If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."
~Marian Wright Edelman
"Mrs. Wells, I see you have made a case of child endangerment against Tyler Wells and Alyssa Morrsion. Please explain in further detail why this accusation has come up."
I clenched my shaking hand into a fist as my eyes drifted toward the stiff woman across the room, her lips curled into a grimace.
"My son has no home of his own. He has been living on the streets for the last four years. Ms. Morrison has just recently helped him out, but she isn't fit either. She is currently in a grieving state of her younger sister, Stephanie, who died of cancer only a month ago." I was about to snap at the older woman, to go off, but Ty pinched my arm a little to stop me.
"Ms. Morrison. May I ask you a few questions?" Judge Henry turned his attention to Ty and me.
"Yes, sir. Of course." I replied, trying to sound as formal and professional as possible.
"The child, will she be living in a child safe home? Meaning, food, clothes, and other necessities for her living environment." I nodded, outstretching my hand to the guard so he could give the pictures of my house to the judge.
"She will be provided with everything, sir. I have a room already situated for a child, it did once belong to my late sister, Stephanie. It will be changed into Tessie's room as soon as possible." He nodded, setting the pictures down.
"As one of her legal guardians, would you know all of her allergies? Her likes and dislikes?" I swallowed, seeing Ty tense out of the corner of my eye.
"She's allergic to penicillin. As well as Peanuts and a plant that is only native to Phoenix. As for her likes and dislikes, she is growing up, sir. I can't say when her likes and dislikes are going to change."
He nodded again, his eyes moving from me to Tessie sitting on the bench behind us.
"All right. Please exit the room. I'd like to talk to the child, only the child." I grabbed my purse from the ground and touched Tessie's cheek.
"We'll be right outside the door. It's going to be okay." She nodded, her green eyes glistening with tears.
"I don't want you to go outside." She whimpered.
"It'll only be for a little bit of time, I promise." I kissed the top of her head, grabbing Ty's hand after he did the same, and dragging him out of the room.
Once we were outside, I laid my head back against the wall and shut my eyes, taking deep breaths.
"You better be worried. You aren't going to get her." Mrs. Wells snapped, appearing in the hall beside us. I saw Ty's expression twist into something unreadable as his mom glared back and forth between us.
"We'll see now, won't we?" I replied, calm. She only seemed to get angry at my response and stalked down the hall. I sat on the bench beside the water fountain with Ty, staring at the doors.
"What do you think they're asking her?"
"Probably indirect questions. Trying to see who she speaks highly about, who she wants to live with." I nodded in agreement.
"You may come back in." The guard called out into the hall after what seemed like hours. I sucked in a deep breath and made my way toward Tessie.
"And Ally gave me this tablet so I do learning games." Tessie lifted the tablet and showed it to the judge, earning a small smile out of his stone faced expression.
YOU ARE READING
The Wish List
Teen Fiction"Her dying wish was for me to complete her list, and I wasn't going to stop until it was completed." When Alyssa Morrison loses her little sister to cancer, the last think she wants to think about is completing the ridiculous list she left beh...
