to build a home, marinas daughter

II

After a few minutes of oddly comfortable silence the waitress returned to the table holding a tiny notebook and pen in her left hand, "are y'all ready to order drinks?" She smiled, Carina nodded "Sì, a  lemonade please"

"I'll have that too" Maya said, turning towards her foster daughter. Daughter, god if old Monogamy is for the weak Maya could see herself now, "Ev?"

Evelyn found herself pausing, she was allowed to get something? "Evelyn?" Maya tried again

"water please" she  smiled, having snook a glance at the drinks menu a few minutes prior seeing that tap water was free, 

"and for you little lady?" Giada asked Faith, Carina looked down at the kids menu in-front of her for her drink options, "you can have water, orange juice, milk, chocolate milk—"

" 'ocolate milk" the two year old giggled clapping her hands excitedly. Evelyn stilled her face paling, holding Faith closer, another thing she'd learnt through her over a decade foster care experience, never interrupt!!

But Maya and Carina didn't look to be overcome with the same rage Freya and David Atwell had many times before, instead their eyes were overcome with an emotion that Evelyn couldn't place. A look she'd never seen before

"Chocolate milk it is—" the waitress said writing down their drink orders, while Evelyn how much this  meal would dent her very small pocket

12 dollars

"— and food?" She asked looking up from her notebook, after Maya and Carina and placed their order the attention was turned towards Evelyn yet again. yay!!

"want do you want to eat baby?" the blonde teen asked softly into Faiths ear, "nuggets!!" Of course, what else? "a kids nuggets meal please"

7 dollars

"and for you?" the waitress asked scribbling on the notepad, "oh, I-I'm fine. Not hungry"

She was met with disapproving looks, even from Faith!! "Bambina, you need to eat" Giada smiled, they reminded her of her family

"I'm not hungry" Evelyn started to pick at her finger beds again not liking the attention, "Evelyn" Maya said sternly yet lovingly letting her know eating wasn't an option

"I'll have fries please" Evelyn said not tearing her eyes of off the floor. Carina wanted to argue, say she needed a balanced meal, but at least they got her to eat something. They'd just try again tomorrow

4 dollars

Great, Evelyn needs to get a job asap, especially with a toddler who loves food and never stops growing!!

"So Evelyn, you're in high school. Sophomore ?" Carina asked after the waitress had left, she and Maya wanted to know more about the girl they'd be fostering. Evelyn just nodded.

"Do you play any sports, in any clubs?" Maya asked, hoping she'd say no to the former. Although she'd like to have things in common in order to bond with her foster daughter she hoped it wouldn't be track. She couldn't risk becoming her father

When she was about four Evelyn had this crazy obsession with Angelina the ballerina so much that she desperately wanted to take up ballet lessons, practicing whenever she could (before school, after, during and before bed), but her foster parents at the time couldn't afford it. They were barely surviving as is, the monthly $65 dollars would surely empty their out their pantry