My New Foster Family

Chapter twenty six

The next morning, Annika woke up feeling completely drained. The events of the previous day weighed heavily on her, and the tears she had cried herself to sleep with had left her feeling hollow and exhausted. The thought of facing the Carters, especially James, was unbearable.

Determined to avoid any awkward encounters, Annika got up earlier than usual. She grabbed her phone and called Charlotte, asking if her mom could pick her up and take her to school. Charlotte quickly agreed, sensing the urgency in Annika's voice.

Annika dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The shower was supposed to wake her up, but instead, it only made her feel more tired, the hot water doing little to soothe the ache in her chest. She changed into her school uniform, but the usual routine felt like a chore. Her appetite was nonexistent, so she decided to skip breakfast, not even bothering to go downstairs.

As she quietly slipped out of her room and made her way toward the front door, she hoped to avoid any interaction with the Carters. Just as she reached for the handle, Mr Carter appeared at the bottom of the stairs, catching her off guard.

"Annika, where are you going so early?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

She hesitated, not wanting to explain herself but knowing she couldn't just walk out without saying anything. "I called Charlotte. Her mom's picking me up for school."

Mr Carter looked at her with a mix of sympathy and regret. "James is really sorry, Annika. He didn't mean what he said last night."

Annika stiffened at the mention of James, the pain from their argument still raw. She didn't want to talk about it, not now. Without meeting Mr Carter's eyes, she simply nodded and opened the door. "I've got to go," she muttered, stepping outside.

Mr Carter sighed but didn't push further. "Take care, Annika," he said softly.

She didn't respond, closing the door behind her and walking to the curb where Charlotte's mom was already waiting in the car. Annika climbed into the back seat, grateful for the escape. As they drove off, she stared out the window, her thoughts swirling, trying to push away the lingering sadness that clung to her.

Annika was silent, staring out the window as the world passed by in a blur. The tension from the previous night still weighed heavily on her, but she forced herself to push it aside as best as she could. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to notice that something was wrong.

It was the first time Annika had met Charlotte's mom, Mrs Willow and the interaction was adding another layer of unease to Annika's already tangled emotions. She wasn't used to meeting new people, especially people who seemed so warm and genuinely kind. It felt strange, almost too good to be true.

"Hi, Annika," Martha greeted her with a kind smile as soon as she got into the car. "I'm Charlotte's mum, you can call me Martha. It's so nice to finally meet you. Charlotte has told me alot about you"

Annika managed a small, polite smile in return. "Nice to meet you too, Martha," she said, her voice quiet but steady. She didn't want to seem rude, but she also didn't want to reveal how raw she felt inside.

Martha turned slightly in her seat as she adjusted the rearview mirror to get a better look at Annika. "How are you doing, darling? Settling in okay?"

Annika nodded, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied, hoping the response sounded convincing enough.

Martha's eyes lingered on her a moment longer, as if she could sense that Annika was holding something back. "Well, if you need anything, or if there's anything you want to talk about, just know that you can always come to me, okay?"