I pulled on my gloves and got in the car, turning the heat on high. It was one of the coldest Decembers that I could remember in recent years. I tried to contact two foster families on my way to the Delphys’ to pick up Emily but there wasn’t an answer at one home and the other family had already left the state for the holidays. I pulled into the Delphys’ drive and Karen greeted me at the door. “I’m so sorry, Karen,” I said, closing the door behind me. “How’s Eric?”
“He’s upstairs talking to his mom. They’ve been expecting this and trying to prepare for it but …”
“You’re never ready,” I said.
“No.” She shuffled her feet and I knew something was terribly wrong.
“What is it, Karen?”
“Eric and I are going to have to stay with his mother for a while to settle the estate. He’s not the oldest child but he is the only one capable of taking care of his mother right now. We need to help her move out of the house she’s been in for forty-five years and get her settled into a nearby retirement village and we have no idea how long all of that is going to take. It could be several weeks.”
I understood what she was saying. There was no place for Emily right now.
“I just don’t know how we could—”
“It’s okay,” I said. “Don’t worry about her.”
“She’s a sweet little girl,” Karen said. “But the funeral and everything isn’t going to be the right environment. I feel awful about this, Patricia. We want her to come back just as soon as we’re home again.”
“Thanks, Karen,” I said. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of in the meantime.” Emily walked into the entryway holding her suitcase. Karen knelt down in front of her and zipped her coat. Emily looked at the floor. Karen kissed her forehead and opened the door for us.
“Tell Mr. Eric I’m sorry that he’s so sad.”
Karen smiled and kissed her again.
I helped Emily into the backseat of my car and got behind the wheel. I needed to find another long-term foster home for her soon. I drove through the streets toward Wesley House, a home built by Methodists during the Civil War to help care for widows and orphans. Over the years it had been used to house children six years and older who weren’t in foster placement at the time. Emily could stay there for a few nights till I could find her a temporary foster home. I looked at her in the rearview mirror. She was holding her teddy bear and looking out the window. She hadn’t changed much in the five months since I first met her. She was still quiet and her eyes held the same uncertainty I saw in July. I turned onto the road that led to Wesley House. I drove slowly and soon realized that I had let off the gas entirely and the car was coasting. Emily didn’t notice. She continued to look out the window. I stopped at the yield sign before the entrance of Wesley House and sat there for the longest time watching her in the rearview mirror. She realized the car had stopped and looked at me. I turned to look at her and tried to smile but couldn’t. She was afraid and I knew it. She held my gaze and my heart broke. There was too much sadness in the world. Five-year-old little girls shouldn’t be faced with life without their mothers, especially at Christmas. My mother always reminded me that life was made up of choices. Sometimes the choices you make will lead to trouble, and you’ll have to deal with that, she said more times than I could remember. Other times, a choice may change your life, and you’ll have to deal with that, too. What I was about to do was against the code of conduct for social workers but I didn’t care if I was reprimanded or even fired. I pulled into the end of the Wesley House drive, turned around, and drove away. I had no idea what that simple choice would mean.
I opened my garage door and pulled inside. “Here we are,” I said.
Emily pushed the button on the seat belt and it released. I opened the car door for her and she stepped out into the garage. I opened the trunk and pulled out her suitcase.
“There’s been a change of plans,” I said, opening the door that led into the kitchen, “and you’re going to stay at my house. Is that okay?”
She nodded. Girl greeted us with a round of wet kisses. Emily turned her face.
“That’s enough, Girl. Lie down.” She lay in front of Emily and wagged her tail. “That’s Girl.” Her tail was moving so fast that her entire body wiggled with excitement.
“That’s a funny name,” she said.
“It’s not the most original but it did take us several seconds to come up with it.” I could tell that Emily was apprehensive but she stretched out her hand for Girl. “Careful, she might lick you to death.”