The Soldier's Girl (Under Editing)

Chapter 37

CAROLINE'S POV

The Monday after that weekend was my first day back at school since my dad died. I went and stayed in my first period for 30 minutes until I went to the nurse and told her I puked just so I could go back home. I had been away from school for two weeks but I still didn't feel up to coming back. Taylor obviously had different ideas on that.

"If you aren't actually sick why did you come home?" Taylor asked me as we drove away from school.

"Stop yelling at me." Was all I said, I kept my eyes on the road ahead of us.

"Caroline I'm not yelling, you just need to be at school though, you've missed too much." She said.

"Well I'm not ready to go back to school yet." I told her.

"Well since you told the school you're sick you won't be doing anything today." Taylor said.

"Do I ever do anything?" I asked finally looking at her because she knows all I do is lay around and cry.

"Just stop." She said quietly.

That's when it hit me that I better not make Taylor mad. Taylor was only supposed to take care of me until my dad got back, and now that wasn't ever going to happen. I'd never really thought about having to leave before, but I knew it would be inevitable. The year she was originally going to have me for was almost up and Taylor was only 24, I doubted that she'd keep me with her. It was likely that I would be placed in a more permanent foster home until I graduated high school.

With this thought upsetting me as we got back home I quietly went up to my room. I was scared to death, my parents were gone but I'd gotten close to Taylor. Without Taylor I would have nobody I loved and nobody who loved me. How can I have a happy life? The worst part was that it was going to happen and nothing could stop it, and it would probably happen soon.

I started crying at the though of saying goodbye to Taylor as she dropped me off with a new family. Taylor was the one who saw me when my dad was alive and was there with me when he died. How could I go on without her? I can hardly even go on without my dad.

I was startled when my door open and Taylor sat on my bed where I was curled up under the blankets.

"I'm sorry I said that to you, I didn't mean to make you cry." She said while putting her hand on my back. What she said didn't make me cry, but I didn't say anything about it. Taylor got under all the blankets too and we both laid there all cuddled up in silence. I was grateful for the time I had left with Taylor, and maybe I was crazy for worrying about where and who I would end up with, but it's a very realistic worry.

TAYLOR'S POV

I ate lunch while Caroline slept on the couch. I think I upset her earlier, but ever since then she'd been with me all the time and almost clingy. At least she wasn't mad at me. My thoughts were interrupted by Caroline squirming around on the couch. Even though I'd dealt with it before it still disturbed me when she got nightmares.

"Hey, it's okay." I told her as I sat on the edge of the couch and woke her up. Her eyes searched for a while before they met mine.

"Are you alright?" I asked her when I pulled her in for a tight hug. All she did was cry. I repositioned myself on the couch so I was fully sitting on it with lots of blankets and Caroline was leaning into my side. I stroked her hair as she cried and I thought about what to say next. There was nothing to say. I had no more comforting words and all I could do now was just let her cry and try to heal on her own.

The next day she went to school for a full day and after it I took her out for ice cream. Except we stayed in the car and ate our ice cream because I figured she'd had her fair share of socializing today. When we got home she went straight to my room for a nap, but I didn't care, I was proud of her for going to school all day.

"Taylor?" Caroline asked from my bed. I was sitting in the armchair reading a book.

"What?" I replied looking up.

"Come lay down." She said almost as if she was shocked that I hadn't yet. I did it just to make her happy but once she fell asleep I got up and made myself productive. Each day Caroline was doing better with coping with everything. It was never going to be okay, and she had her good days and her bad days. But with each passing day I can tell she is making more of an effort to be at least kind of happy. Even if she is just happy for a few minutes about something little, that's progress. And I was very proud of her.

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20,000 reads! That's pretty insane compared to the reads on my other stories. I just wanted to let you guys know that on Wednesday (which is a week from today) there won't be an update because it's my last day of school. But I'll try my best to get a chapter in on Sunday. Thanks for understanding!