They were seated just as two women and two men came into the room with them. The younger woman smiled at them, but he was afraid it was a trap. Everything was a trap nowadays. Every move he and the others made was thought of over and over to look for traps and such to get them into some kind of trouble. He was sick to death of not having food when he wanted it. Or being able to talk about anything that he wished with his sisters. Even Brian, who he’d only heard of until the other day, was someone he wanted to talk to.
“My name is Merce Archer.” Todd squeezed tightly on his sister’s hands. When she squeaked, he let them go and stared at the woman when she laughed. “I take it you know who the Archers are. I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of terrible stories about the person. Is it Katie? Katherine Archer that you’re afraid of?”
Todd wanted to tell her but looked around the room. The people, all four of them, looked as well. Then the big man sitting next to Merce stood up. Todd felt his butt tighten up so tight he was afraid it would never open again.
“We’d like to speak to the children alone.” The woman that had brought them into the room said that wasn’t allowed. “I’m sure under normal circumstances you don’t allow it, but that’s what we’re going to do. Or you can allow us to take them out to dinner, as we said we were going to do when we got here, without any trouble. That is still going to happen, by the way. As soon as the police arrive.”
“Why is it that every time someone comes here, they think to change the rules to suit themselves? I’ve explained to you that we don’t allow the children to have time alone with people we don’t know. Also, leaving this facility is against the rules for all children. You’ll just have to deal with me being in here and not taking them anywhere. As I have told you twice now.”
When the police arrived, the children were led out to a long limo and put in the back with the big people. Even Jane had a nice car seat, and Brian was put into a special harness thing that held him still while they were getting ready to leave. It all happened so fast that Todd wanted to stick his tongue out at Mrs. Shelby and give her the finger. Not that he’d ever done that before, but he thought this was a good time to start. Instead, he and the others just sat there holding hands.
“Now. I want you to know that this is your great Aunt Katie. Her sister was your grandma. Not that you ever met her, but that’s who she is. She also raised James and Mary when they were smaller, and their mother and father died.” Todd knew that but kept his mouth shut. “You can talk freely if you want. No one here will say a word to that old bat.”
“She’s mean.” Todd tried to shush his sister Amy. “She is. You know it too. We might not get any dinner for the next hundred years, but that don’t change up that she’s mean to us.”
“You must be Amy.” Amy nodded at Merce. “I’m happy to hear that you guys haven’t had your tongues cut out. As I said, you can say what you want. Also, I want you to be aware that there will be no more skipped meals for you. I’ll take care of her if she tries that.”
“I believe you.” The adults laughed at Brian, but none of them thought it was funny. They were trapped as surely as if someone had stuck them into a cage and never was going to let them go home. “My mom said I wasn’t going to do her any good with me hanging on her tit. I had to ask Todd what it meant. She’s not all that nice either. Uncle James told her what he was doing with his kids, and she thought she’d do the same. My daddy said she was a follower but wasn’t smart enough to think up anything on her own.”
“That’s about right. However, can you tell me why your father didn’t come and get you, Brian?” He told her about the divorce and what th
e lawyer told her. “Did your dad ever try and harm you?”
“Nah. He and me, we were buddies. But he’s away now. I think he’s in a place called Gurwanda. I don’t know where that is, but I heard my mom telling Uncle James that she’d taken care that he was never coming home. None of us are going to get to go back to our homes.” Merce asked Brian if it was called Grenada. “Yeah, that’s it. He is stuck there without papers. I guess I can understand that. My mom had all the stuff in his office burned up the day he left on a business trip. Then she told me he had left us. I didn’t believe her. Dad would never leave me without saying goodbye and giving me a hug.”
While Brian cried, Todd watched the two men. When one of them put out their hand, he flinched from it, sure he was going to be hit again. The man seemed angry for a second or two, then he smiled. It was tight like he was still mad, but he didn’t yell at him.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I’m assuming you’ve been hurt by someone recently.” Todd looked at his sisters, then back at the man. “You don’t have to worry about any of us harming you guys. And I can swear to you that I’ll kill anyone that tries.”
“I’ve heard that before.” He nodded to his cousin. “His mom’s boyfriend thought it would be fun to break his leg before they brought him to the orphanage. My father would knock us around enough he’d have to take us to the hospital. We were never allowed to say anything like it happened, so we learned really early not to trust anyone.”
“Do you know that I came to see you once?” He barely remembered the older lady, but for some reason, he’d been told not to ever trust an Archer. “I see by your face that you were told about me and what a horrible person I was to your father. He isn’t a nice man. But these two men are my sons. And this is my son Del’s wife, Merce. My name is Katie. You can call me aunt if you wish, but I’m hoping that after today you’ll be my first grandchildren.”
He didn’t understand how that worked. Since he’d never met any of his relatives before, he wasn’t sure of a lot of things. However, Todd didn’t think that just because you were an aunt to someone, you eventually became a grandma.
“We’d like to take you home with us.” Todd sat there for a minute or two before realizing they were waiting on him to get out of the limo. Sure they were going to be back at the home. He was tense until he realized they were in front of a restaurant, one he’d never been to before. Del got down on one knee and looked at all four of them. “I’ve just been thinking that this isn’t going to be a place you’re going to enjoy. I was thinking steaks, but I’m now wondering if you’d like a pizza or some burgers more.”
“Burgers. I love hamburger without any cheese on it, but cheese on my French fries.” He looked at Amy when she spoke. “Well, I do. What do you want to eat? Whatever they plop down in front of you like they do at that place? If they take our food from us for being here, don’t you want something you’d like to remember?”
“I don’t want you or Jane to be without at all.” She hugged him, and Todd felt his eyes fill with tears. “I love you guys, and I don’t want you to starve because of this night, Amy. You’re all I have.”
They were loaded back into the car and taken to a hamburger place he’d seen commercials about when he lived at home. Going inside, Del picked up Jane when she started to fuss about the little fall she’d taken, and they all found a table.
Almost sick with worry, Todd let someone order for him. Peter sat beside him and let him see a folder he had with him. It was adoption papers. It had not just his name on them, but his sisters’, as well as Brian’s. Todd asked the big man what that meant.
“Just as Del told you. He and his wife are going to take you home with them as their children. They’ll take good care of you, and you’ll never have to worry about them giving you away to a place like you’re in now, or I’ll personally kick their butts. But that’s not going to happen. They’ll be good parents, and you’ll want for nothing.” He said all he wanted was a bed and food all the time. “I’m sure you do, son. I’m sure you do. However, there are a lot of things they’ll be able to give you that I’m betting you’ve not had from your parents. Your mother, more than likely, but not your father. They’ll both love you all like you’re all the candy in the world wrapped into a nice box with a bow.”
He couldn’t help it. Todd had been trying for so long to be brave for his family, but it was just too much right now. Crying hard, his body shaking with it, it wasn’t until he was lifted up and put over a strong shoulder that he knew he was going to be able to talk to Del. They were outside on a bench when he was asked if he was all right.
“Yes, sir. I’ve been making sure my sisters were all right since Momma died, and I’ve been scared to death that someone would take them away and I’d never see them again. Then my cousin, who I never seen before, comes along, and I have to take care that he’s not hurt either. That woman, she’s meaner than a snake and takes our food from us when we’re bad.” He looked up at Del. “I promise you, if you take my sisters and not me, they’ll be as good as gold. Just make sure my father doesn’t try and sell them off like he wanted to. He would have, too, if not for the social worker coming by all the time after Momma died. Now we’re in this home that I don’t know, and we got nothing from our home. I just don’t think I’m going to make it. I’m going to have me a heart attack before I can relax again. You understand?”
“I do, and I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all that. No seven-year-old should have to be stressed out over keeping his sisters safe. But you’ve done a good job, Todd. They’re very safe, and it’s all do to you.” Todd thanked him. “Now, later today, we’re going to go see the judge about the adoption. We want all four of you, but my wife is going to see if she can find Brian’s dad and get him home for him. Also, we’re never going to have to worry about your father. I’m going to take care that he understands what he’s done is wrong.”
“You gonna kill him?” Del didn’t answer, and that scared Todd just a little. Then he realized it was all on his father and not him, so he smiled at the big man. “You can beat him up, but if you go to jail, they’ll not let us go home with you. And I’d surely like to go there. I don’t care what sort of house you have either, so long as we can have a warm bed and some food when we want it. We’ll be good too.”
“I’ve figured that out as well.” Todd nodded. “All right. Let’s go back in and have some lunch, talk about some of the things you’d like to see in your room when we get home, as well as some of the things you’d like to have for school and such. My mom, Katie, she’s wanting a hug too, if you can find it in you to give her one. She’s been more worried than you have about the four of you.”
“She must have had some really bad dreams then. I know I have.” Del told him she’d never tell them that, but she more than likely had. “You’re not kidding us, are you, Del? I mean, you’re not going to just take us back there and never come back? I’d understand it, I would, but it would hurt badly if you did.”