This Hard Life

Chapter 19: Unending Stress

Chapter 19

Scott and I drove to Lorna’s in a comfortable silence. When we got to the daycare center, Scott and I preceded to get out of my car. When we got inside, I found Lorna sitting in a room that was painted a bright yellow as she was playing Barbie with two little girls.

“Good afternoon Charlotte! How are you,” Lorna brightly exclaimed. I thought that her mood may have something to do with the color of the room. Perhaps the bright color would make my mood light and cheery. With this thought I snickered silently to myself.

When I was done enjoying my personal jokes I answered, “I’m doing okay.”

“How are you doing Scott?”

Scott spoke up, “I’m doing pretty well.”

Lorna replied, “That’s great.” She then stood up and quietly told the little girls that she couldn’t play with them anymore. Lorna started walking out of the room and she signaled Scott and I to fallow.

When the three of us were in the privacy of her office, she asked, “Charlotte, have you spoken to your lawyer yet?”

“Yes I did. Actually, we just came from his office.”

“Okay, I assume he mentioned that since you aren’t eighteen years old yet you are going to need a guardian.”

I was taken back a little back at how forward Lorna was being about this. “Y-yes, he did.”

“Do you know what your options are? What are you going to do?”

“I um don’t know what I’m going to do at this moment. But I do have a few options. My Aunt Shellie lives in Seattle so I can contact her. Then there’s my cousin Courtney, but I have seen her in ages.”

“Oh, alright. Sweetie, I hope you know that I’m here for you in you need anything.”

I thought that Lorna was going to say something else, but she remained silent. So I replied, “I know, thank you.”

Since I thought that this conversation was over I asked about Gracie. Lorna told me that Gracie went to school in the morning after the bus picked her up, like normal. Grace then came to the daycare with her normal merry attitude.

“Lorna, this morning when I stopped by Grace told me that she made a new friend that has been coming to the daycare. I asked her if she wanted to spend the day with me after I told her about Mom, and she said that she promised to give something to this person. Do you know who this new friend is?”

Lorna thought for a moment. “Well, I haven’t admitted any new children lately. Perhaps she made a new friend here within the daycare?”

I thought about it. But Grace’s new friend seemed fishy. “Hmm, maybe she did.”

“I haven’t seen her with anyone odd. I’ll watch her and see who she plays with and I’ll tell you if it’s someone out of the ordinary.”

“Okay, thank you. We’re going to pick her up now actually.”

“Great! I’ll go get her and we’ll meet you two up front in the lobby,” Lorna said before the three of us walked out of her office.

As Scott and I were walking up to the front he nudged my elbow.

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“About Grace’s new friend? I thought it would be good for her to make new friends? Like my sister, for example.”

“No, I love your sister. It’s just this ‘new friend’ thing makes me a little suspicious. Something about it feels weird.”

“Can you elaborate?”