They say that good things come to those who wait. That's a big fat lie. I'm fourteen years old and not once has anything good happened to me. Well, except Sofia, who is my sole reason for living. My baby sister, who was brought into this shitty world with the worst possible parents, still manages to be the most innocent four-year-old to ever grace this planet.
It is cold in our substantially small studio apartment which has mould growing on the walls. Sofia is asleep in my arms as I stare at the dripping ceiling, idly wondering just how long it would take for the whole thing to collapse. Mom and Carter have left again which would be a relief if it wasn't for the fact that there is no food in the apartment and no ingredients to cook with. I am starving too, but I don't matter. Not when I have to stare into Sofie's big blue eyes as she tells me she really wants some food while at the same time fighting to keep her eyelids from falling closed.
Since I can remember, I've developed a routine of saving up any food I may find, whether it be from mom's leftovers or even the freebees that companies give to students in order to promote their food products. I really shouldn't have eaten that slice of bread yesterday, I think with a frown, remembering the single slice that I had found half-eaten on the couch, most likely from Carter or my mother.
I gently lay Sofie down on the floor and wrap her up in a blanket that has so many holes, I doubt it would make a difference to her body temperature. Trying not to dwell on the fact that her weight is much less than it should be at her age, I make sure she's comfortable in the closet I use a makeshift bed.
Panic seizes me as I hear a knock at our front door and I wonder if it could be Carter or my mother. I have no desire to answer it, but if I'm not quick enough in the event that Carter is on the other side of the door, then the punishment I receive would be much worse than the hunger Sofie and I are feeling. I shut the closet, making sure she can breathe through the holes in the side, then rush to open the front door.
I'm puzzled when instead of seeing the angry face of Carter, I am met with two unfamiliar female faces. The first lady is wearing a police officer's uniform and is sporting a sad smile which resembles more of a grimace, while the other one is standing a few inches behind her, wearing a lilac suit. The latter has a more professional and rather impassive expression resting on her face. Once again, an intense wave of fear and panic wash over me as my mind shifts into overdrive, imagining what possible reason they might have for being here. I subconsciously pull the door closer to me in an attempt to be able to slam it shut and run if they want to take Sofie away from me.
"Hello sweetheart, you must be Emmalin. My name is Wilma, and this is Andy. Do you mind letting us in so we can ask you a few questions?" I gather that they have seen the reluctance on my face because they share a look. "We're not going to hurt you, Emmalin. We just have something important to tell you, and you might want to sit down when we break the news." I don't budge from my previous position, nor do I say anything.
The lady who I now know as Andy sighs quietly and takes a step back. "If you'd like to have this talk out here then that's alright too." M head bobs up and down in agreement but I hold up a finger indicating that I'll be back. Sofie is still asleep as I scoop her up into my arms and make my way back outside, careful not to put too much pressure on my already burning ribs.
"is this Sofia?" Andy's smile is soft as she takes the two of us in. Our identical, long Brown hair is now oily and mine is dry at the tips where it reaches the tops of my bum.
"What do you need to tell me?" I ask, not wanting them to ask about or even look at my sister.
"This might be hard to hear Emmalin, but your mother and stepfather have passed away in a car accident. It appears they were highly intoxicated while driving and neither of them was wearing their seatbelt." The expression on their faces tells me they expect tears from me, and that's exactly what came out of my eyes. Although, I'm not sure they were of sadness or relief. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.
"There must be a mistake. We don't own a car." I say after a moment, once I've fully comprehended her entire statement. The two of them share yet another look, this time pursing their lips slightly.
"It seems the car they drove was stolen. But don't you worry about that, it's all taken care of. A friend of Carter's has identified his body but was not sure about your mother, Agatha. Do you think you could do it for us?" Wilma's voice is soft as she looks at me, probably wondering why my tears have stopped so quickly after hearing the news or why I'm not breaking down.
"You don't have to agree to this if you don't feel comfortable with it, Emmalin," Andy is quick to add on to Wilma's words.
"I don't mind." I don't know why I agreed to this, but I think it must have something to do with closure.
"All right then. Why don't you go ahead and pack up anything you might need to keep? We can head straight to the precinct afterwards and I can explain a little more about what's going to happen with you and your sister. Is that alright with you?" I nod my head in silence and stand up with Sofie still in my arms, hoping and praying that we don't get separated.
The drive to the precinct was long, and surprisingly, Sofie still hasn't woken up. Once we're out of the car, Wilma leads us to a room that seems to be secluded from the busy atmosphere of the main office. My arms have begun to ache from carrying Sofie the entire time, but I refuse to put her down yet.
"Emmalin, how about I hold Sofia while you go in? There's a nasty smell in there that might wake her up. I don't think the first thing she'll see should be her mother's body." I hesitate, but hand her over, knowing that Andy is right. Sofie loathes both Carter and mom just as much as I do, but they were still her parents.
The mortuary is dark, even with the lights being switched on, and the smell of cleaning supplies overpowers my senses. Wilma places a hand on my shoulder and lifts her chin up in the direction of the figure laying on the metal examining table, covered in a cloth. Wilma pulls the towel down just enough so that I can see mom's face.
My mother was once a beautiful woman, but now seeing her lifeless body, her pale skin which is a vast contrast to her strawberry blonde hair, her eyes which have a pink hue surrounding them and her lips that have turned a light shade of purple, I can't help but think that her true colours are finally being shown.
"Yes," I whisper softly into the silent room. "This is her." Wilma, who hasn't said a word since we entered the morgue, nods and then glances at the body of my mother.
"Would you like a minute alone with her?" Her question is not the one for me. It is a question for someone who would actually care that her mother has left the Earth.
"No." My one word causes Wilma to furrow her brows together. "I mean, no thank you. I'm done here." That statement has a lot more meaning to it than most people could know.
"If you're sure, then alright, let's go meet your sister and Andy outside, yeah?" She leads me out of the morgue and I immediately spot Andy, who is holding a sleeping Sofie. I know that she'll be awake soon, but I want her to get as much sleep as she possibly can.
Wilma and Andy have a silent conversation with their eyes as I take Sofie back into my arms, while at the same time, trying to rid my mind of the picture that has been playing in my mind since I saw her body. My attempt to forget the image of her lifeless body, however, is futile due to the fact that I have been cursed with the so-called gift of perfect memory. I'm sure many would be happy with this gift, but when you've seen what I've seen, the only thing you'd want is to forget.
"Emmalin, do you recognise any of these gentlemen?" I look up and see Andy holding a photograph of 5 attractive men, ageing from about 16 to 25. Some of their features seem awfully familiar, but I can't place where I might have seen them.
"No, who are they?" She stares at me for a long moment before releasing a sigh. I think she said something after that, but I don't hear whatever it was due to Sofie stirring in her sleep and accidentally pressing into my ribs. My teeth clench as my entire body throbs with pain.
"Emmalin? Emmalin, did you hear what I just said?" Both Wilma and Andy stare at me with concern.
"Um, no, sorry I zoned out." I apologise and try to focus on what she has to say.
"These five gentlemen are who you spent the first 9 years of your life with. They're your brothers and have been looking for you for nearly 5 years."
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
YOU ARE READING
Forever family
Mystery / ThrillerEmmalin Folliero is a 14-year-old who has been though more than most girls her age. Her mother is a drug addict and her step-father is extremely abusive. She has a four-year-old sister, Sofia, who means the world to her, and would do anything to pro...
