Silence - Adopted By Elizabeth Olsen

22.

Casey's POV
Mom went inside to talk to a few officers while I continue to play with a dog. I named him Barnie. She tried to take me back with her, but I really don't want to get back there. They separated me and my mother and I had to sit in a cold room with a strange-looking man.

I tried my best to behave, I really did. But when he mentioned my father, something snapped and I may or may not have kicked him between the legs before running off. Yesterday during Halloween the neighbour said I could!

"I'm scared, Barnie. If I go to jail I can't cuddle with mom anymore or play fetch with you. Am I even allowed to draw there? What if I'll never have a chicken nugget again?" I sigh deeply, burying my face in my hands.

Barnie sits next to me, gently leaning against me "I guess it was worth it, I wouldn't have met you otherwise." I softly smile up at him. I think he smiles back. Or he sees a squirrel, he does seem to like squirrels. 

"There you are!" A female voice shouts in my direction. I turn around excitedly, hoping its mom. But I furrow my eyebrows when an unfamiliar woman walks in my direction. Barnie leaves my side and runs up to the woman.

They greet each other and hug until the woman looks up at me. "I'm sorry, Thor didn't bother you did he?" She smiles kindly. I notice how Barnie, or should I say, Thor, responds to the name Thor.

"He's yours?" I question her. She nods as she slowly approaches me, sitting next to me on the sidewalk. Thor joins me on the other side, laying his head on my lap. The woman smiles kindly at us before speaking.

"He ran away while we were on a walk, probably chasing a squirrel."

"He does love squirrels." I smile, making her chuckle.

"He really does, but he seems to like you a lot too." She says warmly, pointing at Thor who is peacefully looking around, keeping his head on my lap. I gently pat his head, feeling how soft it is.

"We are friends." I explain, making her nod her head in realisation. "That explains a lot, you look like a great friend." She answers genuinely.

I look up from Thor, focusing my gaze on the woman next to me. "You think so?" I ask her almost inaudibly. She gently bumps her arm against my shoulder. "I know so, Thor isn't really a people person. He only likes his family and squirrels."

I look back at Thor with a wide smile. "He has a family?" I question her. She nods slowly, moving over to pet Thor. "I promise you we love him very much." She says hesitantly. "I'm happy he has people who love him, I was afraid he had nobody." I mumble.

She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by another female voice. I turn around in its direction, a big smile on my face as I recognize the woman. "Mama!" I exclaim, standing up and running to her, almost tripping over my own feet.

She picks me up and twirls me around before setting me on her hips. I lay my head on her shoulder, pointing at the dog and woman who walked up to me earlier. "Thor has a family." I state, burying my head in her neck.

"Oh I'm sorry sweetheart, I know how much you like Thor." She says, sounding genuinely apologetic. "As long as he's happy I'm happy. Everyone deserves a family." I state, making her smile.

"I want a family." I mumble. She lifts me up, making me face her with confused eyebrows. "We're a family?" She questions.

"Yes and I love you but I want more." I pout. She puts me down on the ground as she laughs. "Okay sweetheart, whatever you want."

We bid our goodbye to Thor and the woman who is apparently named Luna. She acted weird around mama, who didn't seem to like that. Tomorrow is a school day and I plan to go to bed the second we reach the apartment, but mom seems to have another idea.

She lifts me up after I took off my shoes and coat, gently placing me on her lap as she sits down on the couch. I lean against her chest, fighting the urge to fall asleep. "Do you want to stay here?" She asks me softly, making me confused.

"I want to be your daughter." I mumble with a raised eyebrow. She chuckles before kissing my forehead. "You are my daughter, but do you want to stay here? In this town?"

I hum in thought, not sure what this means. "What if I say yes?" I ask her with furrowed eyes, ready to absorb her answer. "Well then I'll finish my internship here and I'll do everything I can to stay here as long as possible, but we'll have to go to my home eventually." She explains, fidgeting with her fingers.

I put my hands between hers, breaking them apart before drawing circles on one hand. "What if I say no?" I ask her carefully. "Then we'll go." She says calmly.

I look up from her hand. "Right now? How about school?"

She boops my nose with a warm smile. "You don't have to worry about that, I promise to take care of you." She says before pulling me closer to her chest. I hug her tightly. "What is your home like?" I question her, wanting to have a bit more information before I make a decision.

"It's very different from here but good different. I'll still have some weeks off so we could go visit my mother if you want? She's dying to meet you." She thinks out loud. I gasp in surprise, breaking apart or hug and looking up at her with wide eyes.

"I have another grandmother?!" I ask, blinking a few times. She giggles at my answer, tucking some hair behind my ear. "You do, do you want to call her?" She asks with a raised eyebrow. I nod rapidly, not even thinking about my answer.

She kisses my forehead once again before dialling a number. It doesn't take long before an older woman answers. "Lizard honey, if I'm not officially a grandmother you better end this call right now." 

I giggle. Lizard? 

"Hey mom, don't worry you are. My lawyer has to take care of a few things but I'm a mother." She chuckles, looking proudly at me. "Casey is actually sitting next to me right now, you're on speaker."

"Can you put her on the phone? I want to talk to her." She says excitedly, making me a bit nervous. What if she doesn't like me? 

My smile disappears as they continue their conversation in the background. "That's what being on speaker means. She can hear you perfectly fine."

"You could have told me! Hi Casey."

My breathing starts to pick up. I open my mouth to answer, but no words leave my mouth. What am I even supposed to say? I bite on my lower lip, shaking my head rapidly. I notice mom looking at me with a weird look.

"Casey is a bit tired, I'll talk to you later mom. Love you." 

A few moments later, she puts the phone away and cups my face. "Are you okay sweetie?" She asks caringly, but I just shake my head. I'm scared. I made my other grandmother unhappy, what if I do the same to her? I don't want to disappoint her or mom.

She pulls me back into her chest as I hold onto her blouse."I don't want to talk anymore." I sob against her neck. If I don't talk, I can't disappoint. I'll be considered dumb or annoying just like Miss Brook did, but I can't disappoint people with no expectations.

"Okay. You don't have to." She reassures me. "Do you want to stay here for a bit longer?"

I realise she's talking about the town and not her lap. I would like to sit in her lap a lot longer, but I don't think I want to stay here. I don't belong here and I never did, my father knew that. 

The sobs start to slow down as I hold onto Lizard for dear life. I don't know where I belong, but I do know that I feel safe in her arms.

She is my home.