"Are you okay?"
Marty didn't speak a word on the whole way home to Elm Tree House. It wasn't that I expected him to, I just hoped that he would say something for me to answer.
At last, when the taxi turned up Elm Tree House's block I just had that one question- despite it being a stupid one. And Marty at first didn't say anything and just shrugged for an answer.
"Well…" He started speaking at last while we unbuckled our belts and were on our way out of the car. "At least it's a relief that that's done for this time and now I don't need to worry about it for a really long time." He grabbed his new skateboard and the pack of stickers for it, I took the gift I had bought for Shawn to give to Ella, and while a roll of Frozen Christmas-wrapping paper stuck out of it I folded it so no one would be able to see what was in it.
"Are you back already?" Mike was right in the hallway when we came inside. "Here, can I see what you have?" He tried to take a look on what Marty was holding. "Did you have a…"
"I think I'd like to be alone for a minute."
Before neither I nor Mike had the chance to come up with anything to say Marty had continued hurrying down the hallway and then up the stairs.
"You can just come and get one of us if you need anything." Marty didn't react to what Mike said. But somehow I could tell he had heard anyway. "Well, He will come and get us if he needs anything. And now you have done the meeting of a parent outside for the first time. How did you think it was? Did something happen that upset Marty?"
"Well…" I hesitated. "…Gloria Martinez. Well, she seemed like an okay parent. And I think it could have stayed like that too. Then she started talking about that she thinks there actually might be a chance for her to come out and live on her own, with Marty with her of course. Marty didn't answer much to that but I'm guessing that it wouldn't be so simple as she made it sound."
"No it wouldn't." Mike agreed with me. "And that I know of, there are no plans of Gloria getting out, or getting Marty…. Did she find some new birth mark or anything?"
"She did. Although that was after we went to the toy store. She said she would have liked to be just another parent that could take her child out and buy them something. Well, it wasn't very surprising Marty would choose a skateboard. It doesn't matter… anyway, just when we met- Gloria was hugging Marty so hard he literally couldn't breathe and had to beg her to let go…" I tried to think through everything that had happened earlier. "…She could see a new- or what she thought was a new birth mark and Marty…" I lost my words, not able to find the right words. "Perhaps I could wait for a day or so, then fill up his files with this. Meanwhile it's a bit… confusing. And I need to think through it some."
"Of course, that's okay. And I can also see now you have gotten some gift…" He smiled at the wrapping paper only. "I heard Shawn had asked you to buy something for him for Ella. So can I guess who that one gift is for even though you haven't opened the bag?" I did smirk a bit. "As long as it's something Frozen- themed I'm sure Ella will love it. Don't you think?"
"I do think… I got this for Shawn Anyway, I was going to as. Since earlier I did actually manage to get Ella's gift and the wrapping paper for it. Although I didn't have the chance to actually wrap it so… I guess I'll have to hide this somewhere in here before I'm going home. And then, Shawn told me it would be a good idea to keep Christmas gifts at my place so…."
"Shawn is a wise person. And he's been here for longer than any other of the kids. So yeah, I think it would be for the best if you keep the presents you get at your place. At least for the moment being. So will I, George and Luce before we bring everything here at December 23d."
"Sounds like a plan… I guess I will be doing my Christmas shopping soon. Now already. And I'm ordering some things of the Internet so I'm hoping to get those in time… But some searching around stores is never wrong either… Oh, one more thing. I thought I had found something for Ella earlier, but I found something else even better now that makes a little theme in between her presents and some of the others'. So maybe you can get what I thought at first- I think she'd really like both of the things."
"I think I can do that… some of the kids are in the living room now. They're cutting some pictures from commercial- mainly from toy stores. And then gluing them onto each paper sheet so they're making each wish list."
"That sounds fun… And like something not a lot of kids do now everything's on the internet. Anyway… I guess I'm going to that toy store both one and three times more… But I just don't have any more ideas right now…. For Nathan and Qwyn, obviously I will have to get something that they can use when they move away from here. But there are so many of those things that are too big and expensive… I'll come up with something."
"If I do know you right. You certainly will."
I smiled, but left the office and, thinking about what Mike had said about the kids making their wish lists in the living room. And when I went inside, I did very well find several children around the table. With commercial from different stores and colorful papers. There was also Luce who was helping Tracie with the cutting and gluing.
"Why aren't you two making any wish lists?" Ella asked Ashton and Violet who sat on one of the couches watching some TV-show I didn't recognize. "How is Santa going to know what you really want if you don't make one?"
"For the last time." Violet rolled her eyes. "Santa isn't real. He's just some excuse for adults to make children behave better.
"And I don't really have to make a list." Was Ashton's answer. "If it really is true… that I'll be staying here. I could use something for my room. A lamp or a painting or something to just make it… mine!"
I made a mental note that I was going to go to Ikea, which was of course the best place for brainstorming whether I was actually getting some big piece of furniture or something smaller.
"Don't say that Violet." I interrupted when I saw the crushed faith and happiness on Ella's face. "Of course Santa's real…." I didn't have to finish the sentence.
He's alive in children's hearts.
"Told you." Ella said to Violet, Violet just scoffed and didn't say anything more. "Aren't you going to make one Emma? Santa comes for adults too you know."
"I- I…" I hesitated, I was so tired after everything that had happened thoughts were spinning in my mind and I barely knew wat I would want for Christmas anyway. "Well… I can see here that you wish for a whole lot of frozen- things."
"That's not a surprise isn't it?" Tracie scoffed. "At least now, when we don't have to share a room anymore I'm not surrounded by it 24/7."
I felt something squeeze in my heart when it was obvious that Tracie and Ella just weren't the best friends they used to. I could get why what had happened with their biological parents. But still, they were always going to be sisters and it really seemed like they hated each other now.
"Tracie…" There was a moment before Ella said anything but she sounded insecure. "…Do you think, now we've met them? That our real parents will give us any gifts for Christmas or our birthday?"
"No! And will you stop talking about them? We have no real parents. They gave us up. And I never want to hear anyone talk about them, ever again."
Ella got up from the table she had been sitting by, then came running over to me- buried her face in my sweater and started sobbing wildly. I could see in the corner of my eye how Tracie glared towards her. But I could also see Luce sitting by her and I had to put my concentration towards Ella.
It wasn't that I could blame either one for how they were reacting. Ella was always the more forgiving and wanted to see everything on the brighter side. While Tracie had been in a lot of pain lately, and even at their young age she thought she could see things from a more realistic point of view. Their parents had already given them up once, why wouldn't they do the same again?
It would be up to Ellis and Patrick Spencer what they chose to do. And we hadn't heard from them more since the day at the hospital when Tracie needed surgery.
"Emma…." At last, with tears still streaming down her face, Ella looked up at me. "…Why didn't they want us? Did we do something wrong?"
"No…." I kneeled, and could feel my heart breaking. "…Not anything. You were only just babies, so there was nothing you could done have wrong. About when they showed up… I don't know why they made decisions as they did but…."
"Tracie still has a choice though…" Ella almost whispered to me. "…But we've always had each other, now she hates me."
"She doesn't hate you." I said, then realized Tracie heard me as she scoffed at me. "You're right! You're sisters. And when it comes to scratch you'll always have each other."
Tracie had picked together and picked up the things she'd worked on. Now she left the room, Luce sent me a meaning look. When she left the room Ella broke down again and leaned against me.
At last, in the afternoon Ella had worn herself out by crying. She could barely keep her eyes open and couldn't stand upright so I lifted her up and carried her to her bed to what was now, hers and Emily's room.
I looked over the blue Frozen- sweater she was wearing, ever since she had been fighting with Tracie she hadn't seemed to be up to wear dresses and as pretty as she always was otherwise.
"You poor thing…" I whispered at last, then kissed her wet cheeks and left the room. Where my shift was almost over and Mike told me to go now. As there was soon a bus that left to my area. And for some reason, I didn't protest against him. Only grabbed my coat and beanie, took what I had bought today and left the house.
It had been so often since I started working at the dumping ground. But it was just so unfair! How some people like Ella and Tracie's or Marty's should just never had had children of their own. While at the same time, such as David's or my own. Should just live forever and never leave their kids alone during a single minute.
The thoughts and sights I had seen today were spinning in my mind while I sat on the bus home and then went up to my flat. I was so tired I couldn't help but long for my bed. But then. As soon as I had put away the things from today, changed into pyjamas I couldn't relax or even close my eyes at all. I just couldn't at all relax to go to sleep for the day and my whole body was itching with restlessness.
After only lying like that with my eyes open for over an hour, I gave up on the thought of falling asleep and changed place into my couch where I grabbed my laptop and started searching the Internet for some Christmas gifts.
The first one I found was for Marty, a white backpack with black zippers and black text that said "the boy who lived." And while I almost clicked to order it, I saw in front of me the scar that Marty had on his chest.
But then, I was suddenly hit by the thought that Marty might like something else. I had heard him say that he would like a backpack or a shoulder strap bag so he wouldn't have to carry everything in his hands all the time.
But would he like something that would always refer to everything he had been through?
I had found a page with different merchandise. So I went back and searched through a page of backpacks. Then as I saw a dark red backpack with a Gryffindor logo., I slightly nodded to myself while I pressed to put it in the basket. And while I could go through the rest of the kids, there must be someone else whose presents I could buy on this page- Ella, of course. But, I reminded myself- I wouldn't have to order anything for her. I could only go up to those shelves at the toy store.
The minutes went by during that night, at least I had the day off all Sunday. But as the clock had passed midnight since long I kept searching for any Christmas gifts.
I went back to the same page where I'd found the backpack for Marty. Then was reminded of the older twins- Nathan who liked Guardians of the galaxy and big bang theory, Qwyn who liked Harry Potter and Star Wars. And there must be something that could also help them as they moved to live on their own on this whole page.
It didn't seem there was anything though. Because I spent almost three hours, and riffling through the pages I couldn't find anything for neither those teenage boys, nor anyone else.
And then I suddenly thought of Ashton and what she had said she wanted for Christmas.
Then there was Peityn… she shouldn't be too hard for. She liked most things girl her age did.
At last. Early in the morning I made half a plan for something and sent a quick text message.
Do you want to meet someday? I'm going to IKEA for at least one Christmas gift, IKEA on your own is boring.
-Emma
I was meaning to stay as awake as I had all day and all night. Johnny was usually quick with answering to text messages. But right when I sent mine, I suddenly felt my eyelids getting heavier. And with that, finally- with the morning sun shining over Pottiswood, I fell asleep.
Random fact
A couple of weeks ago I had so much started at once. This and two other chapters as well as three Oneshots. Now. With this one I have finally finished them all.
