A New Family

The funeral

A few days after and Leah was getting ready with her best friend, Ella. Leah and Ella had been friends since they where in nappies as their mums had been best friends too. They where brought even closer by the fact that neither had a dad.

In every way that Leah was shy and nervous - Ella was outgoing and bubbly, in every way that Leah was artistic and academic - Ella was sporty and, well, sporty. However they both where inseparable, as if they were twins.

Leah stands at the window of Ella's bedroom, as she couldn't face going home yet, and watches the cars go by. Her strawberry blond hair that she inherited from her mum, was tied up in a loose bun on the back of her head. Her deep, Forrest green eyes were clouded over and unfocused. She wore a black blouse, underneath her mum's old black coat and she also wore black jeans paired with her school shoes. Her face was bare as she never wore makeup.

Suddenly she feels a tap on her shoulder and she turns her gaze to Ella who is standing beside her with an almost-equally sad look in her eyes.

"It's time to go Lee" she says, grabbing her friend's hand. Leah only nods and follows, not being able to talk much after loosing her mum.

After the service, people kept coming up to her and giving her their condolences. She could only nod her head or mutter a small 'thank you' as she was too far into her grief to do much more.

As she walked back to Ella's mum's car she noticed two men whom she had never seen before.

One had soft brown hair which contrasted with his steel grey eyes, he was also wearing a suit. A suit that was clearly expensive and definitely out of place in this part of Kent. 'He must not be from around here' Leah thought to herself.

The other had curly, sandy blond hair and vibrant, and cheerful green eyes. However he seemed nervous about something.

As the girls approached it seemed evident that the men were watching them. And then they exchanged words and started walking over.

"Hello" the one in the suit said, in an American accent.
"Hello?" Ella replied questioningly, while Leah looked on. Uninterested.
"I'm Mr Blackbourne, are either of you, Leah Edwards." At this Leah turned to actually look at them and not through them.
"That's me" she said quietly.
"Hi" the other man said. "I'm Doctor Sean Green" He didn't seem like a Doctor, he was too young. "It turns out that, since I'm you're father's cousin, I'm now your legal guardian."

Leah didn't know what to think. She had known she wouldn't be able to stay with Ella forever as they didn't have enough money to support her too. But she hadn't planned on this. She didn't know she had any family left, she was shocked. She must've been lost in thought for awhile as when she snapped out of it Ella was waving her hand in front of her face saying "Oi Lee, Leah! Snap out of it mate!"

"Oh right sorry" she replied focusing a bit.
"You where away with the fairies Lee! Totally out of it!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry" Leah repeated. She then turned to Doctor Green. "Do you have any proof, I can't just believe you."
"Of course" Doctor green replied, both him and Mr Blackbourne were impressed by her forward thinking nature. He pulled out some legal papers and handed them over. She flipped through them then nodded her head.
"They seem legit" she says.
"What?" Ella asks, "how would you tell?" Leah then points out some things that prove it's a legit document and Ella nods her head "ahh okay." Doctor Green and Mr Blackbourne look shocked but Mr Blackbourne recovers faster and hides his shock behind his steely mask.

"What happens now?" Leah asks. Doctor Green and Mr Blackbourne look at each other then back at her.
"Well" Mr Blackbourne starts "there Is really only two options. Either come with us or be placed in the foster care system." At this Ella gasps, shocked at his blunt words.
"Where do you live?" Asked Leah. The two men looked at each other before turning back.
"As I'm sure you could tell from our accents, we are from America, and we live in South Carolina so that's where we'd go." Replied Doctor Green.
"So you're saying she'd have to move to America?!!" Ella exclaims, scared at that possibility.
"Can I at least think about it?" Leah asks.
"Yes, we are here until the end of the week" replies Mr Blackbourne.
"Here is my number" Doctor Green hands Leah a card with his number on it.
"Thank you Doctor Green, Mr Blackbourne" replies Leah.
"Please call me Sean, and we are sorry for your loss" Leah nods and then she and Ella continue towards her mums car.

They wait there until Ella's mum comes. On the way back to Ella's place Leah says "actually Miss Brown, can you drop me home please?" She looked at her in the rearview mirror and asks
"Are you sure Leah, there is no rush, you know."
"I know and I'm sure." She replies.

When the car pulls up Leah gets out and says thank you and goodbye. She walks slowly towards the front door of the small council house and takes a deep breath.