Eye of the Storm -SAFE HOUSE BOOK 2-

38

The burgers Jamie grilled for dinner that Sunday evening made Austin's mouth water as he made his way to the kitchen. The table was already set for seven, and Caleb was sitting on the couch with Laura, reading a book. The pair talked and laughed at the small jokes on some of the pages. Grinning at his found family, Austin sat down in his seat beside Briana. "Everyone dig in before this gets cold," Jamie called, setting the plate filled with cheeseburgers down before the two best friends. Taking a fresh toasted roll, Austin filled his plate with the meat and salad made to accompany it. After drizzling ketchup on his cheeseburger and Italian dressing on his salad, he dug in.

As Laura sat down, she tapped through some emails on her phone. Getting an idea, she took a long sip of water from her glass before getting everyone's attention. "I thought, since Monday is a professional day, I might take Briana and Austin by the firm. There are some old case files they can see so they can see what they might be learning in their pre-law programs when they get to that point," she almost sang, a smile lighting her face.

Austin beamed as he heard the news, excited to be getting a sneak peak into what he hoped to make his profession one day. How nice it was, now, to have a family that looked out for him and worked with him to achieve his goals, whatever they may be. "I'm really glad that got worked out. Thank you for arranging this, I appreciate it," he said to his mom, beaming as the golden sun rained down on the Carters' house.

After dinner, it was off to his room. There was homework to be done and backpacks to be packed if Briana and Austin were going to be spending the day at Laura's firm. Rummaging through his closet, Austin found a blank notebook and slipped it into his bag, putting any books he wasn't using on his dresser for Tuesday. It took a little while, but soon he had picked out a nice shirt and sweater to wear the next day. After draping everything on the hanger, he flung it over one shoulder and headed down to the kitchen again. "Mama, can I wear this, or should I dress nicer? I want everyone to like me," he admitted, heart racing in his chest and palms ice cold as they dripped with sweat.

Looking his outfit over, Laura licked her lips before lighting up with a smile. "That's great, love. I'm sure you'll do great tomorrow. I'm really excited to bring you along," she admitted, kissing Austin's head. He thanked her before turning on his heel and heading back to his room, hanging the outfit on his closet door.

Just then, Devon was calling him. "I just got a new game for my console. Do you want to play it with me," the boy asked, holding up the box. Nodding, Austin smiled and headed to his foster brother's room. The game was already up and loading. Soon, the boys were making their characters and struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

As Austin played, he couldn't help but think about Natalia. If she was the girl in his dream, did that mean there was no one else for him? Would he ever find someone who understood him as well as she did? Would he be able to find a girl as beautiful or kind? He hoped so. It was a cruel world, and he didn't want to have to go through it alone.

Gripping the controller, Austin did his best to keep his mind on the game instead of his worries. He needed this, to push away the rest of the world for a little while, to just be a teenager. Wasn't that what he was trying to do with her? Wasn't that all Natalia had wanted, to be free? Wasn't that what they both begged for?

Jamie brought up some sandwiches for Devon and Austin, leaning on the doorframe as they played. "Is this the newest one, the one you picked out the other day?" Devon nodded, not daring to look away from the screen. Aiming their weapons, they fired at any enemies they saw, doing their best to save the world from the apocalypse. It wasn't long before Austin was grinning from ear to ear. 

****

The law firm wasn't at all like Austin had expected. It was nicer. Laura's heeled boots clicked on the tile flooring as they walked through the lobby, her briefcase clutched in one strong hand. Austin gripped the straps of his backpack tight as he and Briana followed closely behind, their own shoes clicking as they treated onward.

When they reached Laura's office, she greeted a few coworkers before a man not much older than Briana and Austin came up. "Kids, this is my intern, Max. Max, these are my newest foster kids, Briana and Austin. My husband and I are trying to adopt them. I expect that you'll give them everything and anything they want. I have a meeting in a few minutes, so I was wondering if you could give them the tour while I'm gone? Oh, and let them look over some of our old case files. I think they might enjoy that," Laura instructed, face serious but bright as she rummaged through some folders before tucking the one she was looking for under her arm.

"Sounds like a plan," Max grinned, shaking Briana and Austin's hands. "Come on, guys. I'll show you where we keep the good stuff. There's also a fridge here with drinks. I can get something for you if you want," he commented as the teens followed him into a small cubicle. Stacks of files lay strewn about, and Briana silently wondered how the boy with Harry Potter glasses and a lanky figure got any work done with all of the clutter. Maybe that didn't matter. She was only going to be here for one day, and she wanted to make the most of it. "Here are some of the old case files. You guys can look over them if you want."

Briana took one folder, nodding in thanks and brandishing her pen. She read the file with ease, looking up whatever words she didn't know, and writing down notes on advocating for clients. Austin sat beside her, poring over another folder. The two friends pored over the words for hours, and before too long, it was time to go.

Laura flung her bag over one shoulder and locked up before waving goodbye to Max. "I'm all done for the day. Are you guys ready?" Putting the files back where they belonged, Briana and Austin put away their notes and got to their feet. Then, they walked out to Laura's car in the sunset.