A new life for Sofia

Chapter thirteen

''Thank you for taking the time to call.'' Sounded from the other side of the line.

It was 10:15 in the morning. While Sofia was entertaining herself in the backyard, Carina and Maya were on a call with Iris Kuipers, Sofia's former teacher. They had the phone on speaker, so they could both be a part of the conversation.

''Not a problem.'' Maya replied. ''So what do you want to talk about?'' She asked.

''Can you tell me about how what happened to her? I heard she was in a car crash.''

Maya and Carina shot each other a look that decided that Maya was going to be the one to answer this question.

''I will tell it from my point of view. I'm actually a firefighter. We got a call that there had been a collision between a truck and a family vehicle. When we arrived, Sofia was doing cpr on her brother. The rest of the passengers were already deceased. Sofia had a concussion and two broken ribs. We took her to the hospital, where she met Carina. We made sure at least one of us was with her with all times. We bonded together, and when we found out Sofia had no place else to go, we both agreed on fostering her.'' Maya explained her side of the story. The events of the night of the crash were still fresh. Carina put her hand on her wife's back as a form of support.

''And how is she doing now?'' The teacher asked.

This time Carina answered.

''She is honestly a bundle of joy. The first couple of days after the crash were a bit rough. Then, she got really comfortable with us. This girl has so much energy, and it's also amazing to see the talent she has. We bought her a guitar a couple of days ago, and there is a piano at the fire station. We love to hear her play, and I also feel like music calms her down. She had absolutely no trouble with meeting Maya's colleagues. She is such a great kid. It has already been amazing taking care of her. I do think she has trouble with expressing her emotions.''

''She's definitely energetic that's for sure. It's very nice to hear that she's doing well. And she has always had difficulties with feelings. Have you found a school for her yet?''

''We're having a meeting with her teacher tomorrow morning. Are there any things you would like us to know about Sofia?'' Maya asked.

''Well, you probably know by now that after her dad died, she basically took care of the family, even though she was only eight. Her mom never showed up to parent-teacher conferences. Sofia was often late, and she doesn't always know when to stop, so we have had some difficulties with her as you can imagine. But as you said, she is such a kind soul. She is funny, helpful, supportive and if anyone bullied a classmate, she was the first one to defend her friend. Because in my opinion, she was friends with almost everyone. It's also why I care about her so much. She's already had a tough life. I really want her to be with a loving family.'' Iris explained.

''Thank you for telling us, we really appreciate it. Is there anything else?'' Carina asked.

''You guys seem like a good family for her. I won't be applying as possible guardian. Is it ok with you if I keep in touch though? Sofia and I were pretty close, and I would like to know how she's doing in the future as well.''

Carina and Maya were very happy with this. The fact that Iris won't apply as guardian means there is a very big chance Sofia will stay in their care. Also, Iris sounded like a nice woman, and Sofia liked her, so they had no problem at all with staying in contact with Iris.

''Yeah, that will work for us.'' Maya said. ''Would you like to talk to Sofia for a minute. She's out in the backyard playing with sticks, I think. But I could get her to come on the phone with you if you'd like.''