I bustled around mike's dinner feeding customer after customer their usual cravings. It was close to nine o'clock which meant my shift was over. I fished up some burnt fries and chicken from tonight's bustle and got into my big blue truck. The paint was pale gray blue and it was mostly gone, the primer was what remained. I put my keys into the car and fired up the engine. It was cold for spring weather a chilling winter feel came upon the air. I pulled into my driveway at close to nine thirty I could see my mother trying to wrangle all six of the adopted children we had taken in. My mother had always wanted a big family. When she got pregnant with me she was expecting twins two identical girls. Me and my sister. She gave birth to use just fine and even a few years later had two more children after use a boy and five years later a girl. One day as we drove in the dark from a family ski trip we got in a terrible accident I broke
my femier, my arm, and cracked several of my ribs. My mother being the super hero she was didn't receive one scratch. My twin sister, father, and brother did not even make it to the emergency room before they passed. Me and my twin were seven. My brother was five and my sister was two, she got it the worst she became paralyzed in her lower body. My recover was terrible for almost four months I could barely move. My mother took good care of me and my sister. When she would put us into our beds late at night I would hear her crying. Since it has been close to ten years since then my mother has taken kids in from foster care and than adopted Annalise Kate who is 15 Marcus who is almost 14, Noel who is 9, Jack who is 12, and Bella and Lily who are 5 they are twins. My little sister who is 11 whose name is Samantha. As I walked into the house the quiet chill sound of outside stopped children screaming eating food. I walked in and the twins walked up to me asking to play Monopoly Jack had told Bella and Lily and Noel and Samantha but had gone out back to play football with Marcus. I agree when my mother says babies should go up to bed which means Noel, Sam, and the twins. She kisses each one and I go to read them a bedtime story they all crowded around the rug in the little girls room as I read Noel fell asleep on my knee and the rest looked pretty tired too. I tucked Bella and Lily into their one bed. Money is scarce even with mom working 9 hours a day and I work at the dinner from the time I get out of school to nine. There just isn't enough to go around. I scoop Noel up and make sure she doesn't wake up. Lastly I gently pick up my only biological sister from her black leather wheelchair and put her into her bed. I kiss them all on their foreheads. I sing the one song my mother sang to me a quiet lullaby that will put them to bed. By the time I get downstairs I dived the leftovers from the dinner into five equal piles. We all eat in silence. The chicken is slightly rubbery but it can pass. I run up to the attic where I sleep. A cozy spot. I have a milk crate bookshelf that is glue together a dresser that holds my cloths with a mirror on the side. My bed is typical and the table with the dinning chair is what I call a "desk" I plop onto my bed my phone vibrates in my Jean pocket. It is from Annalise Kate
ANNALISE KATE: I need help
ME: with what?
ANNALISE KATE: keys
She must have locked herself out of our apartment going to the mall. I run down the stairs and unlock the door. She has her shiny blonde hair curled at the bottom and is wearing a blue sundress with yellow flowers on. She and I run up the attic stairs and she puts her long hair in a tight bun on the top of her head. We both get into our bed. I grasp my hair into maybe a ponytail and fall into a dreamless sleep. I wake to hear my phone setting off the alarm. Even in her sleep she beating I think I wake her up and get dressed into a t-short a shirt that has a attached shorts I pull my hair into a shabby ponytail a walk down the stairs. I go in to the girls room and wake them up they are all doubled up in the two twin sized beds. The boys come out of the basement in which one bed lies for the both of them though it seems Jack sleeps on the floor more than the bed. I walked into the kitchen and sat the girls one by one around the table I gave them a piece of toast and a yogurt stick with some orange juice. My mother came down the hall in a lovely lilac dress and her hair in a beautiful braid I just staired. My mom spoke to use
