Vivi-Anne at the ALDC

32. Judgement Day

VIVI- ANNE'S POV

I don't understand why this has to happen. Yet here we are, giving Melissa guardianship over me. Melissa's going to be my mom. And Kenzie and Maddie are going to be my sisters. I can't even pay attention to what's going on until Melissa nudges me. I realize that court has adjourned. The judge is asking to speak privately with me.

I am lead to a seperate room. Melissa and Cathy's attorneys follow.

The judge and I sit down at a table. It almost feels like I'm being interrogated.

"So, Miss Vivi. You're 6 years old?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Oh, honey, don't worry about that. Call me Kim."

I nod.

"So, Vivi. You know what's going on, right?"

"Um..." The words get caught in my throat. "My mom wants to give me away to Melissa."

The judge nods. "And what do you think about that? How does Melissa treat you?"

"Melissa is a great mother. And Kenzie and Maddie are really nice to me too..." I trail off. Of course it's every kid's dream to live with their best friend. But it doesn't seem to me like Melissa really wants me.

"And your mother? How do you feel about her?"

I feel my face warming. I don't know what to say. On one hand, she is my mother. I love her. And I thought she loved me too. I liked being with her, even with all the quirks. But... I don't want to be the daughter of someone who doesn't care about me. I don't even feel like calling her my mother anymore. A mother loves her child, and it's obvious Cathy doesnt love me.

"I thought she loved me." I tell the judge quietly. She nods, stopping a voice recorder I didn't even see.

"Okay, we're going to go back into the courtroom. You ready?"

She leads me back to the courtroom. Court starts again.

The judge begins to speak. "I have made a decision."

The room quiets down. Melissa tenses beside me.

"Guardianship of the child will remain with Cathy Nesbitt- Stein."

I don't know how to feel. Melissa releases a breath and pats me on the shoulder. We head over to Cathy.

"Hi, Vivi!" Cathy says enthusiastically. "How was your sleepover with Kenzie?"

I don't know what to say or do. It's not like anyone really wants me. Cathy wants to get rid of me, and I don't think Melissa took me on by her own choice. I'm truly alone in this world. And now I don't even have Kenzie, because I guess I'll have to go back to Candy Apples.

I remember Kendall. Then I remember how I asked her to leave me alone the last time we went to competition, and how I left the team to go to the ALDC. She probably hates me. I really have nobody.

Cathy holds my hand and we walk out of the court. Her hand is as cold as ice. As cold as her soul, I mutter to myself. But I can't bring myself to laugh at it. We go into the car- me in my scratchy carseat. But Cathy's just texting on the phone. Fantastic.

Eventually, she starts the car. I'm kind of confused when she starts driving away from home, until I start to recognize the route. She's heading back to the ALDC studio. But why?

I only realize what her intentions are when I realize the car in front of ours is Melissa's.

We meet in the parking lot of the ALDC. Cathy and Melissa stand face to face.

Cathy smiles. "Okay, so all of Vivi's things are in the trunk. I have already agreed to pay Vivi's dance tuition. And I have transferred $1,000 to your bank account already, so that should cover everything."

Melissa nods. "I will call you if anything comes up. I think we're good."

The moms carry four garbage bags from Cathy's trunk to Melissa's. I realize it's all my stuff. Wow, Cathy couldn't even bother to get me a suitcase?

Melissa and Cathy shake hands, and Cathy drives off.

Melissa smiles at me. "So, Vivi, I guess you're stuck with me! It's gonna be okay, I promise. So..." She checks her watch. "It's 8:15. The girls will finish class in fifteen minutes. Do you want to go join them, or should we just sit? And we can talk, or you can do whatever you want."

I gauge the time. Fifteen minutes would barely be enough time to change into my dancewear and shoes. And I'm not warmed up or stretched. It's probably not a good idea to dance now.

"I'll stay here for now." I decide. Melissa and I sit on the bench outside the studio. Being a February night in Pittsburgh, it's pretty cold. But I'd rather not go into the studio and just sit there.

"So." Melissa says. "I set up the sleeping bags in the living room, but I promise we will set up a space for you. When we get home, I can show you. Right now we actually have a spare room that we use for all our dance stuff, you can try sleeping there, or we can get a bunk bed and you can sleep with Kenzie. There's also space in the basement, but I don't know how you would feel all alone down there. We don't have the biggest house, but I know we can find space for you."

I nod and smile, but I'm not really sure how I feel about this. Certainly, I'm going to be a hassle to Melissa. She's a single mother with two kids, and I really don't want to make it difficult for her. She loves Maddie and Kenzie so much, I don't know if there's any space in her heart to sacrifice for a rejected adopted kid.

If my own mother can't do it, why would someone else's mother love me?