Finding Family |Adopted by Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood|

15

The head matron contacted Chris and Melissa last night. The group home social worker was coming to do a home check of Star's new foster placement. Melissa felt rather angry about this. Why would the social worker be coming to visit the house when Star was not in any danger with her and Chris? Where was the social worker when Star needed to be removed from a dangerous situation?

Melissa and Chris had spent the entire day cleaning and organizing, getting the house ready for a visitor who could take Star away from them at any second. Just knowing this made their hearts hurt. Although Star was a very nervous kid, the couple had grown used to her presence and could not imagine life without her. The meeting was scheduled for late evening which was an unusual time but the head matron has claimed that the social worker was busy and the visit had to happen as soon as possible.

Star knew something was up as soon as she came downstairs that morning. She could feel the tension that her foster parents carried while cleaning excessively which was an out of the ordinary activity for Melissa and Chris. The change in routine certainly made Star anxious and uneasy, resulting in her retreating to her room and hiding under the bed anytime one of her foster parents came to check on her.

Melissa knew that the change in routine was upsetting Star but there was not much she could do about it. She would have loved to have taken Star to the park or something but the weather was rainy and Star had a hard time in new situations anyways.

The day flew by and it was bedtime for Star. Melissa patiently attempted to coax Star into the bed but Star was not having it, she crossed her arms and pressed herself into the corner with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Star, you have gotten in this bed so many times before. You know I won't hurt you!" Melissa pleaded with her stubborn foster daughter, looking over anxiously.

Guilt filled Star to the brim. She couldn't understand why she had felt so afraid all of the sudden. Her foster parents had been acting really strange all day and had tried to reassure her several times, telling her about the social worker. Star wasn't sure what a social worker was but she had a bad feeling about it.

Looking back over at her foster mom, she let out a shuddering breath she didn't know was being held in. Why did she think something painful would happen? Why was she so afraid? Star couldn't recall ever meeting anyone so patient, understanding and kind.

She always got enough food and had clothes that kept her warm. She knew these things were very expensive and wondered why her foster parents would go through that effort just to put her through an impending torture?

Star began to breathe more shallowly over her loudly pounding heart. There was so much going on in her head at once. So many conflicting thoughts that she didn't know what to do with. Soon, she was curled in a ball, gasping for air.

"Deep breath honey, you're okay." Melissa soothed, leaping into action after seeing her foster daughter very distressed.

Star's heart pounded in her ears like a drumbeat that would not quiet down. She felt her teeth chattering as she trembled violently, fighting flashbacks of her previous foster homes.

"I'm sorry today has been different and scary." Melissa apologized. "It's just that a social worker is coming over and social workers are very important people who determine whether you can stay with me and Chris. We just want to make sure that everything is perfect so that they will let you stay because we love you and we would be sad if you got taken away"

Love? Star was snapped out of her state and looked up cautiously at her foster mom with confusion. Star knew that "love" was a big word but she didn't know what it meant. She knew it was important though because in other foster homes, her foster parents would say that word to their biological kids but never her. Why? What was wrong with her? Why did Melissa say that word to her?