Two years later
Leanne Murray was looking through her clients files. The pediatric doctor had just finished examining the little boy with leukemia and wanted to double check everything. She walked back to the front desk where anxious families were waiting on results and where future patients waited for their turn. She walked behind the desk to pick up the file of the next patient and she was tired. She reluctantly did a double shift that day so she was ready to head home.
A loud noise stopped her from doing her job. Across from the waiting room, there was a girl swearing and banging the vending machine. Leanne couldn't put her hand on what was so familiar about the girl but she decided to end her curiosity. She made her way towards her before and stopped a few feet away.
"Can I help you?" Leanne asked surprising the girl but gasped once the girl turned around to face her. They had met before, two years ago. She was the child that came into their home with a gun and pushed her to help a young Asian. The girl remembered her as well by the looks of it and stood frozen before the doctor. The girl was dirty and smelled like she had not showered in days. Her old clothes were torn and her muddy shoes had holes in them. She was not dressed for winter and that somehow bothered Leanne. All those questions and feelings she had since that day two years ago came rushing back and left her a little out of breath.
Leanne cleared her throat and asked the question again. When she didn't get a reply, she looked at the vending machine to see a granola bar stuck in the middle. Leanne marched behind the girl, whose eyes never left her, to stand beside the vending machine. With one good hit to the side, the granola bar fell all the way down. The older woman grabbed the bar and offered it to the teenager.
"You have got to know their weaknesses, right?" Leanne said laughing. "I'm Leanne by the way. You remember me don't you?"
The girl was about to answer when someone shouted her name from the elevator. She rolled her eyes and walked to a middle aged woman and got into a heated argument. Curious, Leanne called a nurse who knew everything about everyone in the hospital.
"Nana, that girl over there" she said pointing "do you know her?"
"Yeah, that's Sara Green. She comes here often but her sister had her appendix removed today"
"What's her story?"
"Poor girl is in the foster system, has been for years now. She and her sister got a rough life, too rough if you ask me" Nana said. "That lady there is her handler. I don't know her name because every time Sara comes in it's a new person"
Leanne thanked Nana before making her way back to the desk but couldn't shake Sara out of her mind. She boldly stared at the two arguing wondering what was so fascinating with this specific girl. She had seen other kids from the system but none of them behaved like her. When she saw Sara storm out of the building Leanne jogged to the lady to ask her some questions about Sara.
"I don't know what to do anymore" the lady whose name was Mrs. Harris said "I have tried everything but it just doesn't work. It's really hard to find a family who is willing to accept two kids but almost impossible with a girl like Sara. I understand why she does the thing she does but life is unfair and sometimes you just got to go with it you know? My last resort is separating those girls because I would have zero problems putting the younger one in a decent home but it is impossible to separate those two"
"What if I let them stay in our home?" Leanne blurted out without thinking which surprised both women.
"You want to foster these children? For real?" Mrs. Harris asked shocked.
"Come on, it does not seem that bad. Tell me what to do to foster them, give me their files and I will talk to my husband. I'm sure he will understand"
-
"No, no, absolutely not" her husband yelled angrily. "You can't expect me to agree with this, it's absurd"
"Honey, just think about it"
"No. Do you know how crazy you sound? This girl broke into our home, threatened our children and you want her to live with us? She's a scam, she's a misfit. We don't know who she is or what she's done. She can bring harm to our kids for all we know"
"Exactly, we don't know. But we can try. Maybe she needs help."
"We can't save everybody Leanne"
"No but we can save two. Dean, those girls have gone through a lot and maybe, just maybe we can give them a good life even if it lasts a couple of days." Leanne begged "Honey, children are not supposed to live through the things they have."
Dean was pacing back in forth, slowly giving in to his wife.
"Why? What is it about those two that makes you want to do this?" he asked her "Are you bored with our children?"
"Of course not. Honey, you know I love the kids but it's something Sara did that day. The entire night was sketchy. I have been thinking about it over and over again and I still can't put my finger on it."
She passed her fingers through her hair.
"Why were they beaten up? Who would dare hit children? Why did she have a gun? Why did she give me money for helping her? There are so many questions that have been bothering me since then"
"But it's not our job. We have our family to care about"
"One week Dean. Just one week and if it does not work out we stop"
Dean sighed. He knew he couldn't say no to his beloved. Sometimes he hated how much a big heart she had.
"Fine, but only if Carly and Ben say yes" Leanne squeaked and jumped into her husband's arms.
"I will take full responsibility of them and I promise they will not hurt our family" she whispered in his ear. She kissed him deeply. "I love you"
"I love you too"
That night at the dining table Leanne brought up the subject to her children. She explained the situation and asked them if they were willing to accept. At first both siblings were against it.
"I don't see why it's our duty to help them" Carly spoke "I remember what happened two years ago"
"Carly, it's just for one week. These girls have been through hell. I think we can give them a break. It's just for one week; if you don't want them around after that I will lead them out of the door."
"What makes you think she's not going to hurt us? Hurt you? Mom, she had a gun"
"I think it's ok" Ben said.
"What? Ben, these girls are trash, they probably plotted the whole thing so they could steal from us"
"Sweetheart, listen. Imagine your dad and I died and you were stuck alone on the street with Ben and the last we ever asked of you was to protect your brother. What would you do?" Leanne asked her daughter.
"Protect him"
"And how far would you go to keep him safe?"
Carly didn't answer the question because she knew she would have done the same thing as Sara. She thought about it long and hard before giving her answer.
"Okay, but only if they don't do anything stupid"
Leanne smiled at her children. "I will make sure of it"
That night, the parents went to their room after making sure the kids were alright with the whole situation. "I hope you know what you are doing" he said before he turned the lights out.
-
The next day, Leanne and Dean went to the hospital to talk with Mrs. Harris and the girls. The hospital was quite empty for a Monday afternoon. Mrs. Harris was waiting for them to explain what was going to happen. She gave them the girls' files and warned them about certain things, especially for Sara. They looked at the files and Dean was not happy with the information.
Sachiko Nagasawa, also known as Sunny, was a twelve year old Japanese girl. She has been in the foster system for three years. She has been to five foster homes and two group homes. She had good grades and had a clean slate but has been to the hospital a few times. She had no trouble with the law or the some of the foster families she stayed in but she never wanted to separate from her foster sister Sara Green.
Sara Green isa seventeen year old girl. She has been in the system for six years. She has been in nine foster homes and three group homes. She was suspended from school, has been arrested for thievery and fighting and has been in Juvenile prison for three months. She has been in trouble with the law many times and has been in the hospital more than a dozen times. She is very protective of her foster sister Sachiko Nagasawa.
"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Dean asked his wife. She smiled sweetly at him and nodded her head.
Once they settled the paper work and the agreements, the parents and Mrs. Harris went to the girls' room. Dean was not comfortable with the children meeting Sara and Sachiko before the foster sisters knew what was going on so they went to school. Leanne and Dean wanted to make sure everything was in order.
The adults entered the room and saw both girls sitting on the bed. Sachiko had a hospital gown and was laughing at something her sister said. Her straight black hair fell lower than her shoulders. She had a small body frame and still had baby fat but looked very mature for her age. Sara on the other hand looked much older. Her thick brown hair fell down to her waist and her chocolate brown eyes complimented well with her beautiful features. When the girls heard the door open, Sara immediately lost her smile. Sachiko stopped laughing but still kept her smile. She waved shyly at Mrs. Harris and stared curiously at the two newcomers.
"Sara, Sunny, I want you to meet M. and Mrs. Murray" Mrs.Harris said. "They have agreed to foster you for a while"
"Excuse me?" Sara rudely asked. Unaffected by the rudeness, Leanne stepped forward and stretched her hand out.
"I guess we never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Leanne Murray and this is my husband Dean."
"Hello" Sunny said gently taking the older woman's hand, while Sara just looked at it with a frown. "I'm Sachiko Nagasawa but people call me Sunny"
"Nice to meet you Sunny. I'm a doctor here and my family and I would gladly let you stay in our home for a while, that is if you wish." Sunny looked at Sara with hope.
"What kind of doctor are you?" Sara asked.
"Pediatric, I treat children"
"What about him?" she said pointing at Dean.
"He's a lawyer"
"Wow, you must have a lot of money"
"We do" Dean said. He was getting annoyed with the interrogation.
"What's the catch?" Sara said.
"What? There is no catch"
Sara took a deep breath, trying very hard to understand the situation. Nobody in their right mind would foster someone like her. No rich person would bother with someone like her unless they had an ulterior motive. She could understand why they would foster Sunny but they knew they deliberately took her in too knowing whatever was in her file.
"Then what's the package? Do we have to pay rent? Do we have to bring our own food or sleep in the garage?" Sara asked. Dean and Leanne looked at each other shocked before facing the girls again.
"Ugh, well" Leanne cleared her throat "You get your own rooms and you certainly won't pay rent. And you will eat three times a day"
Sunny face light up like a candle. She looked at her sister pleadingly. It had been years since they had a nice home.
"Please onee-san" Sunny pleaded. Sara's expression softened up. She stood up and walked to the couple.
"May I speak with you for a moment?" she asked Leanne. Leanne stopped Dean from following them and made her way outside the room.
"Are you out of your fucking mind? What is wrong with you woman?" Sara said angrily. Leanne kept her cool and raised her eyebrow. "Why would you let us stay in your home? You don't know anything about us. I can be a drug addicted for all you know"
"Are you?" Leanne asked
"No, but I could hurt your kids"
"Are you?"
"Stop answering me with questions damn it. You don't know anything" Sara yelled. Leanne internally laughed and smiled at the young girl before her.
"Listen Sara, I know you are not a drug addict because if you were, you would not be able to protect your sister. I assume you stole things that were essential for your survival and I'm sure you are not ready to go back to Juvie and so my children are safe because the moment you so much as touch them the wrong way, you have a lawyer as well as an angry mother on your ass." Leanne finished in a heated sigh. "Look, like I said to my husband and my children: I am simply trying to help you. There are no tricks, no catches and I never break a promise."
Sara looked uncertain and said "And you are going to write the rules on paper?"
Leanne laughed. She nodded her head and led Sara back into the room. Sunny and Dean were talking animatedly to each other. They seem to get along well. Mrs. Harris had already left for work. Sunny and Dean looked at the two women who came in and Dean got up to hug his wife. Sara, on the other hand, went to greet her little sister on the bed.
"Everything is good, why don't you girls get your things and we will drop by your home to pick up the rest" Leanne said. Sara got up and went to the corner of the room to grab two big bags. She looked into one of them and picked up some clothes and threw them to her sister. Sunny ran into the bathroom with a grin. She couldn't wait to meet the rest of the Murray family. Dean told her about them and the house they were about to stay in seemed so grand she was having goose bumps simply thinking about it. She only hoped Sara would be able to handle the situation.
Sunny came out with loose jeans and a giant coat twice her size. She had a sweater underneath and red tuque that covered her entire head. Sara helped the Asian girl strap her traveling bag before turning to the Murray couple. They all made their way out of the hospital to the expensive silver car Dean owned. Winter came early this year and the temperature was below zero Celsius in January. The cold wind was strong, blowing the snow into their faces.
"Give us the address so we can pick up the rest of your things" Leanne said looking back from the passenger seat.
"We don't have anything else Mrs. Murray" Sunny said sadly.
"That's it?" Dean asked his eyes on the road "Those two bags are all you have?"
"Yes sir" Sunny answered.
The rest of the ride was quiet. It was almost dark out at five in the afternoon so the girls could not really appreciate the view. Sara was getting nervous. She had never been off the island of Montreal before and was fascinated by the river they were crossing. The Murrays lived in the country in a town called St-Hudson and had a house by the river an hour away from the city. They lived close to a golf course and a stable where Carly took horseback riding courses. There was a small hospital in town where Leanne worked part time. St-Hudson was an old town, with old styled buildings. There was a school, a vet, a grocery shop as well as a market. There was a small park where children spent their days playing in.
The house was a three story building. They had two garages and two chimneys. The walls were made of brick and dark wood. There was a giant backyard that went to the river where a dock was built. There was an in ground pool in the back beside the huge porch and outdoor spa. Sunny gasped when she entered the house. She took off her snowy shoes and turned in circles admiring the beautiful view. It was just as beautiful inside as outside. The walls were a welcoming blue and the chandelier that hung from the ceiling lit the hallway. There was a spiral staircase in front of the door that went up to the third floor. On the left there was the dining room and on the right was the living room. This was the type of old house that had multiple stair wells and corridors that led into different rooms.
Carly and Ben came out of the living room and stared at the foster girls. Carly was not happy of the arrangement but Liam was nothing but curious. Sunny saw them and hopped to greet them.
"Hello" she said when she stopped a few feet away "My name is Sachiko Nagasawa but you can call me Sunny. I just want to say Arigatou gozaimasu for letting us stay here" she smiled before bowing to them.
"Uh, right" Carly said.
"Sunny, they don't speak Japanese" Sara said and to the siblings she replied "she said thanks"
"I got that" Carly snapped.
Sara sighed. This was not what she wanted. On her parents on demand, Carly stomped up the stairs to her room. Ben on the other hand observed the newcomers. He was smart for a thirteen years old boy. He knew what was going on and had a good suspicion to where the girls came from. He liked Sunny already because of her chipper personality and knew they would become great friends. But he was a little afraid of Sara. She gave this dark scary vibe and gulped when she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She walked passed him and he almost took a step back in fear.
The girls followed Leanne up to the second floor. Both girls took in the dozen of pictures on the wall, there were a lot. The trio walked down the hall to a guest room.
"Alright, both of you can sleep here tonight but tomorrow I'll get the room down the hall cleaned up and you will each get a room. How does that sound?" Leanne said.
"That- that would be great Mrs. Murray" Sunny stuttered.
"Is there something wrong?" Leanne asked with a frown.
"We never had separate rooms before"
"Oh dear. Alright then, how about we still clean the room and it will be free for you to sleep in anytime you want. I want you both to understand that I will not push you girls to do anything uncomfortable"
"Even if I don't want to go to school?" Sara asked sarcastically.
"Nice try lady, you are doomed to go to school if everything goes well. Now goodnight, I will come to your room tomorrow morning, give you the house rules, give you a tour of the house and provide you with breakfast. If you need anything, I'm right down the hall and the kids are upstairs." she left them in the guest room and went into her own room.
Sunny grinned at her older sister. She had not been so happy in the three years she was in the system. The room had a queen sized bed in the middle, a walk in closet and a private bathroom. She ran to the bathroom and laughed at the size of it.
"Can we take a shower onee-san?" she asked Sara. She was not sure if it was allowed or not.
"Go ahead, I'll get the things ready but leave me some hot water, even though I'm sure they have infinity of that" Sara chuckled to herself.
Both girls had the time of their lives when they entered the shower. Once it was time for bed, the girls cuddled and talked quietly.
"I like it here one-san" Sunny said "M. and Mrs. Murray are really nice. Promise me you won't screw this up." Sunny said
Sara was quiet for a while but she would do anything for her so she managed a small 'promise' before she turned lights out. She was in unknown territory so she had no idea what to expect.