The Way We Say Goodbye

Chapter 21

Bowie gave me a ride home after we talked. Walking into the house, I was met with Earnest waiting for me in the kitchen. He had a look of disappointment etched across his face. I watched him carefully as I walked further into the house.

"How was school?" he asked.

"Great," I mumbled and tried to go around him and up the stairs.

"Must have been really great since you didn't go."

I stopped and turned towards him. "If you knew I didn't go, then why'd you ask?" I snipped at him.

"To see if you'd lie to me," he answered as he stood and turned to face me.

I nodded, "Why? Who cares if I'm honest or dishonest? I won't be here long since I'm almost eighteen."

"Is that really how you feel?" he asked, sounding almost hurt at my comment.

"Yeah, that's how I feel. I'm not your kid. I'm just some kid who got dumped here after her parents died. It was unexpected, and I had nowhere else to go." I blurted out, anger seeping into my voice.

"Sit down," Earnest snapped as he pointed at a stool at the island. I complied and sat down. He sat in the stool next to me. "You're not here because you have nowhere else to go. I've been waiting for you to discuss your options. Since you're almost eighteen, your opinion will be taken into consideration when deciding your placement."

"What does that mean?" I asked as uncertainty and worry washed over me.

"It means, even though Evangeline and I would love to have you in our family, you do have the option to go live with your uncle."

I looked at him in shock. "Nicholai would consider taking me?"

"He's already been contacted, and if you want to, living with him is an option." He paused before adding, "But like I said, Evangeline and I would love to have you in our family."

"Living with Nicholai would mean moving to California?"

"Yes."

"Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need, and until you make a decision, we're happy to have you here."

"Okay," I mumbled.

"We do need to talk about you skipping school, though. You have to go to school."

I nodded. I looked up at him and sighed. "I didn't mean to skip. I really did try to go, but I took one step in the building and saw..." I trailed off before continuing, "I just couldn't do it."

"What did you see that made you leave?"

I sighed. "You're going to think it's stupid. That I'm being stupid."

"You don't know that."

I looked at him and debated for a moment before deciding to open up to him a little. "A guy."

"This is over a boy?" He seemed puzzled by the new information.

I nodded before taking a shaky breath. "He and I were really close and things were really good between us." Tears brimmed my eyes as I took another shaky breath. "Then my parents died, and some stuff happened. It was just a stupid misunderstanding, but he wasn't there. He didn't come, and I needed him there."

"Slow down. Where didn't he come?"

The tears began pouring down my face. "The funeral. He should've been there, but he wasn't. I shouldn't have had to lose him too."

Earnest pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back while shushing me, trying to soothe me. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with a breakup at the same time as losing your parents."

"I miss them so much," I sobbed into him.

"I know." He rubbed my back and held me tightly.

I didn't have many close moments with my foster family, but that was an important one that made me feel less like an outsider to their family.