Adopted by Six on Broadway

Glories and the Disgraces

No One's POV (These kinds are chapters take place during the year I didn't write.)

It was a calm summer day. Angie and Janelle were out for an ice cream date when they walked past a shady ally and saw a frightened girl who looked about ten sobbing.

They hurried over to her. "Are you okay sweetie?" Angie asked, kneeling down to her level.

The little girl shook her head. "I'm scared. My Papa's acting funny and told me I was a disgrace. What's a disgrace?"

Angie and Janelle looked at each other worriedly. Janelle turned back to the little girl. "What's your name honey?"

"I'm Maisy. Why is my Papa acting funny."

They both had an idea. Instead Angie said, "We don't know. Maisy, what about your mom. Where can we find her?"

"My Mama and Papa don't live together. They called it a divorce. Mama lives over there." She pointed across town at a chunk of apartment buildings. "Can you help me find my Mama?"

Their hearts melted. "Of course Maisy. I'm Angie and this is Janelle. We'll do everything we can to help you."

Maisy stood up, and Janelle noticed a Hello Kitty backpack next to her. "Is that your's Maisy?" she asked.

Maisy nodded. "My Mama got it for me for school." She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

It was then they noticed how small she was, and how thin and hungry she looked. 

"How old are you Maisy?" Angie asked gently.

"I'm seven." She took her backpack from Janelle and gripped Angie's hand. "My Mama said my Papa had custody over me, whatever that means."

"It means that your Papa gets to have you most of the time because the people who decide thought he'd be the better parent." Janelle struggled to find a simple way to explain it.

"He's not." Maisy informed them very matter of factly. "He hits me a lot and drinks out of these brown bottles that make him act all dizzy and angry." She said it so casually. Probably because she didn't know what it meant. "And today after he drank one of those brown bottles when I had just gotten home from school he called me a disgrace and slammed the door, I hadn't even gone inside."

Poor Maisy, she's too good for this world.

Maisy recognized which building had her mama's apartment, and lead them to the doorman.

"Hey Lil' Mase. You here to see your Mama?" He asked her.

"Yeah, because Papa's acting funny." 

The doorman looked out, expecting her father to be behind her, but instead there were two teenage girls with concerned faces. 

"Let's get you up then." He personally led them to the correct door.

A Hispanic woman opened the door to 15g.

"Maisy! Today's not a regular day! Is your father here?" She smiled at her daughter.

"Hi, your Maisy's mother. Can we talk to you?" Angie said.

"Is something wrong? Who are you?" Maisy's mother said.

"Angie and Janelle are really nice Mama!" Maisy beamed at her mother, and then ran off into the apartment.

"Hi, I'm Daniela. Come in." 

Maisy was playing with dolls in her room according to Daniela. 

"What did you have to talk to me about?"

"We found Maisy crying in an ally. She told us her father called her disgrace and slammed the door in her face, and wouldn't let her into their apartment. Apparently he also drinks around her until he's drunk, and he hits her." Janelle said gently.

"And you're sure?" Daniela asked.

"We wouldn't know for sure, but we're thinking he starves her too. She's very thin and tiny for a girl her age." Angie added, as politely as possible.

After a minute of silence Daniela spoke. "Thank you. Can I get your numbers?"

Angie took out a pen and wrote them down on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Have a nice day." She smiled kindly at her.

"Maisy come say goodbye!" Daniela called.

"You have to leave Angie! And you too Janelle!" Maisy came running out holding a Barbie wearing a blue sundress and a stuffed bear.

"Yeah, we're going to leave you with your Mama." Janelle said, kneeling down to say goodbye.

"Okay. Thank you so much!" Maisy hugged their legs when Janelle stood up.

As the two girls left, Daniela made Maisy a sandwich and whispered, "Those two must have been angels."

About a month later, both Angie and Janelle received a text in a group chat with a picture of Maisy in a yellow dress beaming.

"Got full custody, thank you so much."