I'd hoped it would all be over within a few hours, but I have to wait another day. I sit out in the hall on my own. I asked Stef and Lena to wait in the car while I spoke to Sophia, but she's gone now, we only talked for a few minutes. I just need a moment alone. I texted Taylor to say thank you to her mom for me, I can't believe a stranger would try to help me. She texts back saying she's sorry for what I'm going through and that she's here if I want to talk. I hear footsteps come closer to me, but I don't look up, out of fear that somehow, it's John. The person sits next to me. I see the black converse and the ripped jeans, it's Rae.
"I'm not mad," She says. "Not at you anyway. I wasn't close to him, like at all. I always knew there was something off with him. But I love my mom, so I kept my mouth shut."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I just wanted to know if you're okay."
"How could I be okay? Your dad molested me. He let me believe I was safe, and he broke my trust. And you broke it too, you could have said something; told me to avoid him or whatever."
"I know. I'm sorry. I never thought he would do anything like that." She looks at me. "I just wanted to tell you that, if I get called up as a witness, I'm going to try and help you."
"Why? He's your dad, and what about your mom?"
"What he did was wrong, family or not he needs to be held accountable. My mom is probably going to hate me, she hates you now, she's convinced you're lying. She's so blinded by her love for him." She's disgusted.
"So, what will you do, if he does go to prison?"
"If my mom doesn't lose her mind then we'll probably just move somewhere smaller and she'll take on more hours at work, he's our main source of income so we're little bit financially screwed."
"Rachel!" We both stand up and see Mary is coming towards us. "Get away from her now."
"Sorry, I have to go." I watch her walk to her mom, she starts yelling at her, but she just ignores her and keeps walking.
I wait until they drive away before I go out to Stef and Lena's car. "You alright sweetie? That must have been hard for you." Lena turns around in her seat to look at me while Stef drives.
"I'm okay. I thought it would all be over today. But I'm fine, I just have to keep fighting."
"We're very proud of you." She takes my hand and squeezes it.
"So, how did it go?" Callie asks. I sit down at the kitchen table with her.
"It got adjourned until tomorrow, but, um yeah I think it went well. Sophia and her parents came, when I saw her, I knew I could get through it."
"Gracie was so brave," Lena says.
"I'm so proud of you." Callie hugs me.
"Thank you. I'm pretty tired, would it be okay if I went upstairs for a nap?"
"Sure, sweetie, you don't have to ask you know, this isn't like your other homes," Lena says.
"Sorry, I'm just used to a lot more rules."
"I'll come to wake you at dinner time," Callie says.
I am tired but realistically I'm not going to get any sleep, so I look around the room, Callie and Mariana have very different styles, but they're stuff just looks right together, they're like the perfect contrast and their room shows it. I wish I had a sister. I have Sophia, but she can't always be there, not like a sister could, or like I imagine a sister could anyway. They have pictures everywhere, of the two of them, of the family, pictures with their boyfriends. I go to Callie's bedside table, there's a picture of her and Jude with a woman who looks a lot like them. Must be their birth mom.
I take a shower, put on the blue pajamas, and get into bed. I stare at Mariana's clock. Eventually, I fall asleep. I dream about this house and the family. We're all sat at the dining table, there's a huge turkey on the table. We're all wearing dumb turkey hats and laughing together. Stef and Lena stand up to get everyone's attention.
"Kids, there's something we want to say. We've had a wonderful Thanksgiving," Lena says.
"And we think we have something that will make it even better," Stef adds, it's like they've rehearsed it. "So, Gracie, we have a question for you."
"Would you like to be a permanent part of this family?" I feel so much joy I can barely breathe. The others are all so excited, Callie jumps up and hugs me.
"Well, Gracie?" Callie says. "Gracie?" I open my eyes and I'm back in my camp bed. Callie is standing over me. "Dinner's ready."
I sit with the family at the kitchen table. They all eat and talk about their day, then the question comes to me.
"How was your day Gracie?" Mariana asks me, they others don't know I went to court today.
"It was fine." I eat so I don't have to talk. I'd like to talk to them, let them get to know me, but I can't. I don't want to unload my weight on them, they don't need that. After dinner Mariana, Callie, and I go up to their room. Mariana's talking about some party she's going to.
"Are you going to drink?" Callie asks protectively.
"Yeah, I guess, if you're so worried why don't you just come?" She just wants Callie off her back long enough to find an outfit.
"Oh, no. I'm just gonna hang out here with Gracie." She smiles at me.
"Why don't you both come?" She sits next to me. "Come on, you could do with a little bit of fun." I look at Callie.
"I don't know, you have a big day tomorrow," Callie says.
"Big day?" Mariana asks. Callie wasn't supposed to say anything.
"Uh, yeah I have court." She looks at me. "I went to today, but it got adjourned," I tell her. "It might be nice to take my mind off of things for a while, I'll go if you do." I turn to Callie; she thinks about it for a second.
"Fine, fine okay but only for like an hour or two." Callie gives in.
"Yay! Okay, Gracie, you can borrow anything you want. What about this?" She holds up a black mini dress that flares out below the waist. Then she pulls a denim jacket out of the closet. "And this?" I'll admit it is something I would wear if I could afford it. "Here, try them on." She hands them to me, and I go and put them on in the bathroom, I don't look that bad. The jacket covers my scars and the skirt of the dress is flattering enough, not too tight not too loose. I look normal. I go back out to show them.
"You look great." Callie smiles. She's wearing high waisted black jeans and a purple crop top, Mariana's wearing a skin-tight blue dress with a leather jacket.
"Thanks, you guys look awesome too."
"Can I do your makeup?" Mariana asks. She looks too excited about it for me to say no, So, I sit down in front of her vanity and let her paint my face. She puts concealer over my dark undereye circles and gold eyeshadow on my eyelids, then she adds winged eyeliner and mascara. I take a look in the mirror and my eyes seem to pop, they always just sank into my face, now I actually look kind of pretty. Once we're ready we go downstairs, and Stef and Lena are sat at the kitchen table.
"Girls, you all look beautiful. I didn't know you were going tonight, Gracie?" Lena comes over and looks at my outfit.
"Yeah, I hope that's okay. I just thought I should try and do something a little bit normal, and fun."
"Okay, but be careful." Stef smiles.
"We will, we'll look out for each other," Callie reassures her parents.
"No drinking, no drugs, and no sex please!" Stef shouts as we leave the house and get into the little blue mini.
"Do they always say that before you go to a party?"
"Pretty much." Callie starts driving. "But they're just protecting us."
