Legacy

Chapter 79

TWO MONTHS LATER

Addy sat in the back of her social worker's car with her eyes closed. She was vaguely aware of what was happening around her, but very little could be done in a moving car. Her right arm sat in a cast on her lap, and her foot was now out of the cast but had been placed in a walking boot for extra protection. The car pulled up outside an apartment building and found a car park space easily. When the car had stopped, Addy slowly opened her eyes and moved to get out of the car. Her social worker wasn't a mean woman in her mid-forties, but you could tell she had a lot going on. She showed up for hospital appointments and for check-ups but that was it. She always had her phone in her hand and seemed to have someone else to be. Mrs Thine got out of the car and went to the back to help the girl lift her suitcase out of the car and had her phone checking the address and making sure she was in the right place. Addy stood with a rucksack and bin bag of her clothes, she walked slightly forward favoring her right foot. Mrs Thine put the suitcase next to the girl and then got on her phone making a call saying that they had arrived. Addy looked up at the building and squinted looking at what was to be considered her new home. She then looked back at the floor as a women ran out of the buidling.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't expect you so early but I'm ready." Miss Holmes ran out of the building, throwing on a hoodie. Addy didn't even look up, she knew this was where she was going, and she couldn't complain anywhere was better than the group home. She also knew her sisters would appreciate her being in reach again.

"It's okay, we just arrived. Are you all okay here, I have to get across the state," Mrs Thine asked briefly looking up from her phone to look at the women. She had previously met the woman and done a house check, so now she was just dropping off the girl and letting her go before catching up with her in a couple of weeks time.

"Yes everything is ready if Addy if good to go so am I," Miss Holmes smiled, Addy still not looking up or saying anything.

"Okay, Call me if there is any issues and I will be in touch in a couple of weeks to see how everything is going," Mrs Thine jumped straight in the car and started pulling out, and Addy sighed and picked up her bags. This wasn't a new thing with her social worker; she is sure that she wouldn't even have noticed if Addy hadn't left the car.

"Let me help you with those," Miss Holmes jumped to grab the girl's suitcase and bin bag letting Addy carry her own rucksack.

"Thanks," Addy mumbled and followed the women into the building praying that there would be an elevator.

"Couldn't they give you a duffel bag to put your clothes in?" Miss Holmes smiled leading the girl to the elevator.

"I did have a different bag, but it broke, so this was easier. It's not like it will be staying in there for long," Addy said as Miss Holmes pressed the button and then held the door open for the girl to enter. Miss Holmes looked down at the girl's face and couldn't stop the gasp that slipped out and her eyes went wide. Addy didn't even react limping into the elevator. Addy's eye was black and swollen and she had a fresh-looking cut on her cheek.

"Sorry" Miss Holmes didn't know how to bring up the family abuse and didn't expect it to be so soon. She followed the girl into the box and pushed the fifth-floor button. She then took a moment of silence to survey the girl. She kept her head down and tried to make her self smaller. She showed no emotion and Miss Holmes couldn't work out if she was happy or not to be there. She looked down at the girl's shoe and the boot on her foot which was still causing some pain by the way she leaned onto her right and then looked up from her jeans and shirt to her zip up hoodie and then looked at her arm.

"Didn't you break your left arm?" Miss Holmes asked before she could stop herself.

"Yeah, I did. That healed, and now I have broken my right," Addy said with no emotion.