Chapter 8

A few days later, Josie was finding that taking care of Paige wasn't getting any easier.

She arrived home from work with two bags of takeout from Maple Street Diner, a family restaurant with killer lasagna and chicken alfredo. She'd purchased two orders of each, since she didn't know what Paige wanted.

I'm essentially a single parent now,she thought, laughing to herself a little as she pushed open the door to her apartment. This whole thing is so much harder than I thought it would be.

In the past, if she hadn't had time to make dinner, she didn't sweat it. She'd thrown something frozen into the microwave or gone out to eat. But now, not having had the time to cook a nutritious meal made her feel as though she was letting Paige down.

Paige stepped into the kitchen as Josie was unloading the food onto the counter. Josie grinned at her sister and Paige smiled back slightly.

"Smells good." Paige sniffed the air curiously. "Is that alfredo?"

"Yep. And lasagna. Which one do you want?"

"Alfredo, please." Paige stepped up to the to-go containers eagerly, inhaling the rich, creamy smell of the pasta.

Josie had to admit that it was nice to be ready to eat after only washing her hands and grabbing a couple of forks for her and Paige. They sat down together at the kitchen counter with the food and a couple of cans of seltzer water.

"How was school today?" Josie asked.

Paige gave her usual answer. "Fine."

Just be patient,Josie told herself, remembering Wesley's advice. Give her time.

"Have you met anyone at school who you'd like to be friends with yet?" Josie asked, trying to ask a more specific—and more intentionally positive—question.

Paige shrugged, but she didn't say no. Josie waited, lifting a forkful of the cheesy lasagna to her lips as she watched her sister.

"I did meet one kid who seemed nice," Paige said.

"That's great!" Josie said, thrilled that Paige was opening up. "What's her name?"

"Uh, it's a guy actually." Paige took a sip of her seltzer water. "His name is Tommy. He's the other foster kid in town."

"Really?" Josie grinned. "That's great! Is he nice?"

Paige grinned back, and Josie's heart leapt up to see it. It was the first time she'd seen her sister smile like that since she'd arrived. "Yeah, he's super nice. And it was nice to talk to someone else who's new here."

Josie nodded. "I completely understand that."

For a moment, the two sisters smiled at each other. Josie felt happy. This is progress, she thought. I'm so glad she has someone to talk to now. She seems excited about it.

At that moment, Josie's cell phone started to ring. She pulled it from her pocket, intending to silence it—the dinner hour was prime time for spam callers—but she saw that the call was from Portland, Maine.

"What is it?" Paige asked, noticing Josie's worried expression.

"I think it's about Mom," Josie said, standing up. She had an instinct to take the call in another room, in case it was about something that would upset Paige.

"Stay here," her sister urged her, reaching her hand out and tugging on Josie's sleeve.

"Okay." Josie nodded and answered her phone quickly, worried that the caller would hang up before she could pick up the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Josie Garner?"

The woman speaking on the other line had a clinical tone. It was polite, but crisp, and Josie felt her stomach tighten. She had a feeling that the news wasn't good.

"Yes, this is Josie Garner."

"I have an update about your mother. Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, I do." Josie glanced at Paige. Paige was watching her with her lips pressed together. She's scared, Josie thought.

The woman on the phone went on to say that Josie's mother had tried to leave the rehabilitation center. She had been caught and brought back, but was resisting her therapy sessions and fighting verbally with the staff every chance she got.

Josie inhaled as she listened and made comments every once in a while. "Yes. Yes. No, I'm not surprised." She felt frustrated and discouraged, because she'd been hoping that things were going to get better for her mother. But this seemed to confirm her fears that her mother didn't want to change—which was the first necessary step toward recovering from addiction.

"This may mean that her mandated time at the rehabilitation center is going to be extended," said the woman. "We're not sure yet. She needs to cooperate and show progress."

"I understand. I agree." Josie listened again for a few seconds, and then said, "Please keep me updated."

"We will."

Josie and the woman hung up, and Josie realized that her heart was pounding. She glanced at Paige, who was frowning at her.

"That was about Mom," Josie said slowly. She didn't know where to begin.

"No kidding," Paige said. "What do they say happened?"

Josie swallowed. "They said that she tried to leave the rehab center—"

Paige shook her head. "That's stupid. They don't know her. They probably thought she was trying to leave when she was just going for a walk or something."

Josie's lips parted. She felt sure that their mother had actually tried to leave. She wondered how to best have a conversation with Paige about the situation.

"Paige," Josie said slowly. "Mom—"

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Paige cut in. "And you're over here being like, ‘I'm not surprised.' Like come on, you don't even know Mom anymore."

Josie swallowed. "Mom doesn't make good choices. I know—" Josie stopped. It was clear from Paige's stormy expression that she was very upset. Josie decided to drop the subject for now and talk about something else. She took a deep breath and mustered a reassuring smile. "But she's going to be fine. That's the important thing, right?"

Paige pressed her lips together and nodded.

Josie waited for Paige to eat another mouthful of her alfredo, and then said, "You know, there's a Blueberry Bay Thanksgiving event coming up soon. It's going to be a lot of fun. And there's going to be amazing food, of course. Would you like to go with me?"

Paige looked up from her food. She was still frowning a little, but to Josie's surprise, she said, "Sure. That would be cool."

"Really?" Josie found herself grinning. "That's great!"

Paige shrugged. "Yeah, I've heard a little about it already."

"Oh, yeah? From who?" Josie asked, even though she had a hunch about who it was already.

"Tommy. He told me he's going to be there with his foster family."

Paige kept her eyes on her food as she continued to eat, and Josie smiled a little to herself. Good, she thought. Seems like Paige has made a friend. I'm glad.

She felt her heart lift. She was excited to go to the Thanksgiving event with her sister. She guessed that it would be a good opportunity for Paige to see how great Blueberry Bay really was.

* * *

"Tommy! It's time to go!"

Sandy stood at the front door, wondering where Daniel and Tommy both were. They knew it was time to leave for the Thanksgiving celebration. She smirked as she glanced at her watch. Daniel was most likely taking too long to brush his teeth, like he usually did—he would stand in front of the mirror and get lost in thought—but she had no idea what could be taking Tommy so long.

He's probably nervous, she thought. Wondering what to wear. Tommy seemed a little unsure of himself, and socially self-conscious. She and Daniel had bought some new clothes for him, including nice sweaters and a leather jacket, after he'd arrived, and she hoped he felt comfortable wearing one of those. His own clothes had been pretty worn-out.

"Boys!" Sandy hollered. She loved that. She loved that she could shout for them like that; it made her feel like they were a family.

Daniel appeared around the corner, wiping his mouth. "Sorry, sorry." He grinned at his wife. "You look amazing."

Sandy twirled. She was wearing a bright green blazer over a white sweater. She did feel extra festive today.

Tommy hurried into sight a moment later, and Sandy was glad to see that he was wearing a gray sweater they'd bought him—and he was wearing the brown leather jacket over that.

"You look very stylish, Tommy." She beamed at him.

He smiled back at her shyly, his dark brown eyes shining a little behind his glasses. Daniel handed Tommy a hat to cover his short dark hair. "Protect those ears, young man. It's cold out there."

They piled into Sandy and Daniel's car and drove to the potluck Thanksgiving that was being held in the basement of Blueberry Bay's town hall. The event had been organized by a few residents of Blueberry Bay, and it sounded as though over half the town had signed up for the event.

"I can't wait to eat all this food," Sandy said eagerly as they pulled up to the town hall. The parking lot was already brimming with cars, and some people had started parking on the street already. "I saw the sign-up list, and there are so many delicious dishes on this menu!"

Daniel chuckled. "It is going to be a great time." He winked at Tommy, who was starting to look a little nervous. "But I think the company is going to be the best part. A lot of our friends will be there. We're excited to introduce you to them, Tommy."

"I'm excited to meet them," Tommy said. He smiled. "Do you think they'll know I'm your foster kid, or will they think I'm Daniel's long-lost uncle?"

Daniel burst into laughter and Sandy chuckled.

He's so polite, Sandy thought. And funny. Such a sweet kid. She was excited for him to meet her friends. She knew they would all be kind to him, and she hoped that would boost his confidence more.

They went inside the town hall and down the old marble staircase to the basement. The community room had red brick walls and latticed windows placed high up, near the ceiling. It was well-lit and adorned with autumn-themed decorations. The somewhat plain big room had been turned into a cozy paradise for the party—especially because of the sights and smells of two tables' worth of delicious food.

Sandy and Daniel were immediately greeted by some of their friends, and they eagerly introduced Tommy. He shook people's hands and smiled sweetly, looking a little shy but seeming to have a good time.

He seems to be settling in well,Sandy thought, feeling a rush of relief. I'm so glad.

The meal commenced. People lined up in front of the tables, chatting and laughing while they waited to get their food. Once Sandy, Daniel, and Tommy had loaded their plates with a multitude of small helpings of the savory dishes, they sat down at a round table on one side of the room. They were joined by Caitlin, Pearl, and Michael, and Tommy made a point of thanking Caitlin for the dinner she'd made them.

"Oh, I'm going back for seconds," said Daniel, groaning over a mouthful of mouthwateringly buttery mashed potatoes. "These are incredible."

"Thanksgiving is the day of seconds. And thirds," said Caitlin, laughing.

"Hear, hear!" said Michael, and Pearl giggled at him.

As they were finishing eating, Tommy asked if he could be excused. "There's someone over there I'd like to talk to." He pointed to a nearby table, where Josie Garner and a blond-haired teenage girl were sitting.

"Oh, sure!" Sandy smiled, thrilled that Tommy had made a friend.

"Who is that?" Daniel asked as Tommy sat down next to the teenage girl.

"That's Paige, Josie's sister," Michael said. "She's a nice kid."

After the meal, people began to play games or started milling around the room, stopping to talk to the friends they hadn't seen yet. Sandy noticed Paige and Tommy sitting together at a table, laughing together as he taught her how to play chess. Tommy was saying something with a huge grin on his face and gesturing dramatically, and Paige was giggling. Sandy was thrilled that Tommy had found a good buddy. She smiled as she watched them.

She noticed Josie watching the teenagers as well. Josie was also smiling a little, clearly pleased about the budding friendship. Sandy stepped closer to Josie, grinning at her.

"Hey! Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Josie seemed a little startled at first, as if she had been lost in thought, but smiled warmly at Sandy. "It's a great party, isn't it?"

"The best." Sandy grinned. "And I'm thrilled about those two." She gestured to Tommy and Paige. "Tommy's a great kid, and I'm glad he's found a friend already."

Josie nodded. "I feel the same way about Paige. It's a huge relief that she's found someone to connect to."

"I heard Paige is your sister," Sandy said. "I can see the resemblance, for sure."

"Yes, she is." Josie smiled, but she suddenly seemed a little tense, Sandy thought. "She's staying with me for a while."

"That's great!" The wheels of Sandy's brain were turning. "But I'm sure it's challenging. I've fostered a lot of kids of all ages, and having a teenager move into your home is no easy task, I know."

Josie nodded, but she didn't say anything.

"You know, if you end up having any questions—or concerns, anything like that—just give me a shout. I'd be happy to help. I know with Paige it's different, since she's your family instead of a stranger, but I can help you out if you want any tips about having a young adult suddenly in your house! There are a few things I wish someone had told me." Sandy laughed, smiling good-naturedly.

Josie bit her lip for a second, looking as though she wanted to ask a million questions. Her lips parted, but then she closed them again and shook her head a bit stiffly. "Thanks, Sandy. I appreciate the offer. I really do."

Sandy nodded, wondering if Josie had something to ask after all, but after another couple of seconds she said, "Would you excuse me?"

"Of course!" Sandy smiled reassuringly, but inwardly she felt worried.

"I'll see you later," Josie said, seeming to hesitate for a moment, and then she walked away.

I wish she'd felt comfortable asking for help, Sandy thought. She'd learned a long time ago that raising a kid, especially one that had been going through something difficult, was tough. She didn't know what had been going on with Paige's home life, but she guessed that something had gone wrong, or she wouldn't be living with her sister all of a sudden. Helping a kid was much easier when you were willing to ask for help for yourself.