Page 66 of Heart of a Hero

She and Jeffrey had fostered a few children for a short time, but after he died, she had not felt the urge to do so even though she had kept up her certifications and registered in the county when she moved. She told Lisa that she wasn’t available until she was more settled, and with all the girls’ activities, that time hadn’t presented itself. But, now, she couldn’t imagine Marty and Zannie going anywhere else until their mother was located.

Mark had taken the kids to the library and to get ice cream while all the work happened at her house. She was glad, wanting the time to get their rooms ready and talk to Laura and Olivia first.

It didn’t take long to drive to the school, and her gaze quickly landed on the girls sitting on a wall near the parking lot.Oh God… a boy is sitting beside Laura.The young man wasn’t too close, but close enough that there’s no way it was not intentional. Knowing she didn’t have time to deal with a blossoming romance for a fourteen-year-old, she plastered on her best mom smile and parked near them. Olivia jumped up and raced toward the vehicle. Laura ducked her head as she looked at the boy, said something, then followed her sister.

The girls climbed into the back seat. “Mom!” Olivia shouted even though Karen was just a few feet away. “I got an A on my math test. And we got our English papers back, and I got an A on that, too!”

Karen couldn’t help but grin at her youngest’s enthusiasm, but then her gaze shifted to Laura, and she noticed how she stared out the window with her hand lifted in a little wave. Karen then glanced at the boy and sighed. His star-struck-lovesick expression was pinned on Laura as he waved in return.Oh God. I need a break from all the crazy being thrown at me!

As she drove home, she knew she needed more time than just a few miles to explain what was happening. Pulling into a nearby dollar store parking lot, she parked, then twisted in her seat to face the girls.

Seeing their confused expressions morph into fear, she hurried to say, “Everything is fine. Don’t worry.” Inwardly cursing, she knew they were both programmed to think the worst after having lost their dad.

“Then why are we here?” Laura demanded.

“I just need to explain what happened with my day before we get home.”

“O…kay,” both girls said simultaneously.

“I’m going to say it quickly, and then we can talk. I accepted two children into emergency foster care. With the help of Mark and some friends, we’ve already managed to set up the storage bedroom for the little boy, and Olivia… this is where I owe you a huge apology, but the little girl will be on the top bunk. I know?—”

“That’s so cool!” Olivia said, her eyes bright.

Karen knew her youngest could roll with life's punches but worried about her immediate acceptance. “Listen, we can always make a change as we go along, but the kids haven’t had a good, safe home for a while, and now they’ve been abandoned by their mom and have nowhere to go.”

“Mom, it’s okay,” Laura said softly.

Her gaze moved between her daughters. “You know that it’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to tell me that this idea sucks and that the intrusion into our home isn’t wanted.”

“But they need us, right?” Olivia asked, a little crinkle forming between her brows.

“Yes… they need a safe place to land until the investigation into where their mother went is determined. This is an emergency, temporary situation that caused me to make a hasty decision. The kids had already bonded with me?—”

Laura tilted her head. “You knew them?”

“One of my older patients lives next door to their home. He knew it wasn’t a good situation before the mother disappeared and would give the kids a place to stay after school and some food to make sure they didn’t go hungry. They would come around, and over the past couple of months, I’ve gotten to spend time with them when I see him after they get off the bus. The kids were there when I visited him today, and he told me they had spent the night. No one was at home, so I called Mark. The sheriff’s office is now investigating, and I called Child Protective Services to let them legally take charge of the children.”

“I remember you and Dad were foster parents sometimes,” Laura said, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Yes. We were short-term foster parents, usually only taking a child during an emergency for a couple of days or a few weeks at most.” She looked at Olivia. “Sweetheart, this affects you greatly, and I am so sorry that I made decisions today that impact your room. You left for school this morning from a room that was your own to a room now having another person in it.”

Olivia shrugged. “How old are they?”

“Marty is nine, and Suzanne is seven. She goes by Zannie.”

Olivia’s eyes brightened. “Oh, good! That means I get to be a big sister.”

Karen chuckled. “That’s one way to look at it. But it will only be for a short time until the mother is found.” Looking at Laura, she added, “You can bring all your personal items and put them in my bathroom. That way, you won’t feel like you are sharing the hall bathroom with three others.”

Laura grinned, then lifted a shoulder. “I’d like that. You’ve got a bigger sink and mirror.”

Karen nodded, then sighed. “Girls, I really wish I wasn’t springing this on you. I know it’s not fair to give you no notice. Things happened so fast, and the kids begged to stay with me, and?—”

“Mom, don’t you see?” Laura interrupted. “It was just meant to be. We know you wouldn’t have done anything to upset us, but you had no choice. We have you. We’ve always had you and a home. Those kids have nothing.”

“Yeah, Mom. We’ve got enough to share,” Olivia added.

Karen’s eyes filled, and she had to swallow deeply several times to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. “Okay, then let’s get home. Mark took the kids out to spend the afternoon at the library and get ice cream while some American Legion men and women brought the extra furniture and set up the rooms. We can help with a lot, but we needed to get things done quickly. And I wanted to have a chance to talk to the two of you before we all got home.”

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