Dedicating Every Day to You

10k Bonus Chapter!

(A/N: Since you guys are the world's greatest readers and gave me 10k reads, it's time for another bonus chapter! This one centers around our own lovely sidekick, the artist with passion, dear Theodosia herself! Also, a brief note- I added a detail back in Chapter Eleven that I want to change. I had mentioned that Theo changed her name to match her new mother's, but upon further reflection I wish to change that detail. An updated version of Chapter Eleven should be up, correcting that detail. That's all!)

Miss Theodosia Burr went into foster care when she was six. Prior to that, she was living with her birth parents, Mira and Wyatt Ellis. They were verbally and physically abusive, and when she came into school for the third time with a black eye, a social worker was called in to speak with her. This particular excerpt is told from the perspective of Charles Lee, the social worker in charge of Theodosia's case.

I walk into the elementary school, swinging my briefcase as I do. It's a cold and rainy Tuesday, and the large drops that are pouring from the sky leave marks on my coat and water dripping from my nose. I assume that I don't look intimidating like this- perfect. I'm supposed to be interviewing a little girl, not terrifying a family into doing right.

The school secretary nods when she sees me. I've only been in here a few times- Bettiol Elementary isn't in a troubled area of town, for the most part. There are a few underprivileged kids who go here, but in general, it's a nice clean school with nice clean children inside.

I'm taking over the guidance counselor's office for an hour or so, just as long as I need to speak with the child I'm seeing today. I open my briefcase at the desk and pull out the small dossier gathered on the girl.

I can hear the principal over the PA system. "Would Theodosia Ellis please report to the counselor's office, Theodosia Ellis?" This is followed by a teeth-grinding screech of feedback that sends everyone flying to cover their ears.

After a moment, the office door creaks open, and a very small girl walks in. It's not that she's short, for she would be fairly tall if she didn't hunch her shoulders so, but it's that she curls in on herself as though afraid of being hurt. She's pretty, with dark skin and short hair that hangs around her face. The hanging hair, however, is not enough to cover the large purple bruise ringing her eye.

"H-hello, sir," Theodosia says softly, looking up at me. Her eyes are large and dark brown, and look ready to well over with tears at any moment. The purple sweater she's wearing is much too small for her, and I consider offering her my coat, before remembering that she doesn't know me in the slightest.

"Please, come and sit." With difficulty, she hops up into the large chair across the desk from me. Her sweater sleeves shake back, and I see a small procession of crooked bandages. They don't seem to be intentionally positioned, merely as though she was given them herself and told to put them on without any guidance. "I'm Charles. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your family, okay?"

She nods, very slowly, but there's a little spark in her eyes, I can tell. Theodosia is fierce, and stronger than she looks.

I pull out my notepad, click my pen a few times, and look to Theodosia. "Okay, so you live with your mom and dad, right? No siblings?"

"Yeah. I want a little brother, but my mom said no." There's no affection in her voice when she speaks about her mother. She pulls on a lock of her hair, spinning it around and around her finger.

"Do you have your own room?" I make a little note on my page.

Theo averts her eyes from me for a split second. "Yes, I do."