As Evelyn drove home, she periodically looked in her rearview mirror to look at the frightened young boy sitting in the back seat, staring down at the floor of the car. After briefly speaking with him and going over his paperwork with Officer Mahoney, Evelyn decided to let Jack stay with her for a while until she could find him a permanent home. She had already explained to him about her three older sons, not missing the anxious reaction that ensued.
"You'll be fine, Jackie. My boys will behave themselves, I promise", Evelyn assured, offering a small smile when he looked up at her. Just as she began to turn the corner to get to her home, she could hear Jack shift uncomfortably in his seat, obviously sensing how close they were to arriving at their destination. When they finally did, Evelyn got out of the car and opened Jack's door for him. He slowly stepped out, taking in all of his surroundings.
"This way, Jack", Evelyn instructed, waiting for Jack to begin following her up to the front door. Once they reached it, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, thinking Jack was still behind her. Immediately, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel came out into the living room and over to Evelyn.
"Boys, this is Jack", she introduced, receiving confused glares from the three.
"You pullin' our leg, ma?" Bobby questioned.
"No, I-" she began, stopping once she realized that Jack wasn't by her side, "Just a moment", she prompted, turning to go out the door once again, only to find Jack standing by the side of it.
"It's okay, Jackie. They won't hurt you. Come on", Evelyn coaxed, stretching out her hand in hopes that Jack would take it. Slowly but surely, he did, making his shaking even more apparent to her. She lead him inside, feeling his hand tighten around hers at the sight of the three boys.
"This is Jack", she confirmed, then turned to him, "Jack, these are my sons, Bobby, Jeremiah, and Angel", Jack just barely looked at them, keeping his eyes glued to his feet. Evelyn smiled weakley.
"I'm just going to show Jack his room, then I'll be back downstairs to talk to you three", she notified, addressing her sons. They watched as Evelyn and Jack made their way upstairs before Bobby went over to the couch and lyed down.
"What's that kids' problem?" he nearly mumbled, turning on a hockey game.
"Ma said he was really traumatized, hard upbringing. Give him a break, Bobby", Jerry insisted, taking a seat.
"Traumatized? What could he possibly be traumatized about? I had a tough life before here too, and you don't see me complainin'"
"Some people handle things differently than others. He's just a kid"
"Yeah. Just a kid..." only seconds later, Evelyn came down the stairs and had all three boys' attention on her.
"So what's the deal with this kid, ma?" Bobby questioned, sounding bored.
"Well boys, Jack's been through a lot. Possibly even more than the three of you combined. He's been through 12 different foster home in his ten years, all of them a different level of abuse and neglect. Just be gentle with him and give him time. He scares easily, and doesn't talk much. He's going to require a lot of help", she explained to them, the whole while sounding saddened by just the thought of Jack.
"Twelve? All in Detroit?", Jerry questioned, his words laced with shock.
"No, not just Detroit. All over Michigan"
"What happened to his arm?" Angel wondered, speaking for the first time since Jack's arrival.
"It's been broken for about a month and a half, now"
"A month and a half! I thought broken bones healed in less time than that?"
"The reason being is that it went untreated for so long. The hospital is hoping his arm will heal properly now that it's been treated correctly", Bobby's head snapped up at this explanation.
"So some asshole just let the kid walk around with a broken arm?" he demanded, anger clear in his voice.
"Watch your mouth, Bobby. And yes, his last foster parents didn't do anything about it", Bobby scoffed at this, shaking his head and looking back at the TV.
"Just please be careful around him, and be very patient", Evelyn stated, almost pleadingly. The three boys nodded, watching her walk back up the stairs.
As Evelyn walked around the corner to get to Jack's new room, she tried to make sure that she didn't scare him.
"Jackie?" she called quietly, peeking her head through the door. He jumped slightly when he heard her, immediately turning around to look at her.
"I'm sorry, sweetie", Evelyn apologized immediately, walking into the room, "Do you like it?" she asked him, watching as he slowly looked around the room. A quick nod from him told her enough, causing her to smile.
"Good, I'm glad. Are you hungry? I know you haven't eaten anything, yet", he stopped to stare at her, shaking his head. Her eyebrows scrunched for a moment.
"Alright, honey. If you change your mind, I'll gladly make you something", she vowed, leaving him to look around some more.
Later in the night after everyone had gone to bed, it was quiet for sometime until screaming could be heard, ringing throughout the halls upstairs. Evelyn got out of bed and rushed to the hall, almost automatically knowing where the screaming was coming from. Eventually, the screaming ceased, but Bobby got up anyway to check it out. He looked down the hall, seeing a door slightly ajar, so he quietly made his way toward it. Once he reached it, he peeked inside, only to see Evelyn sitting down on Jack's bed and stroking his hair as he cried and whimpered into her shoulder. Bobby stayed standing there for a moment, taking in the scene before going back to bed, suddenly feeling a new sense of emotion towards this kid.
As Jack began to calm down, he sniffled a few times before Evelyn spoke up.
"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked. He looked up at her and nodded before laying his head on her shoulder again, "Was it a nightmare?" another small nod. They stayed silent for a few seconds before Jack's stomach gurgled. Evelyn laughed to herself.
"Are you hungry now?" she questioned, laughing once again when Jack looked up at her and nodded, actually smiling a little for the first time since they'd met only hours before.