In a lifetime

Chapter 32: Eli Bennet

The heat is finally catching up with me, even with the air conditioning it isn't helping. 

Summer's here so I can't really complain but my parents are stressing about saving money for my college tuition. I've already told them that I won't be going to college but I've got to admit not being able to kinda hurts because I was focused now on my efforts for school.

Oh well, it's in the past now, maybe when this is all over I'll be able to go.

My parents had already had their eyes on this house and thanks to Joseph's help they quickly claimed it, just in time for the routine checkup with the social worker.

Even though we were all adopted before this they still come and check with our parents to see if they are still fit to have us and to make sure the living conditions are up to date.

It probably doesn't help that now I have a record of going to prison but hopefully, they go easy on our parents, they've done so much for us and they don't deserve to have us be taken away.

My parents have tasked everyone with chores to make everything look good, I have the job of organizing everything which isn't really my thing but it can't be that hard.

After minutes of cleaning and organizing, both of my dads are double-checking everything to make sure everything is perfect, and just like that the doorbell rings, and they jump.

Holding each other's hands they finally walk to the door to let the social worker in. They greet each other and she walks in.

She's taking in the new surroundings as the last time she came around our old home wasn't very up to date.

"Nice home, sturdy than the last," she says facing me and my siblings. Everyone is on edge because our parents told us that this could be the last meeting if things don't go right.

The twins are only eight years old and they hold their hands and my sister, Serena, is fourteen years old and takes care of the twins on most days. Before she was adopted, she and the twins moved from home to home altogether and I'm lucky I was adopted before I turned eighteen.

"As you all are aware this will be the last meeting with me, that can either mean you all are safe and cared for here or due to not meeting the requirements you will be moved," she says taking a seat at the dining table where we are all standing at.

"I still don't see why you keep coming back when we're already adopted," Serena says not breaking eye contact with the social worker. I can see my dad's faces begin to fall. "Yes but even kids in the foster system can still be in harm's way even after they are adopted, just making sure that doesn't happen here," she says and again Serena replies "most social workers don't care, why do you?" And for a minute the room is quiet.

One of my dads try and break the silence by handing out drinks and the social worker clears her throat before saying "let's just make this quick then, Marshall and Cecelia, how are you in your new home?" Her focus is on the twins now.

They both giggle in pure joy and excitement and tell her that they are happy to be in this house and with us. She excuses them and turns towards Serena with the same question. "In all honesty, I am happy, it's so much better than my last home and just glad to be out of the system," Serena says with a relaxed tone and is excused.

She turns towards me this time but she doesn't repeat her question and says "so you graduated, congratulations, plan on moving up to college?" I take in a deep breath before replying, "no actually I plan on staying and raising money and I also don't know if it's the right place for me right now" nailed it.

She nods and writes something down on her notepad, she looks back up at me saying "you have a two-day sentence in prison for the charges of murder, care to explain?" I take in another deep breath before saying "I was actually framed along with one of my friends, the judge saw that and actually found the person responsible for it" I can feel my hands shaking as she writes another thing down.

"Alright, I'll try and get it out of your records as you were ruled framed," she says as she stands up walking over to my parents.

I can't hear their conversation but when she leaves my dads have a huge smile on their faces, "she says that we're all good, we're staying as a family" they say and everyone runs to them for a hug and I slowly walk over to join in.

I head back to my room, even though it took up till the afternoon I'm tired and plan on sleeping.

I text the group and Tristan about the meeting I just had so they don't wonder why they never saw me today. Putting my phone down I slowly fall asleep.