Love You Forever (2013 Wattys Finalist)

Chapter 30 - Losing Control, Again

Once Robert and Greg arrived at May's, they went in the house through the back door, Greg carrying the bag of beer.  They immediately froze when they found May and Georgie still in the kitchen.  Robert saw Greg clutch the bag a little tighter but thought he did a good job pretending nothing was unusual.  It didn't seem to matter, May was too preoccupied to notice.

"Oh, good you're back," she said distractedly while she sliced tomatoes and put them on a plate.  "Georgie, why don't you take Robert out and introduce him to everyone?"

Robert and Georgie looked at each other with pained expressions.

"Um, are you sure you don't need me to help get the rest of the stuff for the hamburgers?" Georgie asked May nervously.

"No, I can handle this and besides, you don't want to be stuck in here.  I'd hate for you two to miss out on any more of the party."

"Okay," Georgie said defeatedly, and gave him a sad look.  Robert knew exactly how she felt. 

She headed for the back door, her shoulders slumped.  Before Robert turned to follow her, he saw Greg motion towards the sitting room with his head so May wouldn't notice.  Robert nodded, then went outside. 

Georgie introduced him around, making a point of not lingering with anyone for too long.  Robert smiled, shook hands, and promptly forgot everyone's names.  There were around twenty people altogether, a mix of couples and single people, all of them older.  It occurred to Robert that he, Greg and Georgie were the only young people attending this 'welcome home' barbeque.  He wondered where all of Georgie's old mates were, the ones in the photograph.

After Georgie had finished introducing him to the last person, they were walking back towards the house when an older couple came into the back garden, the woman holding the hand of a little girl who was perhaps around four or five years old with dark brown skin and large, almond shaped brown eyes.  Unlike with the other guests, as soon as Georgie saw them she waved excitedly and went to greet them right away.  Robert trailed behind her more slowly, stopping several feet before he reached them. 

Georgie gave both the man and woman a hug and kiss while the little girl shyly peeked from behind the woman's legs.  She was wearing a white summer dress with small strawberries printed on it and had a red bow pinned in her naturally curly almost black hair.  Robert wasn't sure if the little girl was the couple's biological granddaughter or not because her skin was so much darker than theirs. 

Georgie stepped back a little and knelt down to make herself less imposing.  "Hi there.  What's your name?" said gently to the little girl.

The little girl held onto the woman's legs and popped her thumb in her mouth as she looked at Georgie with her large brown eyes.  Georgie looked up at the couple questioningly but they just smiled at her and she looked back at the little girl.  Then she suddenly gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. 

"Zahara?  Is that – you?" Georgie asked slowly, her voice a little shaky.  The little girl nodded, the thumb still firmly in place.

"I used to take care of you!" Georgie exclaimed shakily, and quickly wiped her eyes.  "She looks exactly the same!" she said to the couple.

"We adopted her!" the woman said excitedly, looking like she'd been bursting to share the news.

"They used to be Georgie's foster parents," May said.  Robert hadn't noticed until then she'd come to stand beside him.  "I worked with Tim at the high school.  He and Terry only took in babies but after Georgie ran away from the second foster home, I called him and begged him to take her."  Robert looked at May with shock but she didn't seem to notice, still looking at Georgie.