The things we never had

chapter 2

I didn't always hate police stations, but now they held a prominent place on my hate list. My first real experience with one was seared into my memory as the most god-awful moment of my life. It ranked number two on my list of terrible things, with the incident being number one, of course.

Instead of interrogation rooms, we found ourselves in a waiting room, biding time for a social worker to show up and ship us off to some new place. As if I didn't already have a life here, surrounded by friends who, while not related by blood, were my family. The allure of having wealthy parental figures seemed hollow compared to the bond I had with my friends. People always say, "We'll keep in touch," but we all know how that story ends—promises fade into birthday messages until they eventually vanish altogether.

I thought we had at least five more years together, but this was it. The thought of being thrown into an unknown life with only Will by my side terrified me. I wished I could rewind time. My life, though riddled with its own challenges, felt better than the uncertainty of new beginnings with strangers who could very well be spoiled brats. After all, if my own mother could betray me, what was to stop these new people from doing the same?

"Hello, I'm Natalie. Sorry about the wait—the traffic was awful," she said, her voice rich and airy, almost too bright for the grim setting. I watched as Will and Natalie exchanged pleasantries, her tone filled with an overly chipper demeanor that grated on my nerves. One of the few things I cherished about Will was how he always seemed to speak for me, intuiting my thoughts without me having to utter a word.

It was probably unhealthy; it made asking strangers for anything feel impossible. I knew this reliance would only complicate things in our new life, especially since Will wouldn't always be there to advocate for me. If he did, people might misinterpret his protectiveness as something toxic, but he was the farthest thing from that.

"Sophia," Natalie called. It took a moment for me to realize she meant me. "Best to start practicing now so things will be easier when you guys get there."

"I was talking to Atlas about what's going to happen from now on, so let me break it down for you," she said, her voice maintaining that unnaturally upbeat tone that felt jarring. "First, we'll get to know each other a bit, then we'll head to your house." The way she said "house" instead of "home" cut deep.

"Pack some of your stuff, only the necessities. Whatever you need, I'm sure your family will get for you. Then we'll head to the airport, board the flight, and I'll introduce you to your parents. I'll go with you to your new home, do some checks—which I'm sure they'll pass with flying colors—then your new social worker will come. I'll introduce you, and you guys will have a private session to get to know each other. After that, you'll officially move in, and your social worker will do a checkup every three months just to make sure everything goes smoothly. And before you know it, those checks won't be necessary anymore."

"Sounds good?" she asked. I nodded, while Will replied, "Yep."

"Alright, getting to know each other," Natalie continued. "I'll ask you both some questions, and try to answer truthfully. If you don't want to answer, that's totally fine, and feel free to ask me some questions too," she instructed. "Okay, first question: What's your biggest fear?"

After a moment of silence, Will spoke up, "Driving." I knew exactly where that fear stemmed from. He had endured the trauma of a car accident a couple of years back, and the scars ran deeper than anyone could fathom. Will had been practicing for his driver's test when a drunk driver had crashed into them, taking Lia—his girlfriend—away in an instant. I often felt his pain, the heavy weight of his guilt and grief lingering in the air between us. He never touched the wheel again, not wanting to face the reminder of the life he had lost.