Learning to Love

Fostering

I hated the idea of being in a foster family. Living with a random family I didn't even know?

"No way. You can't do that." I said. Still wiping my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

Jenny looked at me. "It's all you've got, unless you can think of somewhere else to stay."

I thought hard of somewhere to live. Anywhere else but some stupid foster home.

But nothing came up. Jenny sort of smiled at me.

I glared at her.

"Who would the family even be?" I asked, still glaring at her.

"We can go to the office and look through some of their profiles, and you can see which one you like best." Jenny said. "And since I'm you social worker we can set up a meeting with them so you can see them in person."

I sighed once again. I knew there was no getting out of this. I nodded, a bit confused. I didn't really know what a social worker was, but obviously it had something to do with the whole foster thing.

Jenny left me alone in the cold, soapy hospital room. I heard her talking with a doctor before. They said that I fainted yesterday because too much smoke from the burning car had gotten into my lungs.

But luckily they said I'd be free to go tomorrow.

In the morning Jenny came with some food and extra clothes. I munched on a hamburger while Jenny showed me what she had bought. I hated them all. It's like she though I was five.

The bag from the store contained a pink T-shirt, a pair of blue tights, and a purple jacket with a picture of and ice cream on it.

'You seriously expect me to wear this stuff?" I said in disgust holding up the jacket.

"You don't like it?"Jenny said. I almost laughed until I realized she was being serious.

Jenny and I talked about the whole foster thing.

She said that today we would drop by my house so I could pack up my things, then we would head to the office to look at foster familes.

The idea of being fostered still made me want to die, but something about Jenny made me seem a bit more positive.

"Can't I just wear this?" I asked, l*****g my fingers. "You said we're going to my house anyways to pick some stuff up."

Jenny thought.

"Well, I suppose so." She answered.

I felt relieved. How embarrassing it would have been to walk out the door in those hideous clothes.

That wasn't all that I was worried about either.

Jenny said that there were only a few foster families available.

What if none of them wanted me? What if they wouldn't let me do certain stuff?

I wished I could just live alone. It would be the perfect plan.

Nothing would change.

Except for the fact that my dad wasn't going to be coming home anymore. Not late at night, or early in the morning. Never.