Family Ties (girlxgirl)

Chapter 1

Two years later

Leanne Murray was looking through her clients files. The pediatric doctor had just finished examining the little boy with leukemia and wanted to double check everything. She walked back to the front desk where anxious families were waiting on results and where future patients waited for their turn. She walked behind the desk to pick up the file of the next patient and she was tired. She reluctantly did a double shift that day so she was ready to head home.

A loud noise stopped her from doing her job. Across from the waiting room, there was a girl swearing and banging the vending machine. Leanne couldn't put her hand on what was so familiar about the girl but she decided to end her curiosity. She made her way towards her before and stopped a few feet away.

"Can I help you?" Leanne asked surprising the girl but gasped once the girl turned around to face her. They had met before, two years ago. She was the child that came into their home with a gun and pushed her to help a young Asian. The girl remembered her as well by the looks of it and stood frozen before the doctor. The girl was dirty and smelled like she had not showered in days. Her old clothes were torn and her muddy shoes had holes in them. She was not dressed for winter and that somehow bothered Leanne. All those questions and feelings she had since that day two years ago came rushing back and left her a little out of breath.

Leanne cleared her throat and asked the question again. When she didn't get a reply, she looked at the vending machine to see a granola bar stuck in the middle. Leanne marched behind the girl, whose eyes never left her, to stand beside the vending machine. With one good hit to the side, the granola bar fell all the way down. The older woman grabbed the bar and offered it to the teenager.

"You have got to know their weaknesses, right?" Leanne said laughing. "I'm Leanne by the way. You remember me don't you?"

The girl was about to answer when someone shouted her name from the elevator. She rolled her eyes and walked to a middle aged woman and got into a heated argument. Curious, Leanne called a nurse who knew everything about everyone in the hospital.

"Nana, that girl over there" she said pointing "do you know her?"

"Yeah, that's Sara Green. She comes here often but her sister had her appendix removed today"

"What's her story?"

"Poor girl is in the foster system, has been for years now. She and her sister got a rough life, too rough if you ask me" Nana said. "That lady there is her handler. I don't know her name because every time Sara comes in it's a new person"

Leanne thanked Nana before making her way back to the desk but couldn't shake Sara out of her mind. She boldly stared at the two arguing wondering what was so fascinating with this specific girl. She had seen other kids from the system but none of them behaved like her. When she saw Sara storm out of the building Leanne jogged to the lady to ask her some questions about Sara.

"I don't know what to do anymore" the lady whose name was Mrs. Harris said "I have tried everything but it just doesn't work. It's really hard to find a family who is willing to accept two kids but almost impossible with a girl like Sara. I understand why she does the thing she does but life is unfair and sometimes you just got to go with it you know? My last resort is separating those girls because I would have zero problems putting the younger one in a decent home but it is impossible to separate those two"

"What if I let them stay in our home?" Leanne blurted out without thinking which surprised both women.

"You want to foster these children? For real?" Mrs. Harris asked shocked.

"Come on, it does not seem that bad. Tell me what to do to foster them, give me their files and I will talk to my husband. I'm sure he will understand"