Adaptation

Meeting

Before Elizabeth arrived

The police walked Kate from their cruiser to her front door she knew it was over.

Then to be informed that Lin and his Wife would be arriving shortly made her day go from bad to worse. She was thankful that Liz was out and about instead of seeing her mother in handcuffs as police officers raided their house for drugs.

She answered question after question truthfully and defeatedly. It was suppose to be one run that had turned into a daily occurrence, but the money was great and she was finally paying off student loans!

Another car pulled up and out stepped Lin. And his Wife. Great.

"Mr. Miranda, we have to go over legal paperwork. Everything that follows must be in Elizabeth's best interest." A CPS worker told him.

"Of course, is she here? Where is my daughter? I-"

"You use that term loosely, don't you?" Kate practically spit.
Lin turned to look at her. She continued, "Daughter? Doesn't that mean you actually have to  be a father?"
Lin narrowed his eyes, "I-"
The CPS worker also inerupted him, " She's here!"
A police officer, spurred on by her words , met the girl In the yard.

Present time

Donna walked Liz into the house and the girl pushed passed the police and the two new people that she recognized as Lin and his wife. She ran into her mother chest and hugged her. Kate, who was unable to hug her back due to the cuffs, tried to calm her child down. Elizabeth was now crying softly, in a rare fit of emotion. The last time they had had an interaction like this, was after an ex boyfriend had thrown Liz into a mirror, shattering it and cutting Liz in several places.
"Mom, they're wrong, right?" Elizabeth whispered.
"Elizabeth,  I- I love you. Soooooo much baby. And, I put you at risk and for that I'm sorry. I got in with some bad people ,Liz. I'm not going to be around for a while and I need you to be strong- "

"No! That's not happening What's going on?" She looked around frantically.

Donna stepped forward, "Elizabeth,  you're going to go with your father. He has custody now, and that means you'll live with him for a while."

" What? No, you can't do that!" She turned and pointed at Lin, " He cant do that! I won't go. You can't make me. MOM!" When Elizabeth turned back to her mother, Kate was being led out of the room by an officer.  "MOM!"  The teen called out again as she tried to follow but was grabbed by strong arms around her waist. Fight instincts kicked in and she threw an elbow back and into the nose of her attacker. A strain of Spanish curses followed but Liz didn't stick around to translate. She made it to the porch in time to see the police car rolling smoothly down the driveway. "Mama?" She whimpered softly.
This time , the hand that grasped her shoulder was soft. She turned to see, the woman who had been beside Lin. His wife.

"What do you want?" She spun and looked her in the eye.

"To see if your okay. To help you. To-" She spoke with a sweet voice.

"To help me? This is what you call helping me? Taking me from my mother?" Elizabeth screamed.

The police officers skirted of the porch, saddened by the scene unfolding before them. Donna had left Lin, who was holding a bloody nose , holding a file filled with information on Elizabeth  and gone to finish her daily rounds. The three were alone.

Elizabeth sat on the top step and cried. Her head was tucked into her knees  and her shoulders rocked slightly.

Vanessa eventually turned and returned into the house to find Lin sitting at the kitchen table.