Agnes
My head is spinning, I feel like the bed is rocking back and forth, I could throw up. But I honestly feel better now that William's here. I really want to stay with him, he listens to me and likes Tigers and dislikes milk and plays Candy Land all day, and likes Ponyo. He never hits me.
I grab the remote for the tv and flip through the channels until I land on Garfield the show. William and Spencer are taking forever. I shut my eyes and wait.
*********
Drifting out of sleep, I hear different voices. It takes me a moment but I realize it's the tv being flipped through channels. I open my eyes and see William sitting in the chair next to my bed.
"William?" My head feels like a thousand pounds, I can't move.
"Hi, sweetie," he smiles. "How are you feeling?"
"Dizzy."
"Yeah, um," he glances at the door then returns his blue/grayish eyes to me again. "Ms. Spencer told me you haven't been eating. Agnes, you get really dizzy when you stop eating."
"I don't feel like eating."
"Why?" He gets up from his seat to sit on the edge of the bed. I try to shrug. "Can you try for me?"
"Sure."
He briefly smiles again. I reach up with my good and feel his beard, it feels funny. My dad had a bigger beard than his but I like William's more. I also like his slightly lazy eye.
*Knock Knock Knock Knock*
William pulls away. "Come in!"
"Is Ms. Spencer taking me away?" Fear crashes into me like a large wave. I don't wanna go back. The door opens and Charlie steps in. I can breathe again.
"Agnes, it's okay," William whispers, brushing my hair out of my face. "I asked Charlie to stop by."
"Oh, hi, Mr. Charlie," I smile at him.
"Charlie's fine," he returns the smiles. "Is it alright that I stopped by?"
"Yeah."
"He called me about thirty times in the past hour," William tells me then turns to Charlie, "can you go down to the cafeteria? I know you just got here but I don't want to leave Agnes."
"I understand. What do you want to eat?"
"Agnes?" William turns to me, and I shrug. "Cheeseburger?"
"Oh, yes!" I answer excitedly, my stomach growls, answering too. William smiles and tells Charlie to get two. He offered to pay, but Charlie promised it was fine. "Where's Ms. Spencer?" I ask once Charlie was gone.
"She's trying to convince the doctor to let you stay longer." A few hours? I maybe only have a few hours with William. I try to blink away the tears threatening my eyes. "Hey," Will sits down, cupping my face. The pad of his thumbs catches my tears. "It can't be like last time, sweetie. You gotta eat and talk more. Now, I know it makes you uncomfortable to talk to others, it might even be scary, but I can't always be there to speak for you."
"I can talk to people. I've just been sad. Will, I'm not ever staying with you again, am I?"
He drops his hands from my face, frowning. "I can't take care of you."
"You're not gonna try?"
"Kid-"
The door opens again and Ms. Spencer steps inside. "Mr. Granger, can I speak to you for a moment?"
"We can talk here," Will stands up, facing her.
"Okay then...are you aware that your mother, Tisha Hicks Granger is capable of watching foster kids."
"What?" I thought, but Will said out loud. "My momma has her fostering license?" He asks her.
"For a few years now. She's listed for fostering older children, but I'm sure I can pull a few strings."
This is great! I can stay with Will on his farm! I kick my legs until the blanket falls off then jump up and reach for Will. He picks me up. All my excitement and hope is destroyed when he looked at me with dark eyes and a deep frown. It's not that he can't take care of me, he doesn't want to, I can tell in his grayish-blueish eyes. He lied to me. My tears return as if they never stopped and I pull away from him. He places me on the end of the bed.
"In the hall," he snarls, pointing to the door as he rushes towards it.
Spencer gives me a sympathetic look before closing the door behind her. And then I'm left alone.
William
After all the shit my mother has done, she gets to foster child?
My stomach painfully knots.
"Why?" I question as I turn and face Spencer. She looks at me puzzled. Honestly, I don't know what to say. Why should I let my mother foster Agnes when she couldn't even raise her kids? "Why help me?" I ask unwillingly, my mouth seems to have a mind of its own. "I thought you didn't like how Agnes was attached to me. If you let Agnes stay with Tisha-"
"She lives almost three hours away, Mr. Granger," she interrupts with a smug. "And considering you don't know that, you don't keep in touch, and you won't, not even for Agnes."
Bitch. "Then why suggest Agnes staying with Tisha?"
"I'm assuming because she's your mother, Agnes will feel..." she ponders for a moment. "Safer...?"
"Are you asking or telling?" I ask, furrowing my brows and tilting my head just the slightest.
She sighs heavily, clearly irritated. "Mr. Granger, would you like for me to send Agnes to another home?"
Home? Doesn't she see how messed up that is? She's going to mess up whatever vision of a home Agnes has left.
I swallow hard. "Tisha, how many children has she foster?"
"A little over a dozen. The children stay with her for a few months until we find them a more permanent home. We've never gotten a complaint about her or from her."
Yippee for her.
"Are you going to take her now?" I ask. "To my mother's I mean."
"Yes."
"Can I go?" If my mother really is a better person that cares for other people's children, then I want to see it for my own eyes, especially if Agnes is going to be staying there.
And a three-hour drive, there and back? I can check on Agnes every now and then.
She forces a grin. "I was hoping you asked that."
I chuckle. "You really don't like me, do you?"
"That's unprofessional, Mr. Granger." When I open my mouth to respond, Charlie is at my side with a tray planted in his hands. There are three burgers wrapped up, an apple juice, and two waters. "She's eating?"
I grab a cheeseburger and the juice. "You're welcome."
Agnes is lying on her side, curled up in her blanket when I step into the room. Her tiny face is blank, emotionless, it's frightening for someone her age. I hold up the burger. "Hungry?"
She doesn't answer. Instead, she repositions the bed so she's sitting up.
"So..." I stroll over to her. "You're gonna stay with my mom." She nods. I hand her her burger then open her juice as Charlie and Spencer join us. "You alright?" I ask Agnes, taking a seat in the chair. She nods again then takes a large bite of her burger. I smile.
"Agnes," Spencer says in her light, fake voice. "When you're done eating, an officer is going to take you to Mrs. Granger's."
Agnes nods, taking another bite.
"I'm going too," I whisper, but she barely looks at me. She doesn't seem upset or mad, what's going on with her?
"Agnes, I'm glad you're feeling better," Charlie takes a step closer.
"Thank you."
"Can you at least finish your burger with us?" I ask.
"Sure," he smiles.