Burning Love

The fire had to be a blessing in disguise, it brought me to this house and to the boy next door. In all honesty the years had blurred since I lost my parents. The foster care system was lacking at best and no one wanted the toddler. My family had burned in a fire that started in the kitchen and I was the only one who was spared. Still I remembered everything like it was engraved in my mind. My childhood was not sweet nor kind. 

    “Why can’t you behave like a normal little girl,” my father yelled, I didn’t understand what I had done. But I didn’t need to, I knew the smell. I learned at a young age that the clanking from the glass bottle was not a good sign. He was not alone in his efforts though, my mother didn’t not help me. “I sorry I have to do this, but you need to learn.” I was curled up on myself trying to be as small as possible, it didn’t stop the blow to my stomach from his foot. “Have you learned your lessons?” he slurred.

    I nodded so fast my head hurt, “Elizabeth, do you think she has learned?” he leaned over to where my mother was sitting, almost falling over in the process. 

    “Whatever you think my love.” she smiled as he kicked me again.

    He took another long drink from the glass bottle and fell back onto the rocking chair behind him. 

And I waited.

Until mother slinked off to their bedroom and father passed out in the chair before I quitely ran to my room. 

When I woke up my lungs were burning and the room was filled with fog. I shot up in made and ran to the door, swinging it open to the bright flames. I screamed as loud as I have had, I screamed until it felt as if I had swallowed the fire. 

Still they got closer.

I farther I backed away from them the faster them moved. I stepped back until I hit the wall beside my bed and felt the cold of the window behind me. That was my way out, I turned around and tried to lift the window. I remembered thinking when I was younger that it was jammed or broken but knowing better now.

My father had bolted the window closed so that I could never leave. But as a six year old I was still pretty smart and grabbed the biggest heaviest thing I could carry and threw it at the window. I watched as it shattered and the flames grew bigger. At this point I didn’t even think of the broken glass and climbed out of the house.

When I woke up the fire was gone and there was bright lights washing over the neighborhood. When the fire left it took the house and my parents along with it. I was sitting alone on the cold wet grass of my childhood home. 

~

For years I was dropped off from home to home, no one wanted me and not once did anyone fail to tell me. Maybe it was because of my past, that I didn’t trust anyone. Everyone was there to make my life hell. It wasn’t until I was placed in the home of an older couple when I was sixteen, that’s when stopped. The family lived in a small town and for years were unable to have children and decided to try and adopt, one look at the group homes and decided that wasn’t enough. There were hundreds of children who deemed troubled and where placed in bad foster home or just thrown in group homes that didn’t have enough space. “Hello Rose, this Trent and I am Brooke,” the Simmons were in their mid to late fifties and had bright eyes. “It’s nice to finally meet you, your social worker has told us so much about you.”

    I knew what he said, my reckless past in other foster homes, the destruction I had caused in an attempt to get kicked out. “Where do I sleep?” I had gone through the fake greetings far to many times to believe it, in a few days the government check would come in and they would have gotten what they wanted. 

    Brooke smiled and motioned for me to follow, she lead me to a room down the hall from the front door. “So you’ll go to school at the high school on main street. I have asked Jaxon, he lives next door and is your age, to show you around tomorrow.” I set my duffle bag on the bed, “And if you have any questions or need anything don’t be afraid to ask. Over the weekend we can go to the mall and get you some more clothes.” she smiled and left the room.  

    I glared at the door as she left and quickly unpacked, my last home had been small and the family already had two girls. When I had finished I walked to the kitchen to find the table set and Brooke over the stove. “Rose, are you all done unpacking, I almost have dinner ready if you want to take that to the table,” she pointed to the bowl filled with salad on the counter in front of me. I grabbed it and took it to the table where Trent was already sitting. 

    He looked up from the news paper in his hand and nodded to me. “Okay the chicken is done.” Brooke walked into the dinning room holding a pan. “Take a seat wherever Rose.”

    The night went by with a few questions from the Simmons and I headed straight to bed. I dreaded going to school the next day, jumping from school to school I didn’t have the best grade and track record. 

    “Rose, wake up.” I felt someone gently rocking me and I opened my eyes, “I don’t know how long you take to get ready so I hope half an hour is okay?”

    “Ummm, yeah I’ll be ready by then.” It only took me half that to get ready and in the kitchen as Brooke made toast. 

    “Do you want some,” she leaned over to check the time on the microwave, “Jaxon is coming here to drive you to school at seven forty so you still have some time.” She handed me a plate with toast and pointed me in the direction of the peanut butter. 

    We ate in silence until there was a knock at the door and a tall blonde boy walked in, “Hey Mrs. Simmons. I am here to talk Rose to school.”

    “Oh your early, I’ll be right back don’t leave yet,” Brooke walked down the hallway and disappeared into one of the rooms.

    “You must be Rose,” the boy, Jaxon, said as he leaned on the counter, “My mom said to give these to you, my sister outgrew them and she thought you might make use of them.” He handed me a box filled with clothes. 

    “Ummm… thanks.” I pulled on the treads handing of my jean shorts. 

    “This is for you Rose, just some things I knew you would need for school.” she reached out holding a backpack. I looked back and forth from Brooke and Jaxon, I didn’t know what to do.

    Jaxon grabbed it and stood up, “Well be better get going if we want to make it in time to get to the office.” Pulling his keys from his pocket he headed to the door and I scrambled after him. “So they really didn’t tell me much about you, just you’ve had a tough life and understand that. If you need anything, like a friend or someone to help you with school I am here.”

    “Thanks.” I whispered.

    “You really don’t talk alot do you?”

    “You’re nice.” I said staring out the window. “So are the Simmons.”

    “Yet you seem like you’re scared of us.” he pushed.

    I sighed, “I am waiting, I’ve been in enough foster homes to know the nice family act doesn’t stay for long.”

    “That’s when it’s an act, but the Simmons aren’t acting. They really care for the kids that come through their house.” I nodded and opened the door when he parked. “Hey,” Jaxon ran around the front of the car holding the backpack Brooke had given me, “I think you’ll really like it here if you gave it a chance.”

    In the years that followed nothing ever rang so true, I had fallen in love with the town, the Simmons and most importantly Jaxon.