Cruel Journey

[2] R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Sam P.O.V.

COMMENT AS YOU READ !!! THEN RESPOND TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AT THE END !!!!

I tried to turn the doorknob to enter back inside but realized it was locked. Lance rushed us all out of the kitchen so fast. Everything just happened so quickly. I didn't know what was going on.

~Flashback~

We were all inside the kitchen, stuck on the words that fell from Allie's little friend's mouth. The hands of her other parent killed her other parent. I'm sure after hearing a statement like that. The most unsympathetic person you know would shed a tear.

"Well." Tasha dragged out, trying to find the right words to offer. I watched as she looked to Lance for a hand, and he did just that.

"Well, you're here now, and if you feel in that little head of yours like you don't have any family. You messed up being Allies' friend." She looked at him, confused, and so did Allie.

"Why?" She said, taking a step back from him. The look of fear was evident in her eyes. I could tell from the freak out she had when Allie hugged her. Trauma was something she's familiar with and the space she just created with Lance. A male figure possibly played a role in that. I tried to put her story together but knew I couldn't because there were so many missing pieces. I found myself doing this a lot due to the fact my line of work deals with identifying when a child is put in an unstable, abusive, and neglectful environment, by either their birth parents, foster parents, or adoptive parents. I've seen some crazy shit being a caseworker for foster children and could never put my finger around how anybody could harm an innocent child. But, one thing I knew for sure. The little one was a character. Since shes stepped foot through those kitchen doors, everything she has let fall from her lips has had me fighting battles with myself not to crack up.

"Because." He paused and looked around the room at everybody before bringing his attention back to her. "We're your family now." She scrunched up her face with the quickness. "Yeah, you can drop the crazy mug, but Allie's family and anybody important to her is important to us, right guys?" We all said right with no hesitation. Little one needed to know she mattered to somebody, and if hearing it from strangers would give her an ounce of faith in humanity. I was all for it.

She looked at all of us before speaking. I think she was trying to read if we all were being sincere, and I truly was. There was no room for hate in my heart when a child was involved. Especially if a child had a story like hers, she needed all the love, reinsurance, and family she could get, and every adult in this room, including Allie, was willing to give it to her.

"I've heard that line plenty times before." She said, crossing her arms as she rolled her eyes and chuckled. I wouldn't put it past her if she had—a lot of people who get involved in becoming a foster parent. Don't understand it can be challenging. They never know what type of kid they are getting until that child arrives, and the kid they receive could have had a really troubled past, which affects their behavior tremendously. I tell people all the time if they're going to take on that role. You have to have patients and can't give up. Their birth parents already let the child down, and you don't want to add to the hurt. You have to be willing to give them your all and that love they so desperately want and need.

"Well, you haven't heard it from me." Lance said, bending down to her eye level. "I'm a man of my word and take pride in everything I say in do. So, imma make a promise to you."

"And what might that be?" She said, unfolding her arms and now placing them on her hips. Lance shook his head and chuckled a bit before opening his mouth and letting the words spill out.

"I promise you're stuck with me for life." Lance said, throwing up his pinky. So that he and she could make a pinky promise, she looked at him for a bit before Allie nudged her to lock fingers with him. It took her sometime before she slowly started moving towards him. Once in front of him, she raised her hand with her pinky sticking straight out and looked into his eyes.