Forever's a long time

Chapter 2

All except him.

He was never asked to meet the parents on Adoption Day, as he was usually kept in the medical room, or in his bed, with a sore lip or bloody nose.

This time, his beating had been seen by his caseworker, and it was decided that if Callen was this much trouble, he should be moved from the group home and on to a 'one to one setting' as the caseworker had put it. This necessitated the long drive from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, or in his caseworkers' words, 'as far from trouble as he could get'. So he timidly followed the caseworker to the door and stood behind him as he knocked.

Mrs McPherson opened the door. She had a kind face and smiled at him.

He liked her. She motioned them in while getting her coat on.

Sometimes Callen would make an instant judgement when entering a home. Mostly it was a gut feeling that would tell him not to stay or not to relax. He had learned to trust that gut feeling as it was all he had when coming face to face with so many people in his life.

This might be a nice place, he thought.

"I'm so sorry, but my shift starts at the diner in an hour, I do the night shift, but, Callen is it?" she asked and he nodded, "Well Callen, I will be home during the day and I look forward to us getting to know each other. I hope you like your room and enjoy your stay with us." She smiled and ruffled her hand through his shaggy blond hair.

The caseworker looked up, "I will catch up with you in a few days," he said.

A man walked in with two mugs of coffee. "Mr Parkins?" He asked.

The caseworker turned to him, "Mr. McPherson, how's the trucking business going?"

"Business isn't brilliant, but we are getting by," Bill McPherson replied, before taking a look at the small blond headed boy behind the social worker.

"Garden is looking nice," Mr Parkins stated as he took the chair Mr. McPherson was offering and took out Callen's paperwork.

"Yes the wife does a good job with that," Bill admitted.

The social worker smiled and nodded in Callen's direction, "This here is Callen. His first name is just G...it kinda got lost in the system." He laughed offhandedly. "But he usually just comes to boy anyway."

Bill McPherson looked up at that and shot Callen a leering look which the social worker missed, "Really?" he laughed as Callen looked down at his feet in embarrassment. He hated it when the subject of his name came up. Just for once he wanted someone to pick a name for him.

Parkins finished the paperwork and handed a piece of paper over for McPherson to sign. "Just sign here and he's all yours," he said cheerfully. "It's nice here Callen, there's a good school just down the road."

McPherson looked up, "I thought you knew we home educate. I have a state certified tutor come in once a week to check everything is good. We have a very good report so far."

Parkins looked down, "Oh...yes I see. That will be good then. Hopefully Callen may settle here, make some friends."

McPherson nodded, "There are some unsavory elements at the local school and we are a very religious family. Wouldn't want any drugs or cussing to come into our household." He turned addressing Callen for the first time, "You don't cuss do you boy?"

Callen shook his head and McPherson gave him a stern look. "N...No Sir." he said quietly.

"I hear a faint accent. You sure this boy isn't Mexican?"