Charlotte
***
The doorbell rang and she froze as I got up to answer it, half hidden behind the couch. A tall, stunning human woman stood in the doorway, a tattoo of a black cat on her shoulder.
"Mum!"
She ran out from behind the couch and torpedoed the woman in the knees.
"Oh, baby," the woman wrapped her in her long, graceful arms, her face fierce with longing.
"Dorsey," she said finally, extending her hand.
"Charlotte," I said immediately, doing likewise.
"Mum!" her daughter said at the same time, horrified.
"Oh I think we can trust her with that much, baby, after all she's done. You'll need it for the paperwork anyway, I assume."
I smiled, but was momentarily speechless. I suddenly realised this was the end.
"Thank you so much for looking after her. I, uh, I hope she hasn't been any trouble."
A child less bothersome I'd never encountered. "She's an angel. I'm just so glad we found you. Is her father here too?"
They both stilled almost imperceptibly.
"We don't talk about her father. I hope you don't think we're rude."
"Well, he must be desperate to see her," I said, hugging her little body goodbye. "Any time you want to throw a ball for Sammy, you know where I am."
She hugged me back tightly.
"You can't watch us go," she whispered. I nodded silently, holding onto my tears, and went back to sit on the couch. She was leaving. This little body that had seemed by now a part of the furniture. I knew she had never been for keeps. I knew it was best for her to be with family. But my sense of loss wouldn't be rationalized.
And when I looked up, they were gone.