I flexed my hand against my leg as I watched her work her jaw. "I know something terrible has happened to her. I'm sure of it. She didn't have anyone who would fight for her."
"I think she did. It sounds like she had the best friend she possibly could."
"Obviously not. She's off doing who knows what to survive, and here I am, perfectly healthy, living in this nice house. I just know something terrible has happened to her. What did she do to deserve to be pulled back into that life?"
I leaned forward and stretched out my elbows on the table. "What makes you think she was pulled into a difficult life?"
Nola smiled bitterly. "Her stepdad showed up at the dorm one day. She didn't tell me what he wanted, but that was two weeks before the end of the term...I figured it was the regular drama. There was always something going on in that family. She was pretty quiet for the next couple weeks. I assumed it was because she was buckling down with the last two weeks of finals.
"When the last Friday of school hit, I got back to our room and found all of her stuff gone. Just a note telling me goodbye. It was the last time I heard from her."
"Is that why you work in the group home?"
She shrugged. "I didn't do enough to help Riley. Maybe I can for other kids. Someone has to fight for them. They deserve a chance just as much as anyone. The only thing they’re lacking is someone steady in their life who loves them unconditionally. And that's what I want to be. I hope that forty years from now, they'll remember a crazy lady who loved them, made horrible birthday cakes, and gave them ridiculous amounts of life advice. Someone who took the time to listen to them when no one else did and give them just an ounce of stability. If I can be that person in their life, I could die a happy woman."
"Nola, you can't put that pressure on yourself to fix everyone's problems. Their futures don't rest solely on your shoulders."
"But what if I can make a difference?"
"If it can be done, you'll be the one to do it," I replied with a smile, because I already knew she was changing my attitude towards her. She wasn’t unreliable like I’d first thought. She was passionate, loving, and upset at the injustices of life. She reminded me that the world didn’t revolve around me. That connection was important.
She reminded me that I could be more.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Homeowners Association Rule #5:
Members of the neighborhood will abide by the pool rules.
After work in the DHS office, I spent the rest of the afternoon at the group home. Maya’s mom had come to visit, and I was the one appointed to supervise. If things kept progressing, Maya would be back with her mom in another eight weeks.
The hope in both their eyes was enough to make me cry. So I did on the way home. I cried for them, and then I cried selfishly for me, because when Maya went home with her mom, that meant I wouldn’t get to spend time with her anymore. She wouldn’t need me anymore.
I would be obsolete. The system was designed with the intention of reuniting families when they were able to care for their children again, but it didn’t lessen the hurt when you got attached to a child.
When I got home, I headed straight to the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for a snack. Bane’s mode of stress eating was already rubbing off on me.
The fridge was practically empty. There was a bottle of kombucha on the bottom shelf— Bane’s. Who drank that kind of stuff? Slamming the fridge, I opened the freezer hoping for a frozen burrito or even a bowl of ice cream. But that didn't sound very good either. I wanted to eat a pile of fruit.
The front door opened, and Bane walked in.
"Did you bring dinner?" I asked, not caring if it was an abrupt greeting.
Bane looked surprised to see me standing there. "Look at us," he said. "We're both home at a decent time."
I looked at the clock, 7:30. "Hey, you're right. We can eat dinner at a normal hour like normal people."
"Let's not get too carried away." Bane laughed. "I've never classified you as normal."
"Har har. Mr. HOA is full of jokes tonight. There's nothing to eat here. Should I order some takeout?" I suggested.
"If I'm not careful, all this takeout eating will go straight to my waistline." Bane patted his obviously-not-thick stomach.
"Our other option is the grocery store. Want to come with me? We can ride in the cracker-mobile."
Bane looked at me, skeptically. "Maybe I should drive."
"Maybe you should get a sense of adventure."
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled to a stop in the grocery store parking lot.
Bane looked at me in shock.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You're actually a decent driver. I was getting ready to write my last will and testament when you said you wanted to drive."
"Why would you assume I’m a bad driver?"
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again.
"What were you going to say?"
He shook his head vehemently and opened the passenger door. "Let’s go grocery shopping!"
I latched onto his arm before he could escape. "Bart. What were you going to say?"
He visibly swallowed before answering me, "Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly the most observant person I’ve ever met. I figured you would be a pretty terrible driver as well."
I laughed. "Oh, is that all? Yeah, I knew that. My dad used to tease me about it all the time. I get in the zone and forget to pay attention to the world around me."
I hopped out of the car and locked it then headed to the store with Bane following behind.
We each grabbed a
