A Home For Zoe

War (In Editing)

"Anyone can have a child and call themselves 'a parent.'
A real parent is someone who puts that child above their own selfish needs and wants."

Zoe

At breakfast two days later I finish my food quickly then stand to follow the other kids outside, when I hear Alanna say, "Zoe, we need to talk to you for a minute."

I freeze and suck in a deep breath, then turn around slowly. I smile weakly, "What's up?"

Alanna pats the seat next to her. I shuffle over and sit down next to her. "Zoe, your father is trying to get you back."

Tears fill my eyes, "Why does he want me now! I haven't heard from him in almost eight years!"

"I don't know, Zoe," says Bridger , "Maybe he couldn't take care of you before and now he thinks he can."

"We're going to fight this, Zo," says Alanna.

"How? Doesn't DCF like to reunite children and parents," I spit.

"You told us he hit you. We can convince them it wouldn't be safe for you."

"But what if you can't? I have to go live with him?"

"It's a possibly." Says Bridger . They must see my shoulders slump at this.

Alanna puts an arm around me, "Hey, this doesn't change anything. We still want to adopt you. I promise, we'll do everything we can to make sure we can."

I lean against her, "Okay," I whisper.

"But we have to ask. Do you want to spend some time with your father? Decide if you might like to live with him."

I shake my head, "No, I never want to see him again, unless I have to."

"OK. For now you don't have to go anywhere, but we can't promise the courts or DCF won't make you."

I nod, I know I can't do anything about that, "Did you tell the others?"

"Not yet. Do you want to tell them yourself."

I shake my head, "No thanks."
___

Instead of going outside after the others, I went upstairs and sat in my room all day. I didn't read or anything, I just sat and stared at the wall for half the day. Alanna came up to talk to me a few times but I wasn't really up for talking so she left me alone after a few minutes.

Around dinner time someone knocks on my door. Assuming it's Alanna I call, "come in." Cason and Chloe step into my room.

My room. I don't know when I started thinking of it that way. But I did, and it might get taken away from me.

"Hey guys," I greet them.

"Hi," says Cason gently. They walk over and sit down on either side of me. I can tell from how they're acting that Alanna and Bridger told them.

"How you doing?" Asks Chloe, her voice soft.

I consider lying, but I long ago gave up on keeping my walls up around these people, "Not great."

Chloe wraps an arm around me, and I lean my head on her shoulder. "Do you remember when our mother showed up out of nowhere."

I sigh, "Yeah. But she couldn't take you away from Bridger and Alanna. My father could."

"Maybe. But probably not," says Cason, "and even if you did have to go live with him he couldn't take you away from us. You're almost 15, he can't stop you from seeing us. We'll always be a family."

"You think?" I sigh. I can feel the tears coming. I've been up here for hours but I haven't cried yet.

"No, I know," says Cason.