The Big Girl Pt. 02 Ch. 01

I stopped, not bothering to wipe away the tears running down my cheeks. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I went on.

"But Rosie changed all that. She didn't just take me in, she came to the home I was in and got me." I whispered. "I was twelve years old."

"Why would she do that?" Sarah whispered. She was holding my hand in both of hers as she listened.

"The people I was living with were nice enough, but Rosie told me later that there was talk in the foster community about them. She had had some of the kids that had lived with them, some of the older kids. She said that they were...damaged was the word she used. She would never tell me about what happened to them, but she told me that she wasn't going to let it happen to me, or anyone else, ever again. I don't know how she did it, but they never took in another foster child, at least not in this state."

I shook my head and looked back at her, smiling gently.

"She had three other kids living with her when I came to live with her, but she treated me like I was the most important person in the world. She set up a bed for me in her room, and I slept in there with her for three months. One day, I asked her why I didn't have my own room like the other kids. She just smiled and hugged me. That night, I slept alone in my own room."

"So..."

"I woke up the next morning in the bed in her room." I went on, not letting her interrupt. "She didn't say anything, she just smiled and hugged me when she woke me up for school. I woke up in that bed two or three times a week for the next couple of months. One day, I realized that it had been almost a month since I had done it, and I went to ask her about it. The bed was gone, and she smiled when she saw me standing in the doorway. She held her arms out, and I went over and stepped into them. 'You're going to be just fine, Brent.' she whispered. 'I'm not going to let anything happen to my beautiful boy.'"

"I started talking to the other kids, and they told me that she had done the same thing with them. They took me in, treating me like a brother, not just another kid they lived with. That's how I met Tim and Sarah, they were there when Rosie brought me home."

"And now I can answer your question." I said. "Rosie taught me all you can do is share yourself with someone else, and hope they do the same for you. She gave us love, but never demand it back from us."

"She taught you about love by showing you love..." Sarah said slowly.

I nodded, waiting for her to go on.

"And you knew that that was what I needed to hear...that love is something that you share, not possess." Tracy said from the doorway.

"Yeah, we all need to be reminded of that sometimes." I said, looking over at her. "You have a lot of love in you pretty, and you share it with both of us. You just needed someone who knew what you were feeling to put it into words you could understand."

"It's not that easy studly." She said as she came over, pulled out a chair and sat down facing me.

"Yeah, it is." I said, smiling at her. I took her hand as I went on. "You're here now, you'll be here in the morning, and you'll be here years from now, loving us, and letting us love you. There's some things you need to figure out for yourself, but you got past the hard part. We're gonna be okay now."

"Whatta ya think hon? Is he completely fulla shit or what?" She asked Sarah, grinning over at her.

"I think we are the two luckiest women in the world, and if either of us is dumb enough to leave this wonderful man, the other one should kick her ass and remind her what she's walking away from." Sarah said slowly.

"Amen to that sister." Tracy said, smiling at her. "Amen to that..."

(-)

Chapter Two is in progress, and I should finish it soon. The kids are still trying to tell me where they want the story to go...now I just need to listen a little more.