Perfect

Chapter Fourty Five: Even if it doesn't always feel complete

"Nala Bear." Jayden said as soon as she was gone. "Come and meet everyone."

* * *

After meeting everyone, we went into the hall for dinner. Each child smiled and hugged Jayden when they saw him, saving a smile for me as I sat beside him. Most of them knew who I was, some bumping fists with Jayden in congradulations. Keegan came bounding up half way through the meal and through himself at me, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you came Spencer." He said in my ear, his hands that were sticky with cake crumbs. "Alice never comes, but you're also my sister, so I'm glad you come." When he left to go back to his friends, I sat and stared after him for a couple of seconds. Jayden leaned forward to kiss my temple and I leaned my head agaisnt his shoulder.

When lunch was over and Jayden went out to play a game of cricket with the younger children, I sat down on the side to watch the game with a girl named Macy. She'd been in facilities like this all her life and she was the one who'd been here the longest. She was almost 18. Her boyfriend James had been moved to a job on the outskirts of L.A two weeks ago.

"I miss him more than I thought I would." She said, as we watched the ball moving back and forth. . "We've been together since we were 14. When someone has been around for that long, you come to depend on them to always be there ."She let out sigh, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Only three more months. Then I can get out of this place, request to have a job in his area and we can get a flat together. " She turned to look at me with a half smile. "It is going to be the longest three months of my entire life. If I had a family, it wouldn't be so much of an issue. But no. I wasn't good enough was I?" As she said that, one of the smaller girls who'd been sitting by her feet climbed up into her lap, curling up like a small cat on her chest. Macy ran a hand over the girls hair and bent her head to whisper something in the girls ear. And within ten seconds, she had her smiling.

I thought about the hundreds of kids that lived here and how many were constantly brought back, when the novality of having a fostered child wore off for the families who were caring for them. That could have been me if it wern't for my grandmother and for Prim and her family.

"You know." I said, watching Jayden bowl an easy ball to a small boy who was batting with a bat that was nearly bigger than him. "Family isn't necassarily about those who created you. I don't know what Jayden's told you guys about me, but I lost my parents when I was fourteen." Macy's eyes widened and she lifted the smaller girl so she was back on the ground.

"Go get me a rose Bella." She said and the girl went racing in the direction of the rose garden I'd seen when we came in. "Really?" She asked.

"Of course." I said, turning so I was facing her with my back to the game. "It's not a nice story so I'll spare you the details, but when they died, I felt as though a part of me was lost. I was conviced that I was lost without the three things I'd always been certain of. But my best friends family took me in and after about a year, I began to realise that I had't lost all my family. Yes I had lost my three closest members, but I still had a family. I still had my best friends and my grandma and my dog. When I moved to L.A from Minnosota, I had my friend who I share an apartment with, her best friend and her boyfriend. Now I also have Jayden, and Keegan and Jack and Caleb." I turned my head to look at Keegan who was playing hopscotch with a group of the younger children.

"Family doesn't have to be about those who created you. It can be about the people who come into your life, the ones who make you smile and the ones who know all of your secrets. Family is about love and trust and home. Home doesn't have to be a house with a roof and four walls. Home can be people. It can be friendship. My friends are my home. My dog is my home. My boyfriend is my home. They are all my family. I still have a family, even if it doesn't always feel complete. Don't let your hatred for your birth parents stop you from seeing what's right in front of you."

Macy stared at me, her eyes wide. She opened her mouth to say something, however the cricket bat cut her off by landing squarly in my lap. I moved my head slowly in Jayden's direction. He was leaning on the bat with one hand shading his eyes.

"Come on Nala Bear." He called. "Care to give it a shot?" I grinned up at him.

"Are you challenging me Mr Grace?" A smirk made it's way onto Jayden's face and he glanced at the large group of boys he was playing with.

"I dunno boys. Am I challenging her?" A rumbled of agreement went round the team and I stood up, taking off my jacket and tossing it at Macy who cheered loudly.

"You are going down sweetheart." I called, throwing my shoes off to the side. Jayden chucked the bat down at me feet.

"Bring it Sunshine."

Unfortunatly, I seemed have to forgotten to mention that I used to play cricket during school. Batting was the position that was the most difficult, so I threw myself into as much as I could. It payed off that day. I sent those boys running all over the park and when teachers called them in to say goodbye, everyone on the opposite team was laying in sweaty piles all over the grass. I dropped my bat on Jayden's chest as he lay on the grass beside the stumps.

"Too bad." I said, kicking him gently. "Maybe next time." Then I high fived Macy and together we headed for the main building.

* * *

When it was time to say goodbye, Macy made me promise I would email her and I gave her my phone number so she could hit me up for coffee when she left the facility. Keegan wasn't ready to go and had to be carried to the car kicking and screaming, his friend Ella locked inside so she didn't hide herself in the car, which had apparently happened twice before. I had my arms around Macy and another girl called Bridget when I heard Jayden and Miss Lee, who ran the facility, talking in low voices behind us all.

"I'll send it all next week." Jayden murmured. "All $100,000 of it. I'm not going back on my word." I turned around to find Miss Lee touch his cheek gently with the palm of her hand.

"God bless you." she said and I saw she had tears in her eyes.

When we were back on the road, I leant my head against Jayden's shoulder, let him wrap his arms around me.

"You're a good man Jayden Grace." I said softly. "Have I mentioned that?

___________________________

Hey everyone

So I know it's been over a month. I've been sick, I've been over loaded with homework and I've been struggling with writers block.

I am so sorry.

But I have holidays in two weeks. I will get as much as I can done then.

Only four chapters to go!

Keep smiling, keep dreaming, keep living

all my love

J xxx