The Sitter's Sister

Chapter 19

Leigh-Anne and Sairah had been driven by Sairah's previous employer to get to this small pizzeria for lunch.

Once they had arrived, they had met the woman in question and had greeted her politely.

Amanda Wilson sat next to Janice at the other side of the table from the two young ladies. She was in her late forties and had been a foster mom for a few years now. When Janice had told her about the situation regarding the girls, she had been more than eager to help. The poor dears, from here they looked slender and frail.

"So, how are you girls doing?" She asked pleasantly.

Sairah was trying to pick up bad vibes from this woman. So far she seemed alright but she was still keeping her eyes peeled. "We're alright. What about you?"

Leigh-Anne picked up a salt shaker and began examining it. The thought of living with this woman was making her kind of uncomfortable but it was an idea they needed to consider. She and Sairah had gone over their pros and cons list yesterday and the pros had outnumbered the cons big time.

"I'm doing quite well. It feels so good to meet you two. Janice had said so much about you." Amanda pouted. "Look at you, so young and yet out in the world on your own." She shook her head. "How old are you again? Eighteen and fifteen?" She pointed from girl to girl.

"Yes, Sairah is eighteen and Leigh-Anne is only fifteen years old." Janice answered for them.

Sairah had been about to answer herself. "Leigh will be sixteen in October though."

Amanda smiled. "Woooow. How do you feel about that? Turning sixteen is usually a huuuge event to most girls. Ever thought about having a sweet sixteen?"

Leigh-Anne set her salt shaker down. "No, I never thought about that. I guess I feel alright with turning sixteen. It's not like I have a choice."

Amanda and Janice chuckled by what she said.

Sairah wondered why they found that funny. "She'd actually be lucky if she turns sixteen. We've had way too many close calls of this little sucker nearly dying."

"Don't exaggerate." Leigh mumbled.

"Hey it's true. Don't you remember that time you were all slow and you had that asthma- I mean panic attack and that other time you threw up and all those other times you were basically a ghost? 'Cause I do." Sairah faced the Amanda lady. "If we end up living with you, you better have cash to take her in for doctor check-ups 'cause she needs it. She's like a . . . a pet fish or something."

"No I'm not. Sairah you're just paranoid." Leigh-Anne looked away from her.

Amanda took in their interaction. She knew quite a bit about these girls so could understand why Sairah would be worried about Leigh-Anne's mortality. "So would you say that Leigh-Anne is special needs?"

Sairah was not sure what that meant. "Yup."

Janice blinked. "Really? How so?" She had never heard this angle.

Sairah shrugged. "She needs lots of vitamins and . . . people to check on her in case she gets a panic attack. And there's the fact that she may have had a seizure." She faced her sister. "Did you or did you not have a seizure?"

"Sairah I said that I don't remember a thing of what happened then. Now stop telling her all of that." Leigh-Anne rubbed at her forehead. Sairah was so embarrassing.

"Wait she . . . you may have had a seizure and you don't remember?" Amanda was taking mental notes.

Leigh sighed. "Something happened and-"