Indecent Encounter(2)

“How'd you know I was here?” Cindy asked, leaning an ear closer to the door.

“Your mother’s the hostess at the restaurant where Mr. Randall…er…their father was tonight. She’s the one who told me you were babysitting.”

I could hear the man’s words as I hovered in Cindy’s shadow, but my child’s mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening. All I knew was that a peculiar sick feeling began to creep into the pit of my stomach.

On tiptoes, Cindy stretched toward the peephole, keeping her body as far from the door as possible. “Show me your badge, Deputy.”

“Yes, of course. Here it is. And this is Sharon Wilberger from Child Services.”

“You already said that,” Cindy said, opening the door to reveal a huge man and a smaller woman. Neither one of them was smiling. “What’s going on?”

I wanted to run and hide. Something bad had happened. I glanced back at the television and saw Alice drink the potion. She grew smaller and smaller. Karl picked up his toy and spun it again, fixated on the motion, though I could see a deep frown on his face.

“Chelsea?” The lady asked as she stepped around Deputy Benson. Her voice was gentle and soft as she held out her hand and motioned for me to come close. “Come here, dear.”

“There was a car accident. Your father died,” the deputy blurted out. He stood just inside our living room door with a wide stance and one hand on his hip, his words coming out with a hint of a wheezing sound as if the massive stomach that protruded over his uniform belt caused him difficulty breathing.

“Jesus, Bob, that’s not how you do it!” Sharon gasped.

I looked back at the television and saw Alice eat the cracker that made her grow. She was too large for the little door that led to Wonderland. Now she was crying giant tears, and I was confused about what was happening in my living room. Why did this strange lady want me to go with her? Why had the deputy said something so mean?

Cindy dropped to her knees next to me, her own sobs crashing against me as she wrapped me in another hug. On the television, Alice swam in an ocean of her own tears, but I was the one drowning as the shock of the Deputy’s words turned to reality.





Chapter Two





Chelsea





“I still can’t believe you’re going to Holland. You know that’s insane, right?” Clara asked as she flopped down on our sagging denim couch to watch me pack.

I looked around our small dorm room and tried not to think about how much I would miss it. Portland State University had snazzy, modern campus housing, but Clara and I liked our double studio in the historic Blackstone Residence Hall just fine. Parked between the couch, the over stuffed armchair, and wide window seat was a coffee table made from one of my foster brother’s old surfboards. It wasn't a lot, but it was ours.

Clara and I had spent many nights on that couch talking about everything from my business classes, to which of the hunky, body-builder twins from the floor above we wanted to date. And sometimes we talked about our brothers.

“I didn’t have the heart to tell Karl I’m going to Holland,” I said. “I wanted him to focus on going to Rainbow Roads. I’m so glad you told me about it. Now I can get him out of that state run program and get him the help he needs.”

Clara’s older brother was autistic like Karl, and he was flourishing in the program. It helped him learn how to interact with society, no easy feat for the profoundly autistic, but it offered more hope than most people had given our brothers.

“I know it’s expensive, Chelsea. Do you really think this job will pay enough?” Clara asked as she flung her legs over the fat arm of the overstuffed chair.

“Twenty thousand for the summer. Enough for now, anyway. My classes will be lighter next year, and I should be able to work enough to make the monthly tuition payments.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. The truth was, I didn’t really know how I would afford it. I had one more year of college, and then I could work full-time after graduation. I was the new college statistic. Unlike years ago when a student could make it through in four years, I was doing a fifth year, thanks to the budget cuts at state universities. I couldn’t get the classes I needed in order to finish my degree in four years.

“Twenty thousand dollars in three months and you don’t think this job is a little shady?”

“Geez. Stop being so suspicious,” I said and rolled my eyes. I’d already explained it a million times. “I left the website up on my laptop. Check it out for yourself.” I held up a t-shirt I was about to fold and waved it in the direction of the desk.