The Lavender Butterfly

Chapter 36

Molly and I walked out to the living room, where the girls were watching cartoons on the television. “Girls, I want you to wrap it up in a half hour. Lights out at 9 o’ clock!” Molly rang. “Will do, Moll!” Allie replied. I sat down on the couch and Lauren and Allie sat down on each side of me, while Amaya was still immersed in her cartoons. “How’d it go in there? What did she say?” Lauren asked. “Well, it sounds like Meredith is trying to adopt me, and it sounds like the county is trying to work with her,” I said. “Wow, that’s awesome!” Allie and Lauren both said in unison. I put my hand up to try and quell their excitement. “But….no adoption can take place until someone can come up with my birth certificate,” I continued. “Don’t worry, they’ll find it eventually,” Lauren said reassuringly. I looked down at the ground and put my head in my hands. “I don’t think they will…” I said sadly as I began to cry. I knew the truth that they didn’t; that there was no birth certificate. Lauren put her hands firmly on my shoulders. “They’re going to find it. They must. You and Meredith are going to be together again. It’s where you belong. Trust me!” I looked back at Lauren and gave a hesitant smile. Allie rubbed my shoulder to comfort me. “Thanks, you guys. I have only known you for a few hours, but I already know I can trust you,” I said. Amaya jumped up from her cartoons and said, “Don’t you worry, Olivia, I’ve got your back! And if anyone tries to hurt you, I’m going to use my karate moves! Hi-yah! Wha-hah! Wha cha-cha-chow!!” Amaya shouted, as she was karate chopping with her arms, and kicking with her legs. Allie, Lauren, and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Oh, Amaya, you know I’ve got your back too!” I said, as I was playfully nudging her head. She looked up at me and smiled. Lauren let out a big yawn. “I think we’d better head up to bed, it’s getting pretty late,” she said. I was beginning to feel sleepy myself. My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. “Yeah, I’m getting pretty tired, I think I’m going to get ready for bed,” I echoed. “Are you coming up too, Allie?” Allie smiled at me and nodded in agreement. “Okay, goodnight, Lauren, goodnight, Amaya!” I said, as Allie and I went up into our room. I flopped back immediately on the bed. “Are you showering tonight?" Allie asked me. “Yeah, but you can go first,” I replied. “Okay, I promise I won’t be long,” she said. I lay on the bed motionless. I closed my eyes, and I felt a nudge. “Hey…. Olivia…. are you awake?” a voice whispered. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Allie in her bathrobe with her towel around her head. “I’m all done, the shower’s all yours,” she said. “Ah……I must’ve dozed off,” I said, as I got up and went to the shower. I got into the shower and relished the warmth of the hot water massaging my skin. It felt refreshing, especially given all I had been through that day. As I relaxed in the hot shower, I reflected about my current circumstances. A foster home certainly wasn’t where I was hoping to end up at the beginning of the day. Still, I had a feeling that I could be in worse places. I felt like I was in limbo, yet a somewhat pleasant one. The setting could have been a lot bleaker and more dismal, however I was staying in a nice house, with a very compassionate caretaker in Molly, and three new friends in Allie, Lauren, and Amaya. I felt that we were going to build some lasting friendships. And Allie, I felt that we had already become best friends. I don’t think I’ve ever built a connection with anybody that fast in my entire life, including my 35 years as Chris. Ultimately, I still wanted desperately to be reunited with Meredith, however my current situation wasn’t that bad. One thing that was for sure was that whenever I went back home, if I ever made it back home, I would have to keep in touch with Allie. This was one friendship I didn’t want to languish. I stepped out of the shower and back into the bedroom where I saw Allie brushing her hair, with a fresh rub of face cream on her face. “Hey, why don’t you sit next to me. I love your hair, I want to brush it so bad,” Allie said. “Sure, why the heck not,” I replied, and Allie and I smiled at each other. “Ooh, you should try some of this facial cream,” she said as she squirted a fresh dab in the palm of her hand. She proceeded to rub the cream onto my cheeks in slow, circular movements. “You have such perfect skin,” she said, pulling out her hairbrush. She began to brush my hair, and the feel of the brush running through my long wavy brown hair, as well as the bristle gently messaging my scalp. Between the warm shower, the facial massage with the cream, and the hair brushing, I felt very relaxed. I felt like I could melt. I was getting very sleepy. I was beginning to doze off again. My eyes drooped shut, and when I opened them, I saw Allie’s smiling face. “You’re drifting off,” she said. “We should get some sleep,” she said, as she changed into her pajamas. I changed into my pajamas as well. I turned around and was ambushed by Allie, giving me a warm hug. “I’m so glad to meet you, I feel like I’ve been alone so long, with no one to relate to. I really need a friend like you,” she said. “Thank you Allie, I feel like I really need you right now, too,” I replied. Tears came to both of our eyes. She went back to her bed and got under the covers. “Goodnight, Olivia,” she said sleepily. “Goodnight, Allie,” I replied.