Love

Talk

-7

The morning came all too soon. I don't feel like I even slept. But I got up and searched my closet for what I wanted to wear. I settled on a dark tan button up, gray pants, suspenders, and a shiney tie.

"Very sharp today love," said Shelby rolling out of bed.

"I was going to let you sleep a little longer. Get the kids up, start whatever I could find for breakfast, then wake you up. Less things for you to worry about."

"Mmm how sweet hun, guess you'll have to settle with having a sidekick."

"You are far to great to be a sidekick my dear, you can be nothing but an equal."

"Such a charmer."

"You get dressed I'll wake up the kids."

"Ok, I'll start breakfast as soon as I'm done."

"Not if I do it first," I said walking down the hall.

I opened Jone's door and found a tightly made bed with no one in it. But I know he didn't leave, his suitcase was popped open and laying on the floor most likely from him trying to find his clothes. I found the same thing in Willow's room. Made bed, flipped open satchel. At this point I was completely confused and unexplainable worried.

"Jone, Willow?"

Shelby popped his head out from the room confused. He was buttoning the last three buttons on his cream button up with a blue and gray striped tie dangling around his neck.

"Down stairs," Jone yelled up.

I nodded to Shelby in reassurance and he slowly walked over to me and down the stairs while tying his tie. By the time we were down the stairs he was folding down his collar. Willow and Jone were both sitting casually on the couch, or more like Jone was. Willow however looked bored out of her mind and wanting to get up.

"It's five in the morning. Why are you two already awake."

"Wait a second, it's five in the morning! Jone you've made me sit here for three damn hours?!"

"Wait a second did you say three hours. Why in the name of all that's holy, were you two up at two am in the morning?!" Shelby asked.

"Told you, I win. Have fun talking to um I'm going outside."

Before me and Shelby could get a word in she was out the door and we were left with a frozen Jone and a load of questions.

"Very grown up Willow thanks!" he yelled in hopes of her hearing him.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"She saved herself before I could save myself from an awkward and uncomfortable conversation of course."

"Jone you don't have to have this conversation, it's perfectly ok. I'm going to start breakfast before we're an hour along and late for school."

I stuck my arm out and blocked Shelby from getting to the floor, us being on the bottom step.

I whispered to him, "This seems important Shelby."

"You're right it is important. I know because I remember having to have this talk with my mother and father when I was adopted. It's the past talk, all fosters hate it because it hurts to have to remember all of it. And it feels bad and terrible right in the center of your gut something that you can relate to love is when you told your dad you were gay. It's the same thing and the same fear of how they'll react, because whether we want to say it or not Arice we're strangers to them right now and if we have this talk later ok we aren't strangers but that puts more on the line. So just leave it for when they want to talk about it, if they want to talk about it. Am I right Jone?"