Shelly explains as Chrissy gives me another hug. “Someone filed a complaint against your mother. When I went to check on your sister, I found deplorable living conditions. There was no electricity, no hot water, no food in the home, and the front door was hanging off the hinge. Your mother was also nowhere to be found. It took an hour of asking around the trailer park to find her. And she… didn’t make a great impression.” My jaw drops, but the woman keeps going. “I found that it was in your sister’s best interest to no longer be in the custody of your mother, and I’d already been told that you were seeking custody, and so I assumed, hopefully rightfully, that you would be fine to take her until the court is finalized?”
“Wh—” I glance at Chrissy, who is grinning. “I just…” I run my hand through my hair as tears blur my vision. I grab Chrissy and hug her so tight I know she can’t breathe. “Thank you,” I whisper, turning my head to look at the woman. “Seriously, thank you so much.”
“It is my pleasure, and my job, to ensure that children are in the best care possible.” She winks, then turns to leave. I squeeze Chrissy tighter.
“Who was—Chrissy?”
“I’m here to stay!” she shouts, leaping at Cammy who just walked in the front door.
I close it and lock it, wiping my eyes. I’m too emotional lately. I can’t handle it.
“What happened?” Cammy asks. “How are you here?”
Chrissy tells Cammy exactly what happened. Apparently, when they found Mom, she was about to toss back some pills… came out screaming at the woman for interrupting her, and when she tried to take Chrissy, she attacked her. She almost got arrested. Part of me wishes she had, but if she was, she’d have it good. A warm place. Food. Things she doesn’t deserve because she can’t even provide them for her own flesh and blood.
I stand in front of my two sisters, who are smiling at each other and laughing about who knows what. I don’t care what they’re saying, all I care about is that they’re smiling and they’re here. Safe.
Maybe sometimes things do work out. Maybe not everything has to end badly. If she’s here, then this is it. This is it. This is all we need.
“Okay, I love you both so much, and I am so glad to be here, but I need a shower,” Chrissy says.
I huff a laugh and kiss the top of her head quickly as she passes by to hurry into the bathroom. I don’t tell her that her head smells and to scrub it well—I’m sure she knows.
Cammy stares at me, a knowing smile on her face. “I knew it would work out.”
“No, you didn’t.”
I drop onto the couch beside her.
“Okay, no, I didn’t. But I hoped.”
“Hope in one hand, shit in the other…”
“See which fills up first. Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she groans, shoulder bumping me.
We sit there together for a little while, not saying a word, just enjoying the happiness that’s surrounding us right now. I don’t think anything could bring me down from this mood. And I won’t let it.
“Hey, uh, if everything is all set with Chrissy, do you think you could handle me going away for a weekend?” I ask.
She scoffs. “Excuse me? Where do you think you’re going without us?”
“Harmon needs me on some sort of trip.” Her eyes narrow. “I didn’t get more info from him because I’d told him no, but I kind of want to go.”
Her smile is slow. “Then go, Cass. Do whatever you need to do but also don’t forget to do what you want. But also,also… you better be planning a vacation for us this summer. I’ll yell at that Harmon Stone myself for vacation time if I have to.”
I huff a laugh. “I’m sure he won’t mind. Hey, did you schedule your driver’s test?”
“Yeah, they didn’t have anything for like six weeks.”
“Damn,” I mutter. “Better than nothing though?”
“That’s what I said.”
I lean my head on her shoulder.
“I’m so happy for us.”
Her head rests on top of mine, and we enjoy a quiet moment before she says, “I’m going to get everything together for a shower so I can jump in there when Chrissy is done.”