Call Me Lost, Child (On Hold Until Summer)

Chapter 20: The Letter

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A/N: So much drama. Will be fully edited soon!

Chapter 20: The Letter

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Maggie continued to stare at me with her large curious eyes while chomping on her green beans. Ruth kept asking us questions, to make sure that she wasn't missing any details as to why we looked like we just rolled out of WWIII. And Gabe, oh gosh Gabe was just there. He made his presence known by his torturous gaze that was on me all of dinner. Okay it wasn't exactly torturous.

"Mhm," I cleared my throat. They all glanced up at me. I stared at Ruth sadly, she seemed so stressed lately, but she didn't really tell anyone. She didn't talk to me because I was never around. I was going to excuse myself, but I changed my mind and shook my head.

"So Ruth? How have you been? I'm sorry that I haven't been home enough to help out with things." I said quietly. I raised my glass and took a sip as I watched her carefully. Her movements were careful and that wasn't usual because Ruth was a very lively person with an even more lively personality. Yet I remembered how hard hard it might be being her. She supported three kids that were not biologically hers, she co-owned a church, and she was a highly admired doctor. Ruth had many responsibilities.

"Oh nonsense!" She replied simply. Her frail hand waved me off. I didn't realize how much weight she had lost since I got here. How did I notice none of these things? "Don't you worry about me, darling. I am fine, there's just a lot of work I've had to do lately." She said with no hesitation in her voice, almost as if she had been practicing that line for days.

Are you sure about that Mom?" Gabe asked. I knew it wasn't his birth mother, and it was the first time I heard him call her mom.

"I'm sure Gabe." She mumbled with a soft smile. It was a reassuring one.

"If there were anything wrong, you would tell us right?" I asked her softly. She had been so good to me. As soon as I arrived she treated me like her own. She took me in and gave me a place to truly call home and now something was up and I greatly doubted that she would tell us at all. She would put us first and take as much pain as she possibly could before it could affect us.

"There's nothing wrong and if there were, I'd call on God. He would never leave us." She said, indirectly avoiding my question.

"If you say so." I whispered quietly. Maggie had left the table without us noticing and everything was just so quiet. The setting around the table, was strange yet comfortable. We were all seated in the dark brown cushioned chairs. The table clothed was a light beige that was barely illuminated by the dim lighting of Ruth's small chandelier, probably because two out of three of the bulbs were busted. The only sounds were the animals from outside moving among the trees and the clanking of forks on our plates that caused a small echo within the room.

"Did anyone check the mail today?" Ruth asked, taking most of the attention off of herself.

"No, it totally slipped my mind." Gabe answered. He pushed away his plate of food lightly and stood up.

"You don't have to check now dear, I will." Ruth said quickly, also rising to a stand.

"No, I want you to relax and eat mom. I'll check it. Okay?" She stared at him for a second. There was a small sparkle in her eye before she nodded and took a seat again. That was kind of him, I thought.

"I heard the front door click open and the metal door in front of it open as well. A few seconds later, Gabe came back in with the daily paper, a coupon, and three envelopes.

"Here you go." He said with a cheeky smile. It reminded me of a little kid that just did something amazing and was waiting for their reward.

Ruth chuckled. "Thank you hun, now sit and finish your food. No wasting." She warned playfully, but as every other mother, she was dead serious.

He chuckled as well. "Of course." He walked around the table, right back next to me an