Carina found herself peering through the small window in the beanery at the small teenager that they had somehow managed to convince to walk back to the station. She hadn't put up much of a fight, much to the doctor's surprise, who had endured the girl's attitude the past two times. She was worried— the fourteen-year-old hadn't uttered a single word the whole way there. The doctor hadn't had a chance to talk to her wife about what had happened. She knew there had been a call that Maya had responded to. She had guessed, by Vada's sudden take-off, that she probably knew someone there. And, lastly, she knew that it hadn't gone the way they expected it to. However, she didn't have all the details, especially regarding Vada's relationship with the patient.
Meanwhile, Maya was talking to CPS. It had been a struggle, but she had finally gotten the young brunette to tell them her last name. "Yes, Vada Huxley," she answered to the lady on the phone. "Fourteen." Nervously, she paced through the hallway, listening attentively. "Okay. Great, thank you," she nodded, bringing her hand to her forehead. "We'll be here."
"So?" Carina startled Maya as she entered the beanery, visibly anxious.
"They told me her social worker should be here in an hour or so," Maya replied, walking closer to her wife and wrapping her arms around Carina's waist. She let out a long breath, resting her head on the taller woman's shoulder.
They remained in that comforting position, relishing in each other's touch, which they both desperately needed. Their thoughts couldn't help but be consumed by the silent fourteen-year-old sitting in the adjacent room, lost in her own world.
"I'm gonna bring her some water," Carina sighed, breaking away from the blonde's embrace. "And maybe check if she's hungry," she pressed her forehead against Maya's, planting a kiss on the firefighter's nose.
Vada felt like she was on autopilot— her body moved, following Maya and Carina wherever they directed her, but her mind remained fixated on that particular scene. She couldn't stop replaying it— the image of Finn lying lifeless on the floor while the paramedics desperately tried to revive him. It was consuming her.
Feeling her breathing accelerate, she attempted to ground herself by clenching her fists. Her nails left small marks on her palms, but she didn't know any other way to stay calm. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked up at the ceiling, determined to blink them away. No crying. She reminded herself. A knock on the door startled her, causing her to sit up straight. She quickly wiped away a tear that had escaped and diverted her gaze to the floor.
"Hi, bella. I brought you some water," Carina spoke softly, settling on the coffee table in front of the young girl. She noticed Vada's anxious state— her rapid breathing and clenched fists. However, she just stood there, in silence, not wanting to overstep, and gave the teen a few minutes to calm down before speaking. "Are you hungry?" she asked, to which the girl shook her head. "Are you sure? Because it's no problem, really. You should see how much food these people have. I'm always sneaking some," she tried again, hoping to change her mind, or at least alleviate the tension in the room.
"I'm not hungry," Vada whispered. It wasn't intentional, but her body allowed no more than a whisper at that moment.
"Okay, well, if you get hungry later, just let me know, sì?" she told the girl, who this time nodded, slowly. "Maya has made some phone calls," she began, studying the fourteen-year-old closely for any reaction. Seeing none, she continued, "Your social worker should be here soon."
That got a reaction from the girl, it was subtle but the doctor noticed. Vada's fists had clenched even tighter, prompting Carina to place a comforting hand on the young brunette's knee.
Vada, unwilling to be soothed by the gesture, retreated further into the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. "Cool," she replied in a dry tone.
Carina saw through the girl's façade, but she knew that being gentle wouldn't get her talking. So, in their mutual interest, she decided to meet Vada's level of conversation— sarcastic and filled with attitude. "When they arrive, should I introduce you as Vada, or should we come up with another name together?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow.
The green-eyed girl glared at the doctor. "Are you offended that I lied?" she pointed out, unamused. "Or are you just offended that you believed it?" Her raised eyebrows mirrored Carina's expression.
"Oh, bambina, don't get me wrong," Carina chuckled. "I'm used to people giving me fake names all the time. I'm a doctor," she winked at the girl. "I'm just curious about your reasoning."
"Aren't doctors supposed to be smart?" she questioned bluntly. "Figure it out yourself."
Carina kept silent, realizing that the closed-off teenager before her wouldn't budge anytime soon. "Can I sit?" she asked, pointing to the empty spot on the couch beside the girl.
"Do I have a choice? It's your couch."
"Well, technically, I don't work here, so it's not my couch," she stated. "And secondly, you always have a choice, at least in here," she said softly.
Waiting for Vada's response, she stayed seated at the table. Vada, who was so used to people giving her orders instead of asking, remained silent for a minute, lost in thought. But finally shrugged her shoulders, conveying to the woman before her it was okay, but without having to actually voice it.
The Italian sat down next to the younger girl, silently grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. She knew that if she asked the younger brunette if she wanted to watch something, she would refuse, so she skipped the question altogether. Flipping through channels, she eventually found something they both could enjoy— an episode of Friends.
Vada couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on her face and felt grateful that the doctor was watching the show, giving her some space. She loved Friends. When the Woodlocks would leave the house, she would always turn on the TV to pass the time, and Friends was always playing.
They remained in silence, both enjoying the show and the peaceful atmosphere that had enveloped them. The young girl struggled to keep her eyes open, the fatigue taking over, but she fought it, knowing that falling asleep there would relinquish the little control she had over her well-being. Carina could see from the corner of her eye how much the teen was struggling to stay awake, and sadness washed over her as she wondered when was the last time the girl felt safe enough to truly rest.
A knock on the door frame startled both women. "Hey, the social worker is here," Maya informed them.
The comfortable atmosphere that the doctor had finally established was shattered as a middle-aged woman entered the room, causing the girl beside her to tense up once again, her eyes fixated on the floor.
"Vada Huxley," the woman sighed, taking a seat on an empty chair in the room. "I've been looking for you," she said, prompting the teen to huff and roll her eyes.
"We'll wait outside," the firefighter said as she grabbed her wife's hand to pull her out of the room.
"Where were you?" the social worker questioned sternly.
She cared about Vada, but trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went. She knew it wasn't always the girl's fault. Vada was as unlucky as anyone could be, but even when she was placed in good environments, she would run away or find a way to get kicked out.
"Taking a walk," the brunette retorted sharply.
"For a whole week?" the woman rhetorically replied, unamused by Vada's response. She was accustomed to the girl's attitude and knew she wouldn't get the truth. "I'll make some calls and see if I can figure this out, okay?" she said softly.
Vada stayed silent, not caring for any more conversation, and the social worker sighed, getting up to meet the couple waiting outside the room.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Carina DeLuca," the Italian introduced herself, shaking the older blonde's hand.
"Mrs. Anderson."
"So, what's going to happen now?" Maya asked curiously. In a way, she already knew what was going to happen, but she wanted to hear it from the social worker.
"I'm going to make some calls, and see if we're lucky enough to find her a place for tonight," she told the couple, who nodded sadly. "Would you mind telling me where you found her?"
"Um, well she came to the clinic last week," the doctor started. "I had to give her stitches on her knee. She told me she fell while running in the rain."
Mrs. Anderson nodded, connecting the dots. "She ran away from her foster home last week."
"I had to stop her from jumping into the scene where we were called today," the blonde firefighter explained, furrowing her eyebrows at the thought of what happened on her call. "A boy was shot; I think he was trying to steal something from a shop, and the owner got all crazy, and she–I think she knew him. I mean she definitely did–"
"A boy?" the woman asked, fear creeping into her voice.
"Yeah, Finnley," Maya said, causing the social worker to gasp loudly, heightening the couple's concern. "That's what she called him."
"Oh my god," she whispered, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Is he okay?" she asked. Maya kept silent, pausing for a second, eventually shaking her head at her. "I need to make some calls. Excuse me."
"What's wrong?" the brunette interjected, concerned for the girl sitting in the living room.
"Finnley and Vada were foster siblings," she weakly explained. "I mean, years ago when Vada first entered the system." The couple listened intently. "They both used to get so mad at me because I couldn't find them a placement together, but they weren't real siblings so there was only so much I could do," she finished, excusing herself when her phone rang.
Carina couldn't hide the tears that fell from her eyes. That girl had just lost a brother and they couldn't even guarantee her a place for the night. It wasn't fair. Maya, seeing her wife's distraught state, pulled her into her embrace, kissing her shoulder lovingly. She understood how Carina was feeling because she felt the same way. She was angry that the world could be so cruel to a fourteen-year-old. The Italian looked at her, her eyes telling her all they needed to say. Maya nodded as she held her wife's face in her hands, kissing her softly.
"Okay, great news," Mrs. Anderson broke the couple's tender moment. "I've found a place that will take her." Maya frowned, unsure if she should feel happy or sad about the news. She knew that what the social worker had just told them was something positive, but she couldn't help but worry for the teenager. "I'll go get her, and we'll be out of your hair," she said, leaving the beanery to find the girl.
Maya glanced at Carina, who mirrored her expression. They wrapped their arms around each other and waited for Vada and Mrs. Anderson to leave the room and meet them at the beanery. Vada walked behind her social worker, looking defeated, which saddened both women.
"Bye, bambina," the doctor spoke softly, smiling at the girl in front of her. "If you need anything, and I mean anything, you know where to find us, sì?" she told the young brunette, stroking her shoulders lovingly.
Vada stayed quiet, her gaze fixated on her worn-out shoes, which were still the same as the first day she had met the Italian. Mrs. Anderson smiled, observing the interaction between them. She wished Vada could let herself trust other people around her, maybe that way she could finally find a good home.
"Thank you for everything," the social worker said, shaking both women's hands.
"Of course. I'll show you out," Carina offered, following the older woman to the door, with Maya and Vada following close behind.
"If you ever consider fostering, you should call me," Mrs. Anderson suggested quietly, her eyes focused on the fourteen-year-old.
Carina glanced back at her, seeing the young girl walking alongside her wife. We have a foster license. The doctor thought. The couple had been wanting kids for some time, but despite their efforts, Carina hadn't been able to get pregnant. That's when Maya brought up the idea of fostering. But they hadn't received any calls since their license got approved, and with their busy lives, the idea had been pushed to the back of their minds. Moreover, the age range on their application was for babies and toddlers. Sure they would accept if they were to receive a call for a kid older than that, but they just didn't think they were experienced enough to start with teenagers.
"This is my number," the firefighter said, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "I know you don't know me, let alone trust me, but I want you to have it." Vada looked down at it, uncertain whether to accept or not. "Listen, just call me if you ever need anything— to talk, or if you need a ride, or just to get out of your place for a bit," she kindly explained. "Or don't. It's your choice."
Vada pondered on it. Nobody had ever given her their number before. "No questions asked?" she whispered.
"No questions asked," Maya reassured her, extending the piece of paper closer to the brunette. This time, Vada took it from her hand and tucked it away in her pocket.