In Which, My Story Begins

Children's Division

As I am leaving the coffee shop, my phone begins to ring. I pull the phone from my back pocket and press the green phone on the screen, answering the unknown number.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hi, yes, I'm calling for Mrs. Path?"

"This is her daughter, Winona," I say, wondering why someone was in search of my cancer ridden mother.

"Oh, yes. Yes, I'm sorry. I see now that this says 'miss'. Winona, this Bev Sheldon with the Children's Division. We have an emergency situation and have it listed that your home is currently child free. We are in desperate need. Would you be available to come in?" The woman rambles, finally breathing after all of her words stumble quickly from her mouth.

"I will be there in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Miss Path. Thank you so much!"

I end the call and immediately call Mother's hospital.

"Sadler Family Hospital, this is Marcy. Can I help you?"

"Hey, Mars, it's Winona. Can you let Mother know that I will be late today? I've just received an emergency call from the Children's Division, and the need me in asap."

"Of course, Win. Thanks for the call!"
"Thanks, Mars," I say and end the call, dropping my phone into my oversized bag.

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I arrive at the Children's Division seven minutes later.

At the front desk, I inform the secretary, whom I have befriended in my many visits to the office, that I have come to speak with Bev Sheldon, and he quickly leads me to her office.

"Thanks, Bradley!" I call, as he walks away.

I reach to knock on the door, and nearly scream when the door is thrown open before my fist connects.

"Miss Path! I am so happy you are here! Please, come in, come in."

I follow the petite woman into her office, and nearly gasp at the picture before me. Filling my vision is a young girl cradling screaming infants. Tears stream down the child's face, her's mingling with those of the babies in her arms.

"Miss Path, this is Kimber, Decker, and Asher," she says, pointing at first to the small girl, then the baby on the left, and finally the baby on the right.
I crouch down and gently reach toward the children,

"Hey, littles. Aren't you beautiful?" I coo at the children, and more tears well up in the strikingly large blue eyes of Kimber. I walk softly towards them, and sit on the floor. As I reach Kimber's eye level, I gasp. Her face, at first hidden by the veil of amber hair she wore around her face, is contorted with bruises, new fading into old in a chaotic jigsaw puzzle of abuse. The skin not hidden by clothes reflects her face, a mess of abuse I had not yet come to see in my year of foster.

My eyes connect with Kimber's, and I see hatred and difiance rampant in her broken soul.

"Don't touch my brothers," she spits at me, and I nod my understanding.
I turn and look at the case worker, hoping to hide my tears from the damaged children in front of me.

"Let me call Bradley." She says, quickly.

After a quick phone call, Bradley comes and gently ushers the children into another room.

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"Thank you for getting here so quickly, Miss Path," the case worker get straight down to business as soon as the children exit the room. "Those babies have been in the hospital for three weeks now. They were born addicted to cocaine. When we sent investigators to the home, Kimber was found restrained in the basement, tied up like a dog, with a small amount of water in a metal bowl. As I'm sure you can tell, she has been beaten relentlessly, and is severely underweight. Their father attacked a cop when Kimber was taken, and unfortunately was fatally wounded in the process. He passed last week. Their mother died while birthing the twins. They have no family that we can find. We need somewhere for them to go. Kimber is seven, and I see that your file says you prefer children under the age of 6 and teens older than 14. I also see that you typically have one child at a time. However, in reading how other children have responded to being in your home, we would really like to place them with you." She finishes her spill, looking at me with what I can only describe as fear, and in that moment I know I am about to take the biggest step I have ever taken.

"I'll do it," I said, without even letting myself think about it. "I'll do it."