The Firestarter: How a Lost Girl Changed Our Lives

Chapter 4

Evan and I entered the restaurant. Maria saw us and began waving from a booth. Lily stared blankly.

I took a deep breath. "There they are," I said to Evan.

"Are you ready for this?"

"I guess so." I could feel the sweat gathering on my forehead.

We sat down across from them and I started the conversation. "So, Lily, how are you doing?"

"Fine."

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"Nothing." Lily shrugged.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I don't know." Lily shrugged again.

"Okay..." I sighed and looked at Evan.

He took the cue and smiled. "Well, let me tell you a little bit about us. We live in a small house in the desert, with a pet tortoise. We like to watch movies and play games. I've been working from home and Elise is a homemaker. We are happy to meet you and want to get to know you better. Do you have any questions for us?"

"No."

Evan frowned. "Come on, there must be something you want to know."

Lily looked away. "No."

Maria cleared her throat. "Maybe I should explain to you why we are here. Lily has been through a lot of trauma and hardship in her life. Her mother had a substance abuse problem and she neglected and abused her daughter. Since her mother died, Lily has spent time in foster care. She has developed behavioral problems because of her experiences, such as lying, stealing, fighting, running away, and self-harm. She needs therapy and medication, but also love and stability. She is a smart and sweet girl underneath her tough exterior, but she has trust issues and low self-esteem. She deserves a chance to have a normal childhood and a bright future."

"That's terrible." Evan sounded sympathetic.

Maria continued. "I know it sounds overwhelming, but that's why I contacted you. You see, Lily is your half-sister. Your father had an affair with her mother. Her mother went through with the pregnancy against his wishes. He never acknowledged or supported her. Lily's mother died in a car accident two months ago. Lily has no other relatives who are willing or able to take care of her. You are her last hope for a family."

Everyone was silent and Maria let it rest. "It's okay. I understand. It's a lot to take in."

I looked at Lily and then turned to Evan. "She looks so much like him..."

Lily looked me straight in the eye. "You look nothing like him..."

My voice quavered. "Well... we have different mothers..."

"Yeah... lucky you..."

"Hey..." My voice squeaked. "That's not fair..."

Evan took my hand. "Hey... let's not fight... we're all here to talk..."

Maria nodded. "Yes... let's talk... let's see if we can make this work..." She turned to me.

"Make what work?"

"Well... would you be willing to take Lily into your home? At least for a trial period? To see if you can bond as sisters? As family?"

I panicked. "What? Me? Take her? But... but..." I turned to Evan.

"Why not?"

I pursed my lips. Not the support I was hoping for.

Evan kept going: "We have the space... we have the time... we have the love..."

"But we don't have the money..." I objected. "We don't have the skills... we don't have the experience..."

Evan was undeterred. "We'll figure it out... we'll make it work... we'll learn as we go..."

"But what if we fail? What if we hurt her more? What if she hates us?" I shouldn't have talked about Lily like she wasn't there, but I was scared.

Evan held my hand a little tighter. "Hey, we can do this. Together."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I love you and I support you no matter what." Oh, Evan.

I smiled weakly. "I love you too."

Evan turned to Maria. "We have enough room in our house and our hearts for Lily. We can give her a chance to have a better life."

I looked at Lily and nodded slightly. "She deserves that."

Lily sat there warily. How could she know what to expect? She couldn't know what kind of people we were.

Maria broke the silence. "You don't have to commit to anything right now. You can take Lily for a trial period of one month and see how it goes."

"A month?"

"Yes. That way you can get to know each other better and see if you are compatible. I will be in touch with you regularly and provide you with any resources or assistance you need."

Evan nodded. "That sounds fair."

"And remember, you can change your minds at any time if you feel it's not working out. There's no pressure." Maria was so gentle and professional.

I looked at Evan and turned to Lily. I could see a glimmer of hope growing in Lily's eyes. I've been hurt by that hope so many times. I couldn't let Lily down. "Okay. We'll do it."

Evan smiled and hugged me. "Thank you, Maria. Thank you for this opportunity." He turned to Lily.
"So, are you ready to go with us?"

Lily nodded slowly and stood up. She picked up her backpack and followed us out of the booth. She turned back to Maria and spoke softly: "Thank you."

Maria smiled. "Good luck, guys. And call me if you need anything."

Evan smiled broadly and wrapped his arm around me.