Family

Chapter 23

When we get to the Police Station e'eryone watches us walk in together, holding hands as we walk through the rows of desks. They ask us to sit on a long bench against a wall. We sit very close to each other. And then the next thing we know, Claire is running out of a room to us.

We all jump outta out seat and hug her. I whisper to all of 'em "remember we family. No one can separate a family."

Then we move back to the bench. Claire sit on my lap, and Sam sit on Mack's on my left side. Kate and Megan sit next to each other on my right side, holding each other's hands. But e'en though we are on a flat bench, we find a way to move close enough together to be in a hug like position. We don't wanna let go of each other.

Slowly, one family at a time, they walk in and introduce themselves to who they are told is their child. But e'en when we greet them back, we still don't let go. And they don't try to let go. All the mothers cry when they say hi. Some of 'em touch their faces.

After 'bout an hour and half e'eryone's "families" come to us. All except mine. But I don't care. Cause I know my real family is 'round me. Then, what felt like an hour later, my "parents" come in. They crying the hardest cause I been gone the longest. But I still don't go o' Claire. We all stare forwards and don't really talk to anyone. Except when they talk to us, we be polite and respond back. But other than that we don't say nothing.

A detective come out with Ma in handcuffs. We all look, each one of us shouting for Ma to look at us. "Ma where they taking you," Claire ask. This made our "families" cry e'en more. Some o' the fathers get angry at this.

The same detective come back without Ma. He look at all of us, us kids and the parents sitting and standing around us. "You all can go home now. You're parents are here for you to take you back to your lovely homes."

"No," Mack shouted.

"We a family, sir," I tell 'em. "We promised each other to ne'er lose each other."

"I know was there for the shortest amount of time, but I agree with them. I'm sorry Mom and Dad, but these five are also my family now. They protected me and helped me stay out of trouble. So they are my family too. And we are not going to be separated. Promise me you won't take us too far away from each other."

"Oh, honey, we cannot promise that," her mother tells her, still crying.

"We don't accept that," said Megan.

"We ain't gonna let ya take us away from each other. Not now, not e'er," I say.

The parents look at each other and then the detective. Then the detective ask them if they could come to a room and discuss this situation.

After a few minutes of them talking quiet enough so we can't hear. They all come back out.

Then we all go home.