ANNIE

13 ☼ Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

A N N E T T E

Sighing, Ms. Kenslee stepped out of her office to find me waiting outside the door. "Hey, hun. What's up?"

Shifting slightly on my feet, I brought my eyes up to meet Ms. Kenslee's.  "I was wondering if I could talk to you... and Granny.  When you have time.  I know you just got back and everything..." I suggested quietly, allowing my words to trail off at the end. 

"It's fine, Annie," Ms. Kenslee replied with a smile. "Actually why don't we see if we can't get everybody together now. You eat already?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied.

"Good girl," Ms. Kenslee said with a smile before looking down the hall to the man who was currently making his way forward, to make a request.  "Beckham, right on time. Can you ask Ms. Castellanos if she could join us in the sitting room in the next few minutes?" 

With a nod of affirmation, the man carried on down the hallway. Ms. Kenslee's eyes fell back to me and together we walked down the hall and into the sitting room. It didn't take long for Granny to come walking in the door. When everyone was seated in the room, Ms. Kenslee smiled at me from across the couch. "Alright, hun, everyone is here and accounted for.  What's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking about, well, about everything we talked about the other day," I started to stutter out.  I wasn't sure why this was so hard. I had been practicing this speech all night. "...and I think I know what I want. I already talked to Granny so I already know that she's okay with it. I wanted to talk to everyone together though.  ...to be sure."

Both adults continued to look at me expectantly and when no words immediately followed, Ms. Kenslee was the first to speak up. "Honey, no matter what you decide is more than okay with the both of us," she said with a gentle smile. Granny nodded her agreement, stretching across to pat me on the knee. 

I gave a small smile at the encouragement and continued.  "Well, I know that no matter what I pick, Granny will always be my granny. She took me in.  In fact, she's the only caregiver I really remember with my parents being gone. I mean, I know what dad looked like because I have pictures and videos of him, but I don't have any real memories of them, together. I, I just thought I was, maybe...replacing them. They weren't replaced at all. My family just changed.  Granny stepped into both my father's and mother's shoes because that's what I needed," I said, pausing for a second to smile at Granny.  "but now that she's leaving..."

Once I had paused for a moment too long, Granny smiled, encouraging me to finish.  "I guess what I'm trying to say is..." I started only to pause again but this time to get off of the couch and stand in front of Ms. Kenslee because this part was meant for her.   " ...I want you to be my mom. I want you to adopt me."

"Ann..." Ms. Kenslee replied, trying to hold back the emotion. "That's, that's a mighty big role to play..."

"...I, I know, but you've been doing just fine with me. This just makes it that much more real," I hesitantly explained as I started to pace a step or two in either direction in front of where Ms. Kenslee was still seated on the couch.

"You didn't let me finish, hun," Ms. Kenslee said, standing up herself and blocking my path.  Then, placing her hands softly on mine, she smiled.  "I was going to say that I just want you to be happy. Think you could be happy here, with me?"