INTRUDER

NOW; 1 YEAR LATER

The murder was 12 months ago, but I still can't move on. Today is the day I get a new family. A couple want to adopt us and they seem very excited to have us. They seem very friendly and I'm really hoping to connect with them. I hope they are wonderful parents, but they'll never be like my mom. 

After the incident, they sent me in with some kids that were boring and I had to go through 2 families but Susanne and Johnny are the one's that are the most lovely to me.

Susanne Huhnger walks in. She has blonde hair and you can tell she is rich, she has gold earrings, gold watches, gold everything. Her shirt is a very, very delicate fabric and it has a design that orange flowers are blooming out. Johnny Huhnger walks in behind her, he doesn't look like I expected him to look like. I was expecting a fit man with tuxedo and fancy things, but the real life Johnny was wearing a Jaws T-shirt and denim jeans. He wore a hat that had a S with a tree in the middle. Stanford, that was Stanford's logo.

"What did you study at Stanford?" I asked, just to make conversation.

"Film and photography, thanks for asking!" He smiled, a lovely smile.

Susanne turned her head to look at us.

"So, where do you guys want to go?" She asked.

Ellie, who seemed really connected with them now, screamed for us to go to the ice cream place. We hand't had ice cream since... since 12 months ago We haven't done anything in the past 12 months. It's been a harsh and cruel year: no family, no friends, no fun, no bedtime stories, no school, no books, no computer, no social medias, and no love.

We arrive at an ice cream place and order vanilla for all of us. We eat it in the car, something mother used to never let us do. Never. I'm starting to like this family more than I expected to like them.

Raindrops start hitting the window hard.

"Uh-oh, look what we have here," Johnny smiles. Rain just starts down pouring and sliding rapidly off the window.

"We better get home quickly and snuggle up on the couch to keep warm!" Ellie yells out. That was what we saw in the movies, mom and dad never did that in real life.

My mind starts racing with flashbacks: my 8th birthday, mom smiling, going to Disneyland for the first time, when Ellie took her first breath in the world, when I had my first friend, when I learned to color inside the lines, my first kiss with Ben, my mom laying on the floor with her eyes wide open and blood pooling around her.

I shut my eyes and a warm tear streamed out of my eyes. Then, multiple tears started falling like the drops rolling down the windows at this very exact moment.

We pulled into the driveway and raced for the door, the rain helped cover my tears. Ellie ran inside and sat in a chair, soaking wet.

"Ellie, you're wet!" I called out when Ellie ran towards the couch.

"Oh, it's fine, you can sit down too," Susanne smiled at me. What I really needed was the bathroom. I walk towards a random room, I look to my right and, hallelujah, the bathroom is right there. I race inside and lock myself in, sliding down the door. Tears pour out of my eyes, they don't stop, they just keep on pouring and I feel that I'm drowning in them.

I am interrupted by a knock and I get up from the bathroom floor and unlock  the door.

"Is everything all right?" Susanne appears  at the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing, I just miss my parents."

"Come here," She embraces me tightly and I feel like I'm home, like my parents haven't died, like Susanne isn't really Susanne but instead she is my mom, Maggie Runner. The one and only Maggie Runner. She was the kindest mom, but she was the best. She was flawed and she wasn't perfect but she gave me everything I wanted and she was always there for me. That's why I love her. Because she was herself. That's how you become the best mom, by being yourself. I guess that goes with any parent, you have to be yourself and that's how you become an amazing parent.

Susanne runs her hand down my hair, my dark brown hair. Black, but brown in the sun. Susanne's hair is perfect blond. Not my mom's, sadly. My mom had brown hair with gray streaks in it. She was 49. You could say she is old, but to me she was the youngest 49 year old woman I have ever known. Yes, she had her moments where her bones would hurt and her back would give up on her, but she had her days where she would be the strongest woman on earth. I always looked up to my mom, how strong she was. How brave, how smart...

Her funeral was sad, everyone in black and people crying everywhere. Dad's was a little bit sadder, because men were crying, and let me tell you: when men cry, it's really, really sad. My dad's funeral was the saddest thing on earth. Depressing, is the better word. I hope they rest in peace, they deserve it. Maybe not Garred. My dad never tried his best, even sometimes I can't forgive what he did.

Susanne brought me to the living room and handed me a blue mug. Hot Chocolate. I was cold, but I didn't notice it until I drank my first sip. The hot chocolate was rich and creamy. The perfect kind, the homemade kind. The kind that Maggie Runner made. I looked at Johnny, he looked like my dad. A beard, brown hair. Brown eyes. A sideways goofy smile. A goofy attitude. The only thing that Johnny didn't have that my dad did was a temper. I noticed when we were driving towards home, two cars were driving really, really slow. He didn't say a thing, nothing. Nada. All he said was, "I bet that dude in front of us wants to strangle the person in front of them." And he chuckled a bit.

We all burst into laughter. The first laugh I have had in 12 months.

Johnny had something Garred Runner didn't have, and that was humor.

I think I have come to appreciate my new family. This new incredible family.

I hope this family lasts.

My phone, which I got back this morning, made a BLEEP! I stood up and grabbed it. Ben, it read.

Hey, are you coming tomorrow?

I typed a response, Where?

School! Do you have Alzheimer's or what?

No, I don't think I know you.

Yes, you do. Monday, come to school.

o.k whatever. Oh, wait, now I remember you!

Yeah, see you.

Lol, see ya tomorrow.

I walked to my room. Susanne followed me in.

"You alright, now?" She puts her hand on the wall.

"Yeah, it was just a friend who was dying to know if I was fine."

"Good, this is your new room and Ellie's room is right next to yours. We have 3 rooms in this house and 2 bathrooms. You are welcome to use our bathroom if Ellie is in that one," she points towards the bathroom I was just in. "Johnny and I will always be in our room if you need anything."

"Thanks, your really kind," I smile and hug her. She tells me to get comfortable and leaves the room.

I set my phone on the table next to the bed and lay down on the purple sheeted bed, spreading my legs and arms out like if I was making a snow angel.

Finally, a comfortable bed.

Ellie comes into the room and kisses me on the forehead and says goodnight. Johnny comes in a minute later. He kisses me and says, " sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

I smile at that.

Susanne tells me we can have some mother-daughter time tomorrow and Ellie will go to the mall with Johnny tomorrow. I thank her and say goodnight. I pray, praying that this family will last and this family will be special to me. I pray that nothing bad will happen and that tomorrow and the rest of my life will not be a tragedy but a happy life. I hope my prayers and wishes become true.

I fall asleep calmly and happily. I can finally rest.