Red Spider Lilies [TPN]

Chapter 3

"Emma, may I have a word with you?" Mom asks.

I stop as everyone else leaves with their dishes.

"What it is it, mom?" I ask.

"I have good news for you." She looks around, excited as a child on Christmas. "A family is looking to adopt you."

I freeze. "Huh?" Cold sweat runs down my face, my whole body. "But, like, I'm 17. No one wants a 17 year old, I'm basically an adult already. No one wants me."

Mom smiles softly, placing a hand on my cheek. "Emma, I need you to realize something." She grabs my hand. "You don't grow out of family. If they adopt you, you will have a family for forever. Of course this will take a few months but, you'll get there if all goes well."

I smile as she let's go.

"Run along now, go leave your dish with Ray. He's doing dishes tonight."

I nod and begin to walk away, but mom catches my attention one more time and I stop.

"Oh, Emma, one more thing." I turn around. "They want to meet you next week, we should go shopping for the meeting. You want to make a good impression."

I smile and nod, walking away to the kitchen where I find Ray washing the dishes of everyone, all alone.

"Hey." I say quickly. "Here's my dish. You could say happy early birthday."

He scoffs as he takes the plate off my hands. "As yes, thank you. A perfect representation of my almost adulthood."

I lean on the counter. "Come on, being an adult can't be that awful. You can do most stuff now. Like move out, or smoke, though I would prefer if you didn't do either of those."

"Oh yeah, why would that matter to you. You won't be here in a few months."

I clench my fists and look down at my feet. Oh god, he heard that.

"Right... well that's only if it all works out? I mean, I haven't even met these people."

Nothing is exchanged for awhile. I dont make eye contact.

"Hey, Emma, you are happy that someone wants you, right?"

I look up. "Of course! I just..." My fingers twiddle with one another as I search for the right words. "It's just, where have they been all my life. Like, I'm gonna be in adult in less than a year and now someone wants me. Where were these people years ago when I really needed a family? Why now? I'm so comfortable now."

Ray says nothing but turns off the water, he's done for the night. He leans on the counter with me.

"Emma, it's going to be fine. Better late than never." He smiles at me and messes up my hair. "I'm sure you're going to love them as much as they love you."

---

"You know, Ray, have I ever told you how much I love your cooking?" I wrap a blanket around myself. "Like honestly I don't think I could've lived without your food if you had left the house."

Ray huffed through his nose with a smile. "Ah well, if you asked nicely I would have brought you something to eat."

We share a laugh. I pull the blanket over my shoulder again.

"Would you really have done that? I mean, I was going to leave about a week ago." I say.

"Of course. You think your dad would let me?" He says

Hearing him say I have dad weird. Having a dad in general is weird.

"Duh, idiot. He always talked about how he would love to have more kids around. But one kiddo at a time he told me." I play it off.

"Ah, that's cool." He pauses. "Does he treat you well? You never really talk about him."

I put down my plate and think.

"He treats me fine, as you would think a dad would act. He likes to buy me things when I do well in class, which, not to brag is pretty often."

Ray chuckles shortly. "Anything else about him?"

"He likes to talk to me about things. Whevener we go to eat we always talk about what's going on. He tells me about work and I tell him about the house. Normal things."

He sets down his plate next to mine. "You ever think about what would be happening around now?"

"I have, I do... most likely I would be adjusting myself to a new life. I would be living in a different section of town and would be in the 12th grade in about a week or so. Maybe I would be celebrating my birthday with, um, dad. I guess I can say that now since the forms were finalized almost a month ago..." I twindle my thumbs. "What would you be doing?"

This is a good opportunity to find out more things about him. The right way.

He leaned back and stared at the wall ahead if him. "Not sure. Probably get a job, move out, try and save up for college. That was the plan. Not anymore, obviously."

I hum. "Seems like a pretty solid plan to me. But what would you be studying for, if that worked out."

His eyes wandered. "I dont know, but I know that I want to go to college for something. Maybe... you know what, forget it."

I scoot closer, he never really talked about this. He never talked much in general, we mostly had one sided conversations.

"Come on, tell me. I'm curious now that you said something."

He scoffs and grabs the spoon giving my head a poor whack.

"Ow!" I rub my head. "I just want to know!"

"Go to bed, idiot. Maybe some other time."

---

The dim light enters through the cracks of the window. What time is it?

"Why don't we have clocks?" I stir. "I barely know what day it is anymore."

Finally I open my eyes and sit up, nothing is different other than the fire. Darn thing went out. Did Ray put it out? Maybe, he did go to bed after me.

I look to my side, that dope is still sleeping. You know, now that I think about it he sleeps kind of weird. All curled up and what seems like drooling.

"Gross." I get up and look around, a gust blows through the barn.

I walk over to the fire and grab a match near the crate Ray was on last night, adding some wood by the ladder. Do you think the smell of fire will wake him? Most likely not.

"Alright, what should I do now?"

The fire is set and not much can be done around a barn being used as a war shelter. Then a light bulb goes off.

"Maybe I could go outside and look for breakfast." I look over at Ray. "He shouldn't wake up for a while. This is fine."

It's technically day time right now so it can't be too dangerous. So it's decided, outside it is. I pull on my jackets and double layers, the same old brown boots on my feet.

Before I leave, I pass one last glance at Ray.

"Sure hope he doesn't wake up." I pause. "Wait a minute... it's the 21st, which means I'm an adult. Haha, he has no control over me." I whisper to myself. "Sleep well."

I slowly open the barn door and look around, it doesnt look too awful. The wind isnt as strong today.

"Today's going to be a good day."