards around you full time very soon. It wouldn't be a bad idea for her to accept that fact right away."

"I see your point. Ok, I'm on my way. Tell Emmett to be ready. Oh, and Rosalie?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for thinking about me and letting me borrow your husband for a little while. I promise I'll do my best to keep his crazy ass out of trouble."

She laughed, "Good luck with that."

I stocked up on drinks and snacks for the drive while I was in the store, paid for my gas groceries, and headed for Port Angeles. Emmett and Rose came out as soon as I pulled up in front of the house. He tossed his bag in the back of my car, kissed his wife, and we were off.

Having someone to talk to on the trip really helped make the time fly. It also helped keep me distracted. My thoughts of Edward were bordering between crushing heartbreak and the fury of a woman scorned. It hurt that he didn't want me and I was furious that he led me to believe that we had something, when apparently we didn't. It seemed like such a hurtful thing to do. I didn't deserve to be toyed with that way.

With Emmett in the car, my attention turned to light hearted conversations about cartoons, kids' toys, why applesauce didn't turn brown while apples did, and other funny things. The only tears that welled up in my eyes when I had Emmett with me were due to laughing too hard. He was a lifesaver in more ways that he realized.

We hit traffic in Seattle, of course, so we really had to rush when we got to the airport. Emmett helped me with my bags and somehow managed to rush us through the check-in line. I thought we would never make it through security. Once we made it through, people started snapping pictures of me as we ran toward the gate. They had already announced that our flight was boarding, so I had no time to stop and sign autographs. When people asked, Emmett said, "We are about to miss our flight. Sorry, maybe next time."

I was relieved that we were able to get on the plane before they shut the doors. Unfortunately the overhead storage for our carry on bags was full above our seats. When the flight attendant suggested we find a place further toward the back of the plane, Emmett stopped her. "I'm sorry but my client is a very popular rock star. If we put her bag in some random compartment, her personal things usually end up stolen. I don't feel comfortable risking her panties showing up on the internet because the airline couldn't make accommodations."

The lady looked him up and down and said, "And who are you?"

"Emmett McCarty. I'm head of security."

The lady told us to take our seats and went to talk to someone else. When she came back, she said they had some room in first class and there was plenty of overhead storage up there. To reduce the security risk, they recommended we move to the first class seats. We didn't hesitate to move. There was no way Emmett was going to be able to make that long of a flight cramped up in the tiny seats in the back of the plane. At least the first class seats had more leg room.

Our flight left Seattle at 10:45 pm and would land in Orlando, shortly after 7 am if there weren't any delays or problems. It was the only direct flight I could find, so I had to pay a little more, but it was worth it. Once we got settled in our seats and the plane took off, it didn't take me long to fall asleep. I was vaguely aware that someone put a blanket over me while I slept and I think I heard Emmett thank someone for something, but I don't know what for. I opened my eyes when Emmett tapped me on the arm and whispered, "Bella, you're talking in your sleep. If you can't keep quiet, I'm going to have to wake you up."

I think I apologized and fell back into my deep dream state. I don't know how much longer I was asleep before Emmett started tapping me on the arm again, "Bella, wake up for a few minutes."

It took a minute to focus on his words, but I eventually opened my eyes and mumbled, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet. We still have two more hours before we land. Do you need to go to the restroom or anything?"

"Did you really just wake me up to ask if I had to go to the potty? I'm a grown woman, Emmett. I promise I am completely capable of monitoring my own bladder," I grumbled.

Emmett put his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud. When he was finally able to speak, he leaned over and whispered, "You've been talking in your sleep and crying. Your make up is running down your face and your hair is a mess. You may want to go clean yourself up."

"Can you wake me up in an hour?" I tried to get comfortable again.

"Sorry, Bella, I can't do that. People are starting to wake up. We can't risk them seeing or hearing you like this. You know it will end up all over the tabloids if someone snaps your picture while you look like shit."

"Gee, thanks, Emmett." I gave him a dirty look, but I knew he had good intentions, so I grabbed my purse and headed for the restroom. He was right, I did look like shit. My mascara was running down my cheeks in black stripes. My eyes were red and puffy. My hair was a frizzy mess, and I needed to blow my nose. Thankfully no one knocked on the door, because it took a little while for me to get cleaned up. By the time I was done, I looked good, but I still looked a little tired. I figured that was acceptable, since it was an overnight flight.

When I made it back to my seat, Emmett seemed to approve of my appearance. He handed me a glass of orange juice that the flight attendant had brought by while I was in the restroom, and a banana nut muffin. While I was eating, I notice people waking up and starting to move around the cabin. They were yawning and stretching while they looked at their watches to see how much longer until we arrived. Soon there was a line of people waiting for the bathroom. I was thankful that Emmett made me get in there when I did.

When we landed, the first class passengers exited the plane first, so I didn't have to wait while everyone else filed out of the plane. The airport was busy. As Emmett and I exited the plane, we were met by two photographers. Emmett tried to stay between me and the photographers as we quickly made our way to rental car counter to get our car.

"Bella! Bella! How long are you going to be in Florida? Are you staying in Orlando, or are you going somewhere else? Who are you traveling with?"

I decided it would be better if I gave them some information, rather than them making stuff up on their own, so I walked over to them after I got the keys for my rental car. "Hey, guys, what are you doing here this early in the morning?"

"We're here to see you," one of the guys said.

"Well, that's sweet," I said with a bright smile. "You really didn't have to go through all the trouble though. I am just popping into town to visit a friend and take care of some business. Nothing interesting, I'm afraid."

"Who are you traveling with?"

I turned to Emmett, who was trying to look intimidating. "That's Emmett. My manager insisted I travel with security."

"How long are you going to be in town?"

"If everything goes smoothly, I'll only be here a few days."

"Are you going to do any appearances or interviews while you're here?"

"I haven't planned on it. Now, if you'll excuse me, it was a really long flight. I have to get some sleep."

They thanked me as I waved and headed for the luggage pickup and out to the car. We had checked our bags under Emmett's name, so no one would think to mess with them. I thought that was a pretty good plan, since I didn't have time to ship my luggage to the hotel ahead of me, like Edward usually arranged.

We were both tired from the flight, so reading the map to the hotel was a little difficult. We got turned around twice and finally found the place by accident. We got checked in and stumbled into the apartment that was pretending to be our hotel suite. Emmett quickly checked the place over. I have no idea what he was looking for, but a few minutes later, he came back and said it was safe if I wanted to get some more sleep. I knew he was exhausted. I didn't think he had gotten any sleep all night.

"Emmett, you can have the other bedroom, if you like."

He gave me a huge smile. "Thanks, Bella. I think I'm going to get some sleep. Please don't go anywhere without me and don't answer the door. If anyone knocks, come get me."

"Emmett, you're not guarding the President. I seriously doubt anyone is going to try to kidnap or kill me while you sleep. Other than a few people wanting my autograph every now and then, no one ever messes with me."

"I just don't think we should take that a chance, Bella. You don't know how crazy people can be."

"Okay. I promise I will stay inside and not open the door. I'm going to get some more sleep myself."

Emmett set the locks on the door before disappearing into the other bedroom. I carried my luggage into my room, kicked off my shoes and stretched out onto the bed. I didn't even change out of my clothes before I passed out. I slept soundly for a few hours before I got up to kick off my jeans and climb under the blankets.

It was almost noon before I finally got up for the day. Emmett was already up, showered and dressed. He was watching TV and talking on his cell phone when I came out of my room. I had taken a shower, which felt wonderful, and gotten dressed, but my hair was still in a towel and I hadn't done my makeup yet.

Emmett put together a grocery list while I finished getting ready and then we headed out to find something for lunch. I called Clarence to let him know that I was here, and that I had Emmett with me. He offered to meet us at a park down the street from his house. All the other kids were in school, and his wife was at work, so it was just him and Lucia. I think Emmett was just as excited as I was. I got directions to the park, grabbed my camera, loaded all the gifts I had brought for the kids in the car, and we headed out.

It was a small community park with two slides, two swing sets, a structure for kids to climb on that looked like a fire truck, and a few picnic tables. There was only one tree big enough to cast shade and that's where we found Clarence. He was sitting at the only picnic table in the shade wearing khaki shorts and a green and white striped golf shirt.

We parked the car and walked his direction. When he saw me he waved. I waved back as we went over to join him, making sure to stay out of the way of the women that were power walking around the park while their kids played on the equipment.

"Bella, it's good to see you again," Clarence said with a huge smile.

"Clarence, this is my good friend Emmett. He is my manager's husband and my body guard on this trip."

"It's nice to meet you, Emmett. I'm Clarence Johnson."

Emmett smiled and shook his hand, then took a seat across from him at the table. "Mr. Johnson, Bella has told me a lot about you."

"All good, I hope."

I took a seat beside Emmett, "All I know is good, Clarence."

"That just means you don't know me very well, I'm afraid," Clarence said with a laugh.

"So, Clarence, how did you end up with a house full of foster kids anyway?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, well, that would be my wife's doing. She always wanted a house full of kids, but unfortunately we couldn't have any of our own, so we started looking into adoption. What we found was that people really only wanted healthy brand new babies. The older the kids are, the less chance they have of getting adopted. We found a three month old boy that we were looking into adopting. He had a two year old sister, so we were thinking about adopting both of them.

"When we went to the foster home to meet the kids, we were shocked to find a house full of kids. There were fifteen kids in that house. The couple that was taking care of the kids was in their early seventies and in no physical condition to take care of those kids. The older ones were taking care of the younger ones. They were living on sugary cereal and macaroni and cheese. The house was a filthy mess. When we called to complain about it, we were told that there weren't enough foster parents to take care of all of the kids in the system, so they had no choice but to put the kids somewhere.

"My wife decided that we were going to make it our goal to convince more people to become foster parents and encourage more families to adopt older kids. My wife talked to people at our church and then started going to other churches. She got together a large group of people to write letters insisting on reform and more control. When she didn't get the results she wanted, she started talking to reporters. One of the reporters asked her why she wasn't a foster parent. She came home that very day and told me that we were going to be foster parents."

Emmett asked, "What ever happened to the two kids you thought about adopting?"

"We adopted them. Latisha just got married and lives in Miami. Jeremy is in his second year at Georgia State University. We are so proud of them both." He was smiling from ear to ear. "We've been doing this for almost twenty years. When this all started, I worked construction. Five years later, some scaffolding collapsed and I was injured. I had to have some of my vertebrae fused together. While I was down, I stayed at home with the kids and my wife concentrated on her career.

"When I was healed, I just wasn't that eager to get back into construction. My wife got a job offer that pays much better than either of us were making before the accident, so we didn't really need my paycheck, and then I won a lawsuit against the scaffolding company. So, I chose to stay home with the kids. While my wife works at her job, I work with the kids. I try to match the kids up with good potential parents if I can. I guess you could say that I have picked up where my wife left off."

I was curious. "What makes you think I would be a good match for Lucia?"

He held up a hand and counted of his reasons on his fingers. "You seem to be a nice person. You cared enough to contact me about her when you found out she was in the hospital. She came to you, when she doesn't come to anyone. Not to mention, she looks just like you."

Emmett turned to me and said, "You didn't tell me she looks like you. You just said she was beautiful." Emmett looked around. "Where is the little munchkin anyway?"

Clarence said, "She's inside the fire truck. She likes to pretend she's driving."

From where we were sitting, we couldn't see inside the truck very well. All I could see was her elbow through the window. Clarence waved at a woman who had just pulled up with a little boy. Through a clenched teeth smile, Clarence said, "That little boy is Darren. Lucia hates him. He bites and pulls her hair, but his mother won't do anything about it. She says it's a phase he is going through and that he will grow out of it soon. I think the boy is going to grow up to be a little bully."

Just as he was talking, the boy ran over to the fire truck play structure. Not two minutes later we heard a little voice yell, "PA!"

Clarence said "I'm over here, Lucia. Why don't you come over here with me? I have some friends who would like to see you."

Lucia stuck her little head out of the window and said, "Pa?"

"Over here," Clarence said.

She turned our direction and smiled. "Pa! Dat pwetty?"

"Yes, Lucia. Come see." Clarence waved for her to come over and reached in a bag beside him to pull out a juice box.

Lucia climbed out of the fire truck and ran our direction. She was adorable. She was wearing green shorts with tiny white polka dots and a matching t-shirt with a turtle on the front that was made from the same green polka doted material as her shorts. She had on pink "Dora the Explorer" sandals that blinked with yellow and red lights when she walked. Her wavy brown hair was up in pig tails that touched her shoulders.

She ran over to me with a smile and started talking to me as she climbed into my lap and gave me a hug. "Pwetty! Dat boy gonna bad wif me. Pa say no."

Clarence said, "She is telling you that she thinks Darren is going to be bad and I won't stand for it." He turned to Lucia and said, "Why don't you stay over here and play with us for a little while. Here, do you want some juice?"

Lucia took the juice box and started to drink while she put her head on my chest and snuggled with me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her hair while Emmett took our picture with my camera.

"She really does look like you, Bella. She has the same fair skin and brown eyes. Her hair is a little curlier than yours and is a little bit lighter brown, but honestly, you could easily pass for her mother," Emmett said.

Lucia turned to look at him then back at me, "Who dat?"

"That is my friend, Emmett. He wanted to meet you."

Emmett bent down so he was on eye level with her and said, "Hi, my name is Emmett. What's your name?"

She hid her face in my arm for a second then peeked out and said, "Loo."

Clarence said, "She still can't say her name. The kids call her Lulu or Lucy. The courts think it is important that we call her by her given name, so my wife and I call her Lucia." At the sound of that, Lucia crinkled her nose. I remember doing the same thing when people called me Isabella.

Emmett said, "What would you like me to call you?"

She smiled and said, "Lulu. What you name?"

"Emmett," he said slowly.

Lucia thought about it and said, "Em-a-em?"

Emmett laughed and said, "No, silly girl. Eminem is a rapper."

She shook her head and said, "No. Em-a-em candy." She pointed at him and laughed, "You candy!" She leaned over and pretended to take a bite out of his arm. She even made a crunching noise, like she was biting into an apple. She pretended to chew and rubbed her tummy. "Mmm! Lulu like em-a-ems!" We all laughed.

In no time, Lucia and Emmett were out on the playground together. He was pushing her on the swing while she laughed. Clarence and I laughed when she convinced him to wedge himself into the fake fire truck. I took some pictures to send to Rosalie. I thought she would get a kick out of them.

When Emmett was finally able to free himself from the confines of the fire truck, Lucia grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the slides. First we went down the smaller of the two slides. Lucia insisted that I go down the slide with her in my lap. After we did the small one a few times, she led me to the taller slide. She said something that sounded like a garbled pep talk while we stood at the top. It was adorable. I wished I could have recorded it.

When we got to the bottom, she cheered and dragged me back over to the picnic table to tell Clarence all about it. He gave her a high five and told her that he was proud of her. She was smiling as she looked from him to me and back to him again, "Pa?" she was looking at him and pointing at me. "Good girl?" She came over to me and put her hand on my cheek to make me face Clarence. She gave him sad puppy dog eyes and said, "Pa! No good girl for Pwetty? Pwetty cwy." She stuck out her bottom lip in a sad pout.

Clarence said, "Lucia, her name is Bella, not Pretty. Call her Ms. Bella."

Lucia didn't change her said expression. Finally Clarence buckled and said, "Ok, Ms. Bella was a good girl and I'm proud of her, too." He held up his hand and gave me a high five. "Are you happy now, Lucia?"

She ran over and gave him a hug, "Love you, Pa."

"I love you too, Lucia," he said with a smile, "Now, why don't you go play for a few more minutes while I talk to Ms. Bella. We have to go in ten minutes, so we can get the others from the bus stop."

She grabbed Emmett and took off for the swings again.

"Clarence, why does she call you Pa?" I asked.

"The kids call me Papa C. They have for years. Lucia couldn't manage the entire name, so she just calls me Pa. It's better than her name for my wife."

"What does she call your wife?"

"She calls her 'What.' Since my wife isn't around Lucia all the time, she has a hard time understanding what she is saying. When she first came to stay with us, she would say something and my wife would ask what she was saying. Finally Lucia started calling her 'What.' I've tried, but I can't manage to her get to call her anything else."

I laughed. "Wow. That's a tough name to live with."

We watched Lucia and Emmett playing for a few minutes then Clarence said, "Bella, raising a kid is a lot of responsibility. I'm not going to lie to you; it's hard work. They will kick, scream, cry, and throw temper tantrums when you are exhausted and just need some peace and quiet. They will break things, both on accident and on purpose. They will be hard-headed and lie straight to your face. As a parent, you have to be able to keep your temper in check and learn to deal with the stress without lashing out and becoming violent. You have to love them regardless of the stress they cause. I'm not saying you should do like Darren's mom and ignore the problem. You have to set boundaries and enforce them. Don't let the child get away with bad behavior just because they are cute. Another thing to keep in mind when parenting is that no one is perfect. Don't be afraid to call on your friends or family if you need a break. A lot of moms use the mother's day out programs at local churches. This allows them time to get a break from the kids. It's really a good program."

"What if the courts won't let me adopt her?"

Clarence put his hand on mine. "I've been doing this a long time, Bella. I don't think you are going to have a problem with the courts, though the process of stripping away someone's parental rights can take a long time. I expect the judge is going to be reluctant to go through with it if it gets that far. A lot of people will accuse him of taking the child away from her mom because she is HIV positive. They will totally ignore that the woman is a prostitute and a drug addict. They will say that she can be rehabilitated and deserves to have her child back when she gets out of jail."

I felt my heart sinking with every word. "If you don't think the courts are going to take her away from her mom, why am I here?"

"Bella, I think you need to go talk to her mother. Her name is Colleen. The prison she is in is not that far from here. I've spoken with her multiple times. Her sense of priorities is not quite right, but deep down inside, I believe she wants Lucia to have a good life."

"Don't you have to be on some kind of a list to see prisoners, or something?"

"Yes. I told her you may be coming to see her when I visited her yesterday."

"Does she know why I want to talk to her?"

"I'm sure she has an idea."

"What if she tries to get me to pay her or something? I don't want to do anything like that and I'm not going to let myself be blackmailed."

"I don't think that will be a problem. Just go talk to her." He reached in his back pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. "Here, take this." He glanced at his watch and grabbed his bag as he got up. "Visiting hours start at 9 am tomorrow. The earlier you get in there the less time you have to wait. I would recommend showing up at about 8:30 am and getting in line. If you finish before lunch, let me know. Maybe you and Emmett can come over and eat with us."

He didn't give me a chance to say whether or not I was actually going to go visit Lucia's mother or not, he just walked over to the swing sets, shook Emmett's hand, and led Lucia toward his car.

A/N: So, now you've met Lucia. I personally think she is adorable. That leads to my next soap box moment…

There are a lot of kids out there that are in foster care and living in group homes or similar facilities. I was privileged to have a chance to attend a fundraising event for Boys and Girls Country, which is a facility near Houston, Texas, that houses over 125 kids that are in long term foster care. They divide them up into households of 8 to 10 kids and employ married coupled to live with these kids on sight. I got to hear some of the stories of adults who grew up there and got to meet some of the kids that currently live there. It was a very humbling experience.

Here are some disturbing figures , regarding Child Welfare in United States as of January 2011:

Number of children who are victims of abuse and neglect: 751,049

Number of children in foster care: 418,422

Number of children adopted from foster care: 57,264

Number of grandparents raising grandchildren: 2,541,364

These numbers continue to grow each year. I'm not going to tell you to go out and adopt children or become foster parents, because that is a very personal decision. But I will recommend that you look into the organizations in your area that assist these children. If you have an opportunity to donate food, clothing, toys, or money, please make sure it goes to a place that is going to treat the children the way they deserve to be treated. If you know someone who is considering adopting children, be encouraging and supportive. These kids need all the help they can get.