A Family to Call Mine

Chapter 4

Brooke stared pensively out the window, watching the truck drive away with Jonah and his new family in it. Max and Lily had left earlier and now Brooke was left to wait alone for her employer to arrive.

With a sigh, Brooke turned away and sat down on the worn out arm chair. Ms. Havens had movers in and out over the last few days, packing the few belongings she was planning on taking with her to her sister's place and leaving some of the more worn out items behind. Not much was left, making the place seem even more run down and old than usual.

The woman was late. Brooke groaned, gripping her hands tightly. Ms. Havens had said the families would all be arriving at 5pm but here she was, having already watched the other kids leave, still waiting for Mrs. Stevens to arrive. Brooke glanced over at the clock above the office door. 6:25 pm. Brooke sighed. Maybe the woman had changed her mind.

Swallowing nervously, Brooke tried to squash that thought. That would only lead to other more distressing thoughts, such as where would she go, what would she do?

'Breathe, Brooke,' she thought to herself, closing her eyes and taking deep, slow breaths, 'Just breathe.' Just as she was starting to relax, she heard a car door slam and footsteps walking quickly up the steps. Brooke jumped up and stood anxiously as the doorbell rang.

Ms. Havens came out of her office and walked briskly to the door. She opened it to reveal a dark haired woman, hair falling out of a messy bun. She looked like she had been running, even though she was wearing a knee length skirt with a silk top tucked in and pumps on her feet.

"I am so sorry I am late!" She entered the room, quickly trying to pat down her hair and tuck her top more securely into her skirt. "My boss held me a few minutes late and then traffic was absolutely horrible! Plus, my ex didn't come pick up Maxine on time for her weekend visit with him! He is so infuriating!" Letting out a puff of air, she stopped talking and looked around the room, her eyes settling on Brooke. "You must be Brooke!" She smiled widely and walked over, holding out her hand.

Brooke shook her hand and returned the smile. "Yes, its nice to meet you Mrs. Stevens."

The woman placed her other hand on top of Brooke's and grinned before turning back to Ms. Havens. "I really do need to get back. My son will be waiting at home for us, famished I'm sure!" She winked over at Brooke.

"Yes, of course," Ms. Havens said, "If you will follow me to my office, we can sign the employment contract and you can both be on your way!" She turned with a click of her heels and Mrs. Stevens followed her in, closing the door softly behind her.

Brooke waited anxiously for a couple minutes, chewing her thumbnail, until the two women finally reappeared.

"Thank you so much for finding someone for me. Having full-time, live-in help will be such a lifesaver!" Mrs. Stevens gushed.

The women shook hands and Ms. Havens replied, "Our Brooke is a hard worker and very good with children. I wish you both the best." She glanced pointedly over at Brooke before heading back to her office and shutting the door with a loud click.

Brooke stared at the door, feeling stunned and a little hurt. Ten years and she didn't even say goodbye? She knew Ms. Havens wasn't a sentimental or emotional person, but still....ten years was a long time. She blinked rapidly and then remembered the other woman in the room who was impatiently waiting for her.

"Shall we go?

"Oh, yes...of course," Brooke stammered, smiling nervously as she walked over to the door the other woman was holding open for her. Glancing back one last time, she took in the sparsely furnished room and grungy walls, took a deep breath and reached for the small bag of clothes at her feet.  This was the last time she would ever see this place....and she was ok with that.

***

Half an hour later, Mrs. Stevens pulled up in front of a cute, two story home with big front porch.

Turning off the engine, she turned to Brooke and smiled, "Well, here we are. Home sweet home!"

Brooke smiled back and removed her seatbelt. She was excited to see her new home, no matter how temporary it would probably end up being. She opened her door and stepped out as Mrs. Stevens was rounding the front of the car, grabbing her small bag as she exited the vehicle. She took it all in as she followed her employer up the front walk toward the house. A huge oak tree stood in the center of the yard and the front of the house was swallowed up by a huge front porch, outlined by a beautiful flower bed and it even had a porch swing on one end. Brooke felt excitement and happiness bubbling up in her. She had never lived anywhere that looked as beautiful and peaceful as this home did.

Mrs. Stevens opened the front door and smiled back at Brooke, "Come on in and we will get you settled."

Brooke quickly picked up her pace and followed Mrs. Stevens into the house. She walked into a small foyer that immediately opened up into a large living room. "Let me give you a quick tour and then we will sit down and discuss expectations and pay. Sound good?" Mrs. Stevens looked over at her.

Brooke nodded and followed the woman as she quickly gave her a brief tour of the home. To the right of the foyer was a small hallway that led to two bedrooms, one on each end, with a bathroom in between. Opening the bedroom door to the right, Brook saw a pretty room decorated in purple with owls. "This is Maxine's room." Turning back she walked to the other end of the hallway and pointed to the closed door. "This is Caleb's room." She smirked as she glanced back at Brooke, "I would open it but I don't want to scare you off before you've even begun your first day. I have just about given up on trying to get a seventeen year old boy to clean and keep it that way!" She shook her head and chuckled. "The bathroom is right here," pointing to the door in the middle of the hallway.

Leaving the hallway, Mrs. Stevens led Brook thru the living room and into the kitchen.

"I love the openness!" Brooke gushed.

"Yes, it was very important to me, especially when Maxine was younger, to be able to see into the living room while cooking or washing dishes. And it's great having the option to watch tv while washing dishes or cooking too. Otherwise I would be bored to tears." She grinned. She continued into a hallway behind the kitchen. "My room and bathroom is off to the right behind that door," she pointed in the general direction. "The laundry room and access to the garage are off to the left, just pass the stairs. Follow me and I will show you where you will be sleeping." She headed to the short flight of stairs to the left of the hallway and Brook followed her up. The stairs opened up into a decent size room with a small bathroom attached. "This room is directly above the garage. We added it on back when Mr. Stevens and I were still together. He thought he needed a 'Man Cave' or some silly nonsense like that." She rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately, you can hear the garage door opening and closing, but on the bright side, you do get your own bathroom!"

Brooke looked around and grinned. "It's perfect!" The room was about the same size as the room she had shared with the other children at the orphanage, but seemed so much bigger when she was the only one who would be living here. There was a small window facing the front of the house and a twin size bed directly under the window. She noticed a brand new looking comforter on the bed and matching curtains covering the window. Setting her small bag on the bed, Brooke turned toward Mrs. Stevens, who said, "It's not much but it's yours while you work for me. You are more than welcome to decorate it and add your own personal touch to it. I want you to feel at home."

"Thank you, Mrs. Stevens. Like I said, it's perfect!"

"Well then, come back to the kitchen with me and we will hash out all the details for your employment."

Brooke took one last happy glance around her new room and then quickly followed the other woman downstairs.