“It makes me so sad to know you went through that. I’m sorry there weren’t any adults who protected you. You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you.”
“Hey,” Sky said. She jumped out of bed and put her arms around me. “It’s ok. It didn’t kill me, and I’m a survivor. I’ll get there someday.”
“Well, you’re not alone anymore. I hope you know that.”
“I am alone, Claire. You’ve been beyond nice, letting me stay here and all, but at the end of the day, this is all temporary. You’re not my mom, no matter how much I wish you were.”
I was frozen in place, awash in the deepest sadness. Her words landed heavily on both my heart and mind.
“Don’t sweat it,” Sky said. She made the bed without looking back at me.
I knew then that she’d heard us, Malcolm and I, at the door. She was defensive about us playing house and she had every right to be. I felt like we’d failed her. This wasn’t about us, it was about Skylar. No matter how much affection we had for her or how much we loved her, we weren’t Skylar’s parents and she was her own person.
“Sky, I’m not sure what’s going to happen in your future. But I promise that you’ll never be out on the streets again. Ever. Not as long as Malcolm and I are alive.” My words were the truth, I’d never let her go back to what she knew before, not as long as I was breathing.
“You don’t have to say that, Claire, you don’t owe me anything.”
Skylar shucked herself out of her oversized sleep shirt and pulled on some jeans. Maybe it was irresponsible of us to not make some kind of formal commitment to Sky. I knew this rejection was deeply linked to her fear of abandonment. She was terrified of being disappointed or hurt by adults again.
“I know I don’t owe you anything. You’re not in my life due to some commitment or obligation. Having you here with me is a privilege, and I know Malcolm feels the same way. You’re free to go anytime you want, but I also want you to know that what we said was real. We feel like parents to you and that’s because of your love. You’re a bright light, Sky, and we’re super lucky to watch you shine.”
Sky sighed, falling on the mattress. “Let’s just take it day by day, okay? At some point, I’ll screw up, because that’s always how it goes. You and Malcolm will want to have your own kids someday.”
“Want to play hooky? We could call in sick and do a spa day instead?” I asked, flopping down beside her.
“Hell no, you’ve got a hot date with Malcolm. You can’t miss that for the world.!
“We can cancel, or we can all hang out together, watch a movie or something.”
“No, Claire. I’ll be fine. Besides, Isla is looking forward to a night off.”
“Yes, that actually surprised me. Isla practically lives at the shelter. Her own dogs bark at her when she comes home because they think she’s an intruder. I’m glad she took a night off. A change of pace will be good for her.”
“Malcolm is sending in a bunch of prospects. Patriot and some new kid will be there. And Trudy is in charge of them all, so you know, it will probably be a night to remember.”
“Alright, get ready, and let’s go,” I said. I got up to leave the room, but turned back to look at Skylar. “You know, these talks are important. We should have them more often. A heart to heart, check in and see how we’re doing.”
“A mother to daughter,” Sky said.
I smiled and left the room before we both started crying.
“Sky, you ready to have the best day of your life?” Isla asked as soon as we entered the back office.
“By best day, do you mean, watch you agonize over paperwork and haul boxes to the basement?” I asked, laughing.
“No, we’re actually going to wrap up here early and then head back to my place. A night of pizza and chick flicks!” Isla said before sticking her tongue out at me. “Does that meet your approval?”
“Are your guard dogs kenneled so they don’t attack you when you scare them to death by making an appearance at home?”
“Haha, Claire. Don’t be jealous of our girls night. Skylar is going to have the best time. Right, kiddo?”
“I can’t wait to raid your closet!”
Isla raised an eyebrow and I laughed out loud. While I was a jeans and sweater type person, Isla wore silk and tailored suits with heels. Skylar had taken notice of her wardrobe and said she aspired to dress like that someday. I let Sky wear my clothes, so apparently, Isla was in for a day of reckoning.