A Home For MacKenzie

Chapter 11

Mackenzie sat curled on her bed with a photo album laying open in front of her.  She reached out and shakily ran a finger over Jeremy and Cassidy’s smiling faces.  Tears rolled down her face.  She could still hear Caleb and Jeremy talking in the kitchen, but she couldn’t bring herself to out there.

            She looked up when there was a soft knock at her door.  “Who is it?” she squeaked, her voice cracking.

            “It’s me, sweetie.”

            “Mama,” she whispered. “It’s open.”

            Cassidy slipped into the room and shut the door behind her again.  She walked over and sat down on the bed beside Mackenzie.  The teen leaned her head against Cassidy’s shoulder.  Cassidy gently played with the teen’s long, light brown hair.

            “Jeremy finally got Caleb to go home.  The poor boy’s worried sick about you.”

            Mackenzie sniffled.  “I didn’t mean to worry him.”

            Cassidy caught sight of the album on the bed and pulled it onto her lap.  “Can I look?” she asked.

            Mackenzie nodded as she stayed snuggled against Cassidy.  Cassidy turned the photo album back to the beginning.  She flipped the first page and was greeted by the smiling faces of a young couple.  The woman had shoulder length brown hair and was holding a baby.  The man had spiky dirty blonde hair and had his arm protectively around his young wife.

            “Are these your parents?”  Mackenzie nodded.  “You look like your mother.”

            The teen smiled a bit.  Cassidy flipped the page, where a smiling baby greeted her.  It was easy to see that the baby was Mackenzie.  Cassidy continued to flip through the album.  Mackenzie started to smile a bit as she told Cassidy what was happening in each picture.  The album soon moved into her life with Jeremy and Cassidy.  It was like she had skipped seven years of her life.

            Mackenzie moved to lay her head on Cassidy’s lap.  Cassidy gently ran her fingers through the girl’s hair.  The teen slowly started to relax although her breathing was still a bit ragged.

            “I don’t think I’ll be able to stay with you and Jeremy,” she whispered.

            Cassidy’s hand froze.  “What are you talking about, baby?  The lawyer’s already started the adoption process.  I thought you wanted to be part of our family.  I don’t understand.”

            Tears started in Mackenzie’s eyes.  “I do,” she whispered.  “There’s nothing I want more, but…”  She trailed off as she tried to figure out how to explain what had happened.

            Cassidy stroked the girl’s arm.  “It’s alright, sweetie,” she soothed.  “Why don’t you just rest and we can talk more later?” she suggested.  “You’ve had a rough day.”

            “Okay,” the teen whispered.

            She really was tired and she just couldn’t think straight.  Maybe things would look better after a nap.  Mackenzie moved to curl up on her bed, cuddling the bear that Caleb had won her, close to her chest.  She soon fell asleep feeling safe and protected with Cassidy beside her.

*~*~*

            Mackenzie slept most of the day.  The encounter with Dana had left her more emotionally drained then she had realized.  The girl sat up and rubbed her eyes.  She glanced out her window and was surprised to see the sun was starting to set.  She slipped out of her bed, leaving her bear sitting on the bed.  She crept toward her door, not hearing anything in the rest of the house.