Mother and Daughter

Kara looked at the dark, gloomy walls of her cell. Usually, they were an ever-present reminder of the limited freedom Kara had, how she was stuck in a jail cell, forced to live out a sentence she didn't deserve.

But today, the walls were the last thing Kara was thinking about. Not even their blank, boring concrete could spoil her mood. A counselor was coming today to work at the juvenile prison.

Of course, new people were a regular thing at Ember Island Juvenile Correctional Facility. Officers came and went, sometimes only staying an hour or two. But Ember Island had never had a counselor before, only correctional officers and managers.

Kara hoped that the counselor would help her. Ever since she found out from her "mother" that she'd been stolen from her biological family, Kara had been wondering who her biological mother was. Kara's "adopted" mother hadn't let Kara have any money or a phone of her own, trying to prevent Kara from finding her biological parents.

From Kara's time at school, she knew counselors were there to help kids cope with problems, but Kara herself hadn't ever had a conversation with one. Hopefully, the counselor coming to Ember Island would understand Kara's plight and try to help her. Just then, an officer making his rounds walked past Kara's cell.

"Officer?" Kara asked. The policeman turned around and saw her leaning against the cold metal bars.

"Yes?" he asked, one brown eyebrow raised.

"Do you know if I can see the new counselor?" Kara asked. She knew from experience most officers would decline favors, saying that prisoners shouldn't try to bargain their way out and that they could get in serious trouble if they tried to bribe an officer.

"Mrs. Admira? She's still setting up her office. Try asking someone tomorrow. They'll probably let you if you've been good," the officer said, continuing to walk past Kara's cell.

She sighed and stared at the ceiling. There's always tomorrow, she reminded herself.

* * *

The next day, Kara went through her daily routine as always, making sure to obey the police officers' commands flawlessly so that they'd notice how eager she was to meet the counselor. When everyone was returned to their cells, Kara kept her eyes open for officers. When one came along, Kara quickly got her attention.

"Officer? May I see the new counselor? An officer said yesterday that I should be able to go," Kara told the woman. The woman's uniform was fresh, with no wrinkles, and her hair was neatly done under her hat.

"I'll take you there. You can't be wandering about the prison by yourself, can you?" the lady officer answered curtly. Kara bristled at her tone but didn't say anything.

They walked in silence to the office, where Kara bravely stepped forward, ready to talk.

The first thing Kara noticed was the counselor herself. She was a middle-aged woman, with a fair complexion and long blond hair she had put in a ponytail. The woman had a light scar running down one cheek, and imposing green eyes. Not exactly what Kara had pictured.

"Mrs. Jane Admira, this girl requested to see you. I'll wait in the hallway. Just yell if you need me," the officer said crisply, turning on her heel and walking away.

"Have a seat," Mrs. Admira said, gesturing to a chair across from her desk. "I assume you're here for counseling. How can I help?"

"Um, well, it's about my family," Kara started. Mrs. Admira nodded. "So, I'm trying to find my biological family. I was separated from them when I was really little," Kara added. She launched into the story.

"My 'adopted' mother never told me anything about my biological family, and I didn't exactly ask. I knew I had another family, but as curious as I was, I didn't really consider them family since I hadn't grown up near them. Well, shortly before I was put in jail for helping my mom with something I didn't know was bad, I had scrounged up enough money for one of those ancestor kit things. My mom didn't know, and I didn't tell her. Then I got thrown in jail, and the kit was lost. I'm guessing my mom probably found it and threw it out. Anyway, now I'm asking if you can help me by getting one of those kits so that I can find my family. I'm getting out of here in a month or so, and I'd really want them to be able to bring me home when I'm able to go," Kara finished. Mrs. Admira leaned back in her chair, absentmindedly tapping a pen against her bottom lip.

"Kara, you're story reminds me of something, so I'll help you. But on one condition: you tell your family everything. Tell them why you got put here, your living conditions with your other mom, all of it," Mrs. Admira said. Kara nodded. It was an easy bargain, after all.

The two shook hands, and Mrs. Admira promised to purchase the kit that night.

***

A few weeks later, the kit came, and Mrs. Admira called Kara into her office to do the blood test. It was done shortly, and they sent the package back so the blood could be analyzed. Kara was so excited, she (for once) didn't mind the lousy jail cafeteria food. Mrs. Admira was pretty excited as well. She'd come to enjoy the girl's company.

When the kit came back, Kara was called into Mrs. Admira's office again. The counselor hadn't looked at Kara's results, so when Kara started jumping up and down and hugging Mrs. Admira, she was stunned.

"Kara, who are you related to?" Mrs. Admira asked. Kara stopped her dancing, but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

"You, Mrs. Admira. You're my mother!" Kara exclaimed. Mrs. Admira felt a wave of calm, happiness, and excitement overtake her, and she joined in the hugging.

And there, in the dim, flickering light of the counselor's office, mother and daughter were reunited.

Note: The character Jane Admira (the counselor) in this story was requested by CareFreeChicken on my Character Request Google Form. If you want to create your own character to be made, go to my bio for the link!