Finding Home

Speak

"Do you know how long she's been with them?"

"Since she was born."

"And you?"

Normani shrugged. "Two years?"

"And they hurt you two?"

Normani nodded, looking at her bruised arm. "They'd hit us if we asked for food. They'd hit us if we made too much noise. They'd hit us if we woke them up. They'd hit us when they were bored. I remember Lauren got a beating for accidentally wetting the bed, and then kept getting hit when she let out a scream."

Normani's eyes filled with tears as she remembered that day. She was locked in the closest and heard Lauren's screams and the leather hitting her flesh. She couldn't do anything except listen as they beat Lauren. When she was allowed out, she rushed to Lauren, to find her curled up on the ground, catatonically staring at the wall. Her body covered in cuts. Normani hugged her (Lauren was too out of it to feel any pain from her cuts).

"Can you tell us who they are? We want to make sure they get in trouble for what they did and no one else goes with them."

Normani looked down at Lauren, whose face scrunched up as she moved to get comfortable. She didn't seem to be able to find comfort in any position.

Camila climbed off the couch and out of the living room, returning a few minutes later with a stuffed lion. She looked at Normani.

"Nala fow Lolo?"

Normani looked at Camila, to the lion, to the mothers before stopping at Lauren.

Lauren let out a small, low whimper.

Camila took a small step towards Lauren and stuck Nala under her arms. She turned to Normani with wide eyes.

Lauren wrapped her arms around the stuffed lion, letting out a content sigh.

Camila looked proud of herself as she moved to sit between her mothers.

"Are you going to send us away?" Normani asked, not wanting to leave the house.

The two women and girl had given them so much, more than anyone else had in their lives (except Normani's birthparents who passed away when she was young) and Normani didn't want to leave. She felt safe for the first time in a long time.

Ally and Dinah looked at each other. "We don't want to. But we do have to talk to people about fostering you two."

Normani's eyes widened. "Fosters are mean."

Ally shook her head. "We fostered Mila before adopting her."

"Really?" Normani asked, surprised, her eyes wide.

Dinah smiled. "Yeah, we are going to do what we can to keep you here with us. And we are going to make your old foster parents pay for what they did. Can we have a name?"

"Martins," Normani muttered, looking away.

Lauren bit Nala's ear, trying to make herself into a smaller ball. She let out another sigh.

"Y-you'll protect us?" Normani asked, looking at the two mothers. (Camila was watching the movie, whatever it was.)

"We'll do everything we can to protect you," Ally told her, giving her a smile. "Do you want ice cream while we watch Shrek?"

Normani knew what ice cream was, but she never had any. "We can have some?"

Dinah nodded. "As long as it's not close to breakfast, lunch or dinner, or you ask me or Ally, you can have some."

Normani watched as Ally and Dinah walked to the kitchen. She turned to Camila, who was still glued to the television.

Ally and Dinah walked back with five bowls of ice cream.

"Do you want to wake Lauren up so she can have ice cream too?" Ally asked, a smile on her face.

Normani nodded. She placed her hand on Lauren's shoulder. "Lo, wake up. Ally and Dinah got us ice cream." Normani's excitement came out of her voice.

Lauren let out a small whine as she opened her eyes. She let out a yawn and rubbed her face with the Nala. She went to hid behind Normani when she noticed everyone staring at her.

"Lo, it's okay. We're going to eat ice cream," Normani told her, Ally handing her both plates.

Lauren looked at the bowl with a frown. Normani scooped some ice cream and fed it to Lauren, who was skeptic. She opened her mouth when she seemed to like ice cream. Normani ended up feeding Lauren and herself.

She could feel Ally and Dinah watching, while Camila moved to sit in front of the television with her own ice cream.

Normani didn't want to leave this house.

-

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. You'll learn more as you go.

This story won't be just young girls. You'll see teenage Lormila.

You'll get more details of Laurmani's abuse.

- Drunk Breadsticks out, PEACE!