Garrett's knuckles were turning white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.
"Garrett, breathe." I remind him and he exhales the breath he was holding.
"Maxwell is so dead when I see him." He mumbles through gritted teeth.
"No, nobody is going to get killed over this. We need to be there for Hailey, she needs us right now. No one knows how difficult this is for her, especially since she's in the system." I explain, hoping he will calm down and also just forgive me for earlier.
"You're right, I'm sorry. And I really hope you are too, I love you Ava." He looks over at me with sincere eyes and I officially feel like mush.
"Aw Gar, I love you too." I squeeze his shoulder and smile.
"Can we please go home now?" I ask and he starts to drive.
"Today's the day Nat, are you excited?" Harriet sets the plate of pancakes down onto the dining room table then and everyone jumps to reach for one except me. Hailey grabs three and everyone gives her a glare.
"Do you really need that many?" Adam shoots her a death glare.
Garrett and I share a knowing glance then and Nat looks over at me with a Did-you-seriously-tell-Garrett-face? I bite my lip in response and she knows and she's furious.
"Hey maybe the girl is hungry, give her a break man." Garrett defends her and Hailey gives him a questioning look and oh god please don't give it away Garrett!
Hailey then puts one back after being tormented by everyone.
"Yes, Harriet I am." Natalie finally answers. I roll my eyes and Garrett nudges me in the ribs with his elbow.
"Ow." I stomp on his foot underneath the table.
"Jesus Ava, would you give it a rest already? You should be happy for her at least." Adam groans and I instantly feel bad after what Garrett told me about Adam being depressed.
"I'm sorry Nat, I'm really happy for you obviously, I'm sure you'll love it." I actually smile and the table stares at me in disbelief from my honest statement.
"Thanks Ava, you know you'll always be my best friend and sister." She starts to wipe at her eyes and I can feel the waterfall that's about to hit my eyes.
"Ava, you know that you can always visit Natalie." Harriet adds and I smile, "I know."
"What time are they picking you up?" Hudson appears from the kitchen then.
"Ten." I look at the clock, it's currently eight thirty, still got some time left.
"You will be missed around here, I remember when you were just a little girl and you weren't too sure about this place but then you met Ava and then you knew everything was going to be okay." Hudson starts to get choked up now. Hudson never saw Natalie leaving this family, he always thought her and I would leave the system together. He was shocked when he found out she was interested in the adoption from the Farmington's. Natalie and I were pretty close to Hudson growing up here in the Richards' household. He would always take us to the park to skip rocks and he would watch us chase each other on the playground and then we'd come back to the house and make PBJ sandwiches.
"Thank you for everything Hudson, I'll never forget the memories we hold together." Natalie says, looking over at me to see if I'm okay. It's only then do I realize I'm sobbing uncontrollably as I think back to our childhood here.
Garrett grabs a hold of my shoulder then and squeezes it. Natalie nearly bounces out of her chair then and comes and wraps her arms around my body. We just sit there and sob into each other's shoulders.
"I don't think I've ever seen such a connection between two foster siblings before in all the years we've been doing this, Harriet." Hudson says.
"They might as well just marry each other." Adam jokes.
I hold my middle finger out at him as I'm still hugging Natalie and the whole table erupts into laughter.
Natalie left at ten sharp. The Farmington's helped her load her stuff into their minivan and Maggie was so excited for Natalie to join them, she made a handmade card for Natalie and even wrote me a letter that I'm saving to read for later. I stood at the top of the driveway as Natalie loaded everything into the car, holding the letter from Maggie close to my chest.
"We'll see you soon Ava." Maggie's face lights up as she goes to hug me. I hug her tight and watch as she skips down the driveway.
"I just need a minute." Natalie says to her new parents and they give us some privacy then as they wait in the car.
"You have no idea how much I am going to miss you Ava. From the day we walked into this house together, I knew you would hold a special place in my heart. You ARE my sister. Blood or not, you ARE my other half and I can't do life without you. You are my best friend and no one could ever replace you." She was sobbing now and I pulled her in for a hug and said "I love you so much Nat, be a good role model for Maggie, she already admires you so so much."
"You promise you will visit?" Nat pulls apart and holds out her pinky.
"Of course." I cross my pinky with hers and we pinky promise to visit one another.
"Alright, you can go now." I laugh and she waves goodbye before heading into the van.
"You're gonna be okay, I promise." Garrett comes up from behind me then and gives me a side hug.
"Yeah, I know." I sigh and we walk back into the house.
"Harriet? I'd like to speak with you privately if that's alright." I call out into the main foyer of the house.
"Yes of course, to my office please." She opens her office door and I step inside, sitting on the comfy mahogany colored chair.
"What's up chicky?" She asks as she sets her glasses onto the top of her head then.
"I was wondering if I could be fully enrolled into school again, five days a week like the other kids? I think it would be good for me with Natalie gone now, I could join some extra curricular activities and make some new friends."
"Wow, do you think you're ready for that?"
"I do. I've been thinking about it for awhile now. I want to live as normally as possible, I'm sick of being treated differently because I'm in foster care and I need to depend on therapy to live. I really am doing better."
"I'd say so, I can give your therapist a call and see if she agrees with that. I'll let you know what she says." Harriet is beaming with happiness, I knew she was waiting for me to say I was ready to go back to school.
I walk out of her office and head upstairs to my room when I hear an agonizing scream come from the hallway bathroom.
"Hailey? Is that you?" I knock and put my ear up against the door to listen.
"Ava..." She breathes.
"I need help." I immediately open the door to see a puddle of red forming on the bathroom floor.
"I think something is wrong with the baby." She cries.
YOU ARE READING
Foster Sisters
Teen FictionAva and Natalie grew up in the same foster home in Cincinnati, Ohio. They came into the home both at eight years old and now sixteen. They became very close and consider themselves sisters even if it isn't by blood, they're best friends. What happe...
