A Mom in Middle School

Another One

On a dark, October night in 2007, I was too busy feeling queasy to care about what was going on around me. To care about being in a social worker's car again. To care about the noise of the stupid video game my little sister Josie was playing next to me. To care that we were getting thrown into another house with another family.

"Here we are. The house of the Vandersnorts!" said Mary, the social worker.

Josie let out a deep, howling belly laugh that was way, way too loud.

"Vandersnort! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life!" Josie said.

We got out of the car, grabbed our garbage bags with our belongings, and went inside. The house was a pretty good size. It had high ceilings and nice carpet and kids. Lots and lots of other foster kids running around.

"Hi there!" said the woman who answered the door for us.

"Hi Janet. This is Roslyn and Joslyn," said Mary.

"You can call me Josie," Josie said.

"Ros is fine with me," I said.

"It's nice to meet you girls. Please, take off your shoes and come in," Janet said.

I slipped off my suede clog shoes and followed Janet upstairs. Mary came with us. She liked to take a look at the rooms and make sure we got settled in before she left. I didn't appreciate her kindness back then, but when I look back on it, it really impresses me how above and beyond she went for Josie and I.

"Yes! I've always wanted these!" Josie said, playing with all the beads hanging from the doorway.

"Good for you," I said, strolling right past her room and down the hallway.

"Back here, Ros!" Mary said.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"You two are roommates," Janet said.

"Wait, I'm not getting my own room this time?" I asked. "Mary, take me back to the last house."

Her and Janet chuckled as they guided me into the bedroom. One bed had Spongebob sheets. The other had Hannah Montana sheets. Josie took the Spongebob bed. I huffed and threw my stuff on the Hannah Montana bed.

"I can get you some plain sheets if you want," said Janet.

"Uh oh. Do they not like Spongebob and Hannah Montana?" I heard a guy's voice. He peeked his head in. "Hello girls! I'm Marty, Janet's husband."

"Hi. I'm Ros," I said. "Josie will probably start talking to you when she's done playing Nintendogs."

"It's nice to meet you girls. Welcome to our crazy little funhouse! Just make yourselves at home," Marty said.

He left, and we were stuck with Janet.

"Have you girls eaten dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah," Josie and I said in unison.

"Okie dokie. Take your time. Bathroom is down the hall. We have some ice cream in the freezer, if you want any, of course! There's no pressure. I'll be downstairs in the living room with everyone else, if you need anything."

"Great. Thanks," I said.

Janet closed the door, leaving me alone with Josie, who had the volume turned all the way up on her DS.

"They seem nice," I said.

"That's what always happens," Josie said, her eyes still glued to her screen.

"I'm gonna go downstairs and get some water."

"Okay," Josie said.

I got off the bed and went downstairs. There was lots of laughing coming from the living room. I peeked into it from the kitchen. Everyone was gathered around the couch. I gasped. These guys had a flatscreen TV. A pretty big one, too. But honestly, I was more excited about what they were watching on the TV. It was one of my favorite episodes of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: the one where Mr. Mosby was teaching London how to drive and she called the controls of the car the "Prindle."

I opened up the different cabinets until I found a glass, then used the Vandersnort's fancy fridge to get water and ice. I tiptoed into the living room as a commercial for the Littlest Pet Shop toys (one of Josie's other favorite things) came on.

All the couches were full, so I found a spot on the floor away from everyone. Janet noticed me right away.

"Ros, I can make room! Come sit next to me," she said.

"It's okay. I'm fine on the floor," I said.

"It's okay, honey. Why would you want to sit on the floor when we have a big, comfy couch?" Janet asked. "Take your time. I'll scoot over and leave room for when you're ready."

I watched as Janet made room for me on the end of the couch. The show came back on, and I took a few sips of my water.

"Sit! Sit!"

I saw a little girl dressed in fuzzy footie pajamas with ponies on them. She patted the spot next to her on the couch across from Janet.

"Aww, that's very sweet, Hazel. But give her time," Marty said to the little girl.

"Sit! Sit!" Hazel said.

This girl couldn't have been older than two. I couldn't say no. I got up and sat next to her. She took it upon herself to crawl into my lap. I sat around with everyone else while we kept watching the show.

I didn't know how long Josie and I were staying, but this house felt like a place to call home. The Vandersnorts seemed like nice people that treated their foster kids like their own. Life hadn't been easy since Josie and I entered the system, but over time, I learned about all the different variations of what "being a family" really meant. I didn't know at the time, but it would be the Vandersnorts who taught me that.

That night, all I could think of was how badly this could all come crashing down when Janet and Marty found out about my one, dark secret: I was pregnant at only thirteen.