white on white [sequel] ✔️

s i x t e e n

I waved to Dan, Phil and JC who all stood together on the other side of the visiting fence. While I had only been back to the institution to visit, the others would be there for some time to come. I could only hope they would find an internal contentment.

I was back on the road, riding Mikey's bike in the opposite direction of home. There was still one place I had yet to visit.

La Crescent Women's State Penitentiary

The building was huge- taller than the juvenile center and here there would be no dividends between girls and women. I feared for Lilly, knowing this was never part of her plan.

I stepped inside to the lobby and fixed my mess of a hairstyle in the mirror aside one of the walls.

A young man was behind the desk and as I approached him, I noticed the slightly green hair that resembled mine oh so long ago. A swimmer.

"I'm here to see my sister. I was told my visiting hours were now."

I could only hope the receptionist wouldn't question me or the request I prosed.

His eyes seemed to take me in as if sizing me up before he nodded and turned to the computer screen.

"Name?"

"Lilly Singh."

He clicked a few times before his eyes seemed to widen a few inches.

"I didn't realize she had a brother..."

"Adoptive brother. We've been siblings since before I can remember."

He seemed to believe my statement and handed me a sticker to put on my shirt.

"Josh will lead you in."

My heart beat sped up as I saw an unusually out of place security guard wearing the same high quality basketball shoes and slicked back hair.

His eyes met mine just as I found myself walking to the gate.

"Connor?"

I found myself not responding and instead focused on the fact he worked at a women's penitentiary in the midst of all my initial suspicion about him. I remember him not being present when my father revealed his and several true identifies of people I once trusted.

"Josh..how are you..?"

He looked down to the sticker on my shirt and motioned for me to walk ahead of him.

"Let's get us inside first."

He began walking me down several poorly lit hallways and rooms with metal plates spanning from numbers to names of services for the faculty. After passing a few doors, I realized he was almost whispering to me.

"Colleen worked untitled projects for big sums of money. She never told me what or who they were for and I trusted that she'd stay safe and be wary of prospective bidders that posed a threat. She and I have always been welcoming of foster kids but when she showed me your file I became a little wary of why she was initially interested."

We passed a few inmates that he grew quite around but quickly continued once they passed us.

"I didn't question her reasoning, however, and trusted her decision to be a good one for you and for us. It wasn't until I got a call that my wife was being arrested along with a long list of previous members to gangs and organizations with criminal records that I knew something was up."