Page 11 of Gone
“I think that’s wonderful,” said Nat.
“It was wonderful. Luke was just a kid himself, trying to act as father to his siblings. He was such a little man, so responsible, even back then. The girls were so small,” said Alexandra, shaking her head. “I love my children, but I miss when they were small and needed me. Now, I love spending time with the grandkids and great-grandkids.”
“It’s hard to believe you’re great-grandparents,” smiled Nat. “What about you, Sophia? What made you decide to take on five siblings?”
“Not much different than Alexandra. I couldn’t have children after what was done to me by the cult.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about this,” said Nat.
“No. No, don’t be silly. It helps to talk about it, no matter how long it’s been. Like Alexandra, I fell in love with Ivan and knew I wanted to adopt at some point. Social workers and adoption agencies were hesitant because of my abuse. I knew it wouldn’t matter, and when I saw those five desperate faces, I couldn’t look away.
“They just needed to be held and to be loved. They only asked for a bath, clean clothes, and something to snack on. Can you imagine that?”
“What’s beautiful in all of that, Sophia, is that in spite of your experiences, you knew how to love those children,” smiled Nat.
“I think instinctively, most women know. Unfortunately, many aren’t capable of it for one reason or another. Are you considering adoption?”
“Oh, no. Flip and I are too old at this point. It wouldn’t be fair to a child. Plus, with our unusual gifts, it would be hard to show our true selves. It would scare a child. We’ve loved being aunt and uncle to all the other children.”
“It’s never too late, honey,” said Alexandra. “There are a lot of older kids who need loving homes, and you know there’s always room at Belle Fleur.”
“I know,” she nodded. “I wish there’d been someone like the two of you when I was a kid. I was so different, I’m not sure my situation would have changed much. In fact, it could have been worse. Someone might have turned me over to a lab or something.”
“Well, you’re exactly where you should be right now,” said Sophia, clutching her hand.
“Hey, guys!” yelled Erin. “Come and look at this!”
Standing at the edge of a cliff, she waved her arm over the magnificent view beyond. The canopy of trees is beginning its seasonal change to lush yellows, reds, and oranges. In the distance, a magnificent waterfall was spraying her excess, misting the trees around her.
“Wow,” whispered Lissa. “That’s stunning.”
Ivy stepped forward with her camera, snapping shots of the magnificent views, while capturing the expressions of her friends as well. When Tailor and Alec stepped forward, they both chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?” asked Ivy. Tailor smiled down at her, shaking his head.
“This view was worth the granola bars and dried fruit.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time they reached the end of the trail, it was almost lunchtime. Deciding to find a spot to sit and relax, they pulled out their lunch and enjoyed this quiet family time.
When a group of scouts marched up the trail, the men all smiled, remembering their days of uniforms and hiking.
“Hi!” called out twenty little boys.
“Hi,” called the others back to them.
“Afternoon, folks,” said the scout leader. “Hope we’re not bothering you. Just wondering if any of you have bandages? I thought I had enough, but it appears some of my little hikers didn’t wear the right socks, and I’ve got kids with blisters on their blisters.”
“Oh, poor babies,” said Lena. “Don’t worry, we’ve got a doctor and several nurses here. Everyone with blisters, come have a seat over here.” Seven little boys hobbled toward her, and she smiled at them.
Adam, Wilson, Cruz, and Lena broke out the first-aid kits, taking the boots off the little guys. They ranged in age from eight to twelve, but some looked so young it was killing Lena.
“This looks like a big group for one scout leader,” said Ghost.
“Normally, I have two dads helping me, but they both bailed this weekend, and I couldn’t tell the kids no. We’ve been waiting to do this, and with school started already, we couldn’t delay this any longer.”
“I’m sure they appreciate it. They look like good kids,” smiled Nine.
