The Broken Orphan [Being Rewritten]

Thirty- Home Check

Evangeline
(Her dress that Luke liked up top🔝)

The week passes by quickly. Luke and I follow our routine of going to school, coming home, eating dinner, watching movies, playing with Nugget, and reading together. Ms. Harris keeps joining us for lunch which we all enjoy her being there. I like talking to her, it's fun, and I feel like she is an actual friend of mine. I've never had a friend before, so it feels good.

Luke and I had spent most of this morning playing with Nugget and me working on my blue dress that Luke liked. I had been working on it for the past few days and all I had left to do was the final touches. Luke had promised that when I finish it we could go back to the craft store to show the lady and get more fabric to make more of my designs.

I finish it and look over my work before slipping it on. I skip happily downstairs with Ellie locked in my arms to Luke's office where he's doing paperwork. I knock on the door and stand in the doorway so he can see me. He turns to face me and sets down his papers.
"I finished." I say happily and smooth out the bottom of the dress. He smiles at me and motions for me to go to him. I walk briskly to him and do a little twirl for him to see.
"Do you like it?" I ask hopefully
He smiles at me and taps my nose.
"It's beautiful, Kitten." He says
"Thank you." I giggle and spin so the skirt flares out. I quickly get dizzy and flop down into the leather chair in the corner. Luke chuckles at me and goes back to reviewing his papers.

"Are you going to wear that while they are doing the home check?" He ask me
I'm confused to a second before I remember that the home check is today since I've been here for two weeks and they always do then on weekends instead of weekdays because people have to work.

Just then, the doorbell rings and Nugget runs to the front door.
"I guess I am." I say with a sigh. Luke chuckles at me and helps me out of the chair. I notice he's wearing his good clothes instead of his usual clothes that he wears around the house.
We walk side by side to the front door, but I stay protectively behind Luke in case it isn't the social worker at the door. Luke unlocks and opens the door to reveal a neatly dressed Latina lady with a big, tall, and buff man standing behind her, almost acting as a body guard. She holds a clipboard and a smile while the man remains expressionless.

"Hi, I'm Georgia Banks, Evangeline's social worker. We're here to do the home check." She says and extends a hand for Luke to shake. She smiles and shakes her hand.
"Hi, I'm Luke Clark, but I guess you already know that." He chuckles "Of course, come in." He invites them and opens the door the rest of the way to let them enter.
We back up to let them enter and Nugget races to them and starts sniffing them.
Mrs. Banks laughs and pets the dogs head until he moves onto the man. The man finally cracks a smile and legs him too.
"Sorry, he's very friendly." Luke apologizes
"Nugget," Luke says to get the rambunctious dogs attention. He immediately turns to Luke with his tail wagging forcefully behind him.
"Go to bed." Luke says and points to his doggy bed. The dog follows his orders and goes to sit on his bed, still watching us from afar.

"Hi, Mrs. Banks, and Mr. Jefferson." I say sweetly and offer a small wave.
"Hello Evangeline." Mrs. Banks says with a smile and Mr. Jefferson acknowledges me with a smile and a nod.

"Okay, why don't we get started then?" Mrs. Banks suggest
"Sure." Luke says
"I'm going to need to ask you a few questions first and then we will check the house and then I will need to speak with Evangeline." Mrs. Banks tells Luke who agrees with everything she says.

I tug on Luke's sleeve and he turns to me.
"Can I go play outside with Nugget?" I ask him
"Go ahead, his ball is in his toy box, I think." Luke says. I smile and go to Nuggets toy box beside his bed and grab the tennis ball. "Remember, don't go near the pool." He tells me
He told me before not to go near the pool to make sure I don't fall in because there is a cover on it and it's supposedly very difficult to get out of if you fall in and can be dangerous too.