The Unspoken Child

As she sits on her bed looking out of her window, she wonders, "why am I not yet adopted? She watches a child take their place in an old Chevy. The car of his new parents. For six years now, Lola has seen children get dropped off, never to be picked up again by the same parents, only to be adopted by a new set of parents only months later. So why had she been here six years? Still an orphan. Nobody wanted to claim her. She's unspoken for.

She walks over to her mirror vanity, covered in notes from friends, nail polishes of all colors, and a picture of her as a baby framed in bronze. She looks at her reflection. She stood admiring her curly blonde hair, her glowing green eyes, and her blush, pink cheeks. She was strikingly beautiful for a seven year old. She had a charm in her smile, and passion in her eyes. She picked up her brush, which was all that she had left of her mother, and brushed through her hair twice. She gave her 'golden smile', spun twice, and walked to her bed to get some sleep, for tomorrow was Visitors day! The day when adults came looking for children to adopt. Maybe.. Maybe tomorrow she would be spoken for.

As soon as her alarm went off that morning, she jumped up, put on her best dress, brushed her hair twice, and ran to the Visitors room.

As she entered the room her eyes widened as they fixed on a tall slender man with a beard. He wore a gray suit with the most beautiful, violet tie Lola had ever seen. He looked like a father to her. She walked over to him, very nervous, her heart pounding more with each step. When she approached him, he looked at her and he felt a strange connection. Almost an instant connection. She shook his hand properly, stating

"I'm Lola. You're very handsome." and elegantly curtseyed, bowing her head.

"I'm Stephen. You're a very striking young lady." He bowed to her as she giggled in approval. "How long have you been here, Lola?"

"I've been here six years. I'm seven. How old are you?"

He chuckled. As he smiled, his gleaming white teeth sparkled through his lips. "I'll be turning 27 next week. I was thinking about getting myself a birthday present. Maybe a daughter." He said as he glanced back at her.

"I'm unspoken for!" She proclaimed, with a gleam of hope in her voice.

After a few moments of silence and eye contact, he reached down and grabbed her delicate hand with his own and she walked him to her room, preparing to show him her belongings and wardrobe.

When they entered her room, Lola spoke nonstop of what she would do if she had bigger room, a cleaner bed, or a father to make her breakfast each day.

He sat on her soft bed, thinking about what she said. He couldn't help but realize how much she reminded him of Charlette.

Charlette was to be his wife... until the wreck. She was driving home one day, and an 18 wheeler sped out in front of her causing a collision four years ago. She was a tall blonde sweetheart. She had gracious, green eyes. Her body was thin and delicate. She had the voice of an angel. She was Stephen's angel. And now she's gone.

"And this is the bracelet my friend made me last week!" She said as if she didn't notice how zoned out he was. He smiled as he noticed how enthusiastic she was about a father. A guardian. She wanted to be spoken for. He stroked her head gently. They sat on the bed, her in his lap, his arms around her. As she laid against his chest, she listened to the beat of his heart. This was the first time that she could remember being held with compassion. This was the first time he held his daughter.

After the paperwork was signed and the bags were packed, Lola and Stephen were off to the house. Neither one could stop smiling if they tried. The car ride was filled with chatter and bonding. She told him the stories of Anne, Gracie, and Tyler, her best friends. He told her about his house, his job, and his hobbies. She listened with a twinkle in her eye, as if every word he said danced around her brain doing leaps and twirls.

When they pulled in at home he walked her to her room. She looked around the house in awe. They walked in the front door, which led to the living room. There was a Flatscreen TV in the right corner, two beige couches on either sides of the room. She smiled at the charm of the room. He walked her from the living room to the room on the left. It was a room with white walls, beige carpet and a twin sized bed in the left corner. She twirled around in continuous circles. "This is my room?" She asked excitedly.

"It was going to be... Yes. This is your room" he responded smiling. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Boy, am I!" She exclaimed. Then they walked hand in hand to the kitchen where he made two grilled cheese sandwiches. One for him, one for her.

She yawned and stretched. He cleared his throat and said "I'll get you some extra pillows and blankets for tonight, then tomorrow we'll go get you a new set of sheets and pillows. Any color or design you want."

"Thank you." She said as she stumbled to her bedroom. She snuggled in her bed and sniffed the blankets. She liked the smell of his laundry softener. That night, she slept more peacefully than any night before.

When she woke up she smelled biscuits, gravy and sausage. She stood up, smiled, and walked into the kitchen. He already had a plate made for her.

"I remember you saying something about having breakfast made for you." He said, with a smile on his face, and a rag over his shoulder. She leaped to the table and sat down to eat. He got his plate and sat next to her. "Hurry and eat. I want to get to the store before all the weirdos do!" He said, whispering, as if the 'weirdos' were able to hear him.

She giggled and ate her last piece of sausage, then jumped up to get dressed.

She put on her favorite purple Nike T-shirt and a pair of white basketball shorts. Then, she slicked her hair back in a tight bun, put on her shoes, and ran to the living room, where Stephen was waiting.