The Bright Side

One

I sat outside on the floor of the garden with my borrowed drawing supplies. It was a warm day for October, and I was able to be outside in just some leggings and an oversized long-sleeved shirt. I'm sure the shirt belonged to someone who had aged out long ago. I tried to stay focused as I mixed oranges and browns trying to get the fall colors just right. I craned my neck towards the front of the house seeing a black shinny car. Judging by the couples expensive clothing, they had to be investors.

I gathered my stuff and walked over to greet them. They looked over the house and a bit of the yard.

"Hello." I smiled brightly and held out a hand. "Are you here to see the house Mother?"

"We are." The man smiled and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."

Trying to get day to day necessities made all of us charismatic. We could all read people and know what they wanted to hear.

"I can show you the office." I smiled at the woman and shook her hand next. "I'm Lydia."

"Nice to meet you Lydia." The woman replied and then looked at my sketch book. "Do you like art?"

"Oh yes." I smiled, "I want to take a few art classes over the summer to get me ready for college."

"Do you mind if I have a peak?" She motioned to my sketch book.

"Sure." I smiled and handed her the book. "I'm mostly drawing nature right now."

The woman took my book and flipped through the pages. She paused at the page I had just been drawing on.

"I'm trying to mix the colors but can't get the right ones yet."

"Have you tried to use brown and orange with a few swipes of red?"

"No." I opened my pencil box and pulled out the colors. "I haven't."

The woman turned the book to face me and I used the colors earning the warm hue I had been looking for. I smiled at the woman and she smiled back.

"How did you know that would work?"

"I'm an interior designer." She laughed at my reaction. "It's my job to know colors."

"Wow." I took the book. "That sounds like a fun job."

"It is."

"Oh, right. Sorry, the house Mother should be in her office right now."

"Lead the way." The man smiled.

I walked towards the house first.

"So Lydia, what are a few of your goals?" The man asked.

"Well I like to focus on one goal at a time. I like to have all my attention on it. My last goal was to get my drivers license, and I just passed my drivers test yesterday."

"Wow, congratulations honey." The woman smiled, and slipped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me to her side.

"Thank you." I smiled back and stayed lose from her hug.

Investors usually aren't this interested in the fosters' personal lives. Let alone this encouraging.

"Driving is an important rite of passage." The man agreed.

"I thought so to." I smiled back at him making the woman who had me against her still set me free. "I think that my next goal is to get a job. Once I get my money figured out, then I can get a job. I'll be 18 soon, so then I will be able to get a better higher paying job. But all in all, the next goal I have is to get my own car."

"I'm glad that you have such a good head on your shoulders."

It's easy for me, to create a bond with them and a last-ditch effort.  I knocked softly on grey's thin plaster. 

"Yes? Come in."

I opened the door to see the house Mother at her desk.

"Lydia." She smiled, "Need more art supplies already?"

"Actually, the new investors are here."

"Oh we're not here to invest honey." The woman laughed a little, "We're here to adopt."

I turned to stare at the couple. Here to adopt? Did they make a wrong turn and get lost? Kids here never got adopted. This is the house they send all the problem children to. We all just wait here until we age out. The house Mother came out into the hall and smiled at them.

"Are you sure you have the right address?"

The man looked confused as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slim phone. "Last hope house right?"

"Yes that's us. Sorry for my surprise. Usually people don't adopt from this house. Why don't you come into my office and we can discuss this further? Lydia dear, Thank you for bringing them here."

"Of course."

I offered everyone a smile and then headed back out to the garden. I found the imprint I had left in the grass earlier and then sat back down. Those people must be really patient to adopt from this house. I'm not sure I'd be able to do that. With my new coloring skills I was finally able to finish my drawing. I held up the book and smiled at the finished product.

"Lydia!" Someone called from the front of the house. "House Mother is looking for you!"

"Okay!" I called gathering my pencils into the box, "Hold on, I'm coming."