Happier

Chapter Three

The next afternoon Evie nervously stared out the little window of the airplane as it taxied onto the runway at Orlando International Airport.  Last night, Pippa had taken her two sisters out to dinner and calmly explained what was about to happen.  The girls listened quietly and seriously.  CPS had been called on their parents before, but this time was different.  They'd always been able to stay with their parents during the investigations but not now.  Apparently it was bad enough this time that they couldn't stay.

Evie felt her older sister take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze as the flight attendants did one last check for seat belts.  She turned her head and gave Pippa a small smile.  Thank goodness she had come for them.  If she hadn't who knows where she and Stella would have ended up.  Some foster care home and maybe not even together.

Pippa had explained that her new boyfriend, Lin-Manuel, had moved in with her a couple months before.  Evie knew who he was because anyone who didn't live under a rock knew who he was.  He was the mastermind behind Hamilton and In The Heights.  He was a flipping genius and seemed really nice.  They had never met him because Pippa had been estranged from their parents.  Evie and Stella were both curious about him.

"Are you sure Lin's okay with us staying there?" Evie asked Pippa worriedly.  Pippa squeezed her hand again.

"Of course," she assured her.  "He's excited that you're both coming.  He's been wanting to meet you for months.  I talk about you two all the time."

"You do?" Evie asked, surprised.

Pippa nodded, smirking at all the fond memories she had of her sisters.  "He probably thinks he already knows you.  And he's super sweet.  He's clearing out the guest bedroom as we speak so you can have a space to yourselves."

Evie thought that was super nice of him.  From what she'd seen from his Twitter, TV appearances and Youtube, he seemed really cool.  Pippa seemed to have picked a good guy.  She just hoped he was as nice as he seemed.

Pippa turned to check on Stella on the other side of her.  She was slouched in her seat, busy with her iPad.  Not playing games like most other kids would be.  Stella was a reader.  She got through several books a week usually.

"Whatcha reading?" Pippa asked her.  Stella smiled a little and turned the screen so she could see.

"Kate DiCamillo," she reported.  "One of my favorite authors.  This is her new one."

Pippa smiled.  She remembered reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane aloud to them before she left for New York.

"Cool," she said, patting her sister's leg.  "Why don't you sit up while the plane is taking off."

Stella followed directions, pushing herself up in her airplane seat.  Soon the plane picked up speed and they all watched Orlando start to pass them by quickly.  When they landed in a couple hours they'd be in New York City, trying to navigate a temporary new life together.

Evie pulled out her phone and plugged in her earbuds, pulling up some music. She was playing her favorite song, She Used To Be Mine. Evie felt like that represented a lot of her life. She used to be so different when she was little. Happy and carefree. Then she started to be serious about dance and everything changed. Her parents had started to get crueler to her and towards Stella.

"Evie? Are you okay?" Pippa whispered. She looked up towards her older sister, and noticed that there were tears falling down her cheeks.

"Yeah," Evie nodded, leaning her head on Pippa's shoulder. Pippa stroked her sister's dark hair.

A couple hours later, the plane was beginning its descent in New York City and Evie and Stella got their first glimpse of NYC.

"Wow," Stella whispered, grinning. "It's so big." Pippa nods.