Fostered

Chapter Thirteen

"Being on lockdown is the worst, huh?" Esmeralda's voice comes from the hallway and I crane my head over the arm of the couch.

"Yep," I mutter, turning my attention back to the book in my hands.

Esmeralda comes into the living room and plops down on the end of the couch, pushing my feet away. I shoot her a dirty look as I set my feet on her lap. She rolls her eyes and grabs the remote, turning on the television before giving me a double take.

"Are you... Reading?" She gawks.

"Trying to." I say dryly, earning yet another eye roll in response.

"What is it?" Esmeralda asks.

"A book."

"Obviously!" She groans, "I mean what book is it?"

"It's called The Four Agreements. Doctor Mills gave it to me and told me to finish it before our next session." I explain, slowly turning the page.

There's a long pause before she begins talking again, "It's almost like you're a different person, Sloan. It's weird."

I briefly lift my eyes from the page, "Shh."

Esmeralda stares at me for a long time as I return my focus to my reading. Eventually, she casts her gaze back to her show. Despite the background noise, I'm able to knock out a good lump of pages. I've hardly noticed how much time has passed when I hear a knock on the door. Esmeralda nudges my foot and I exhale loudly as I get off of the couch. I close the book and set it on the coffee table before trudging to the front door. I flip the lock and swing it open, feeling my heart begin to slam against my ribcage at the sight of Calla.

"Calla!" I shout in surprise.

She grins from ear to ear and throws herself at me. I wrap an arm around her waist and place the other on the back of her head, pulling her close and squeezing her. I breathe in her familiar scent and savor her touch. It feels like an eternity has passed since I last saw her. She pulls back for a moment to look at me, her palms resting on my cheeks.

"I missed you," She tells me.

"I missed you too," I reply, still dumbfounded at her presence.

"Get a room!" Maisie shouts from the top of the stairs.

In the living room, Esmeralda giggles. I shut the door behind Calla and take her hand, leading her into the kitchen. She twines her fingers through mine and squeezes tight. I wrap my arms around her once more when we reach the kitchen. She leans into me and I plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"What are you doing here?" I inquire.

"I had to see you," Calla says, "It's just... Not the same without you."

I can't prevent a wicked grin from spreading across my lips, "You're a sap."

"Shush," She orders, turning her head away from me to hide her blush.

"How are you? How is everyone?"

"I'm great, now that I'm here. Brothers are fine, Sissy is doing well, and Mom and Dad are good." Calla informs me cheerfully.

"I'm so glad. Man, I miss you guys so much. I missed you so much." I tell her, resting my hand on the side of her face and brushing my thumb over her cheek.

"And I'm the sap." She teases.

"Sloan! Who's here?" Hallie calls from the bottom of the staircase.

Calla and I jump apart, separating just as Hallie enters the kitchen. She stops and looks at Calla for a moment before finally putting two and two together. She smiles warmly.