Just Come On In!

I woke up in a startled panic. Someone was at the door. I can't go out there looking like raccoons from the dumpster attacked me! I darted straight out of bed and ran to my closet. Just grab the first thing you see Makayla. My dark purple silk robe. I wrapped that around me while rapidly trying to run my fingers through my hair. Just put it in a bun. The doorknob was oddly cold for being in the middle of July. Outside the door was a teenage girl. Her scent consisted of the wind and her hair was dark brown and knotted.

" Hello! Can I help you guys?" I asked.

Hello! This is Hannah. We know that you have previously fostered children. We were wondering if you can foster Hannah? At least until we find a more stable and suitable home for her." He told me.

Oh my god! I had such a big decision to make. Do I foster her? Or let her try and find another foster home?

Many thoughts had started to fill my head:

Am I good enough to foster a teenager!

Do I remember my training and protocols for emergencies?

Can I foster another person?

My anxiety had gone through the roof. Seconds after he said that my mouth started to open. It blurted out yes!

What? What did I just do? Oh no, I just said yes. I don't even know if I am cut out for this.

They started walking through my house. Opening random doors and cabinets all over the house. What are they even looking for? Drugs? I have never done drugs nor will I ever do them. I don't smoke, and I rarely have alcohol. The only weapons I own are a tiny can of pepper spray and kitchen knives. After about ten minutes they had scanned the whole house. He gave me more information about Hannah and wrote his number on the notepad that hangs off my fridge.

Oh, I have to introduce myself to Hannah!

" Hello, Hannah. My name is Makayla. I am twenty-eight years old and I am a nurse at the Royal Alexander Hospital." I told her.

" Uh, hi. Like you know my name is Hannah. I am fifteen years old, and I don't have a job. I did drugs. That's why I am here. My parents had kicked me out on the street. With nowhere to go. The drugs had cut off my friends and I never found a love connection. So now I am here." She explained to me.

" Oh wow! That ok. You are clean now right?" I questioned her.

" Yes! I have been clean for two weeks. And yes, I do know that two weeks is a very little amount of time. But for me, it has seemed like years. I am very grateful for you taking me in. Might I ask why? Why take in a complete stranger?" Hannah wondered.

" Well Hannah, that is good that you are trying to get clean. Your progress is what counts. To answer your questions, I took in you, a complete stranger, because I feel that everyone deserves someone in their life. You are a minor. This means that you need more support than say me. I love helping people. That is part of my nature and personality. Which for the record, you will understand more very quickly." I vocalized.

" Huh! Your voice intrigues me. How are you so calm when you just had a massive question being thrown at you. But for the record, you are a nurse." She said remarkably.

" Ya, I just learned to deal with stress in a more, caring, way. Let's go check out your room. Over time it will be more your style, but since I had not to clue you were coming, I didn't prepare." I said as she followed me down the hallway.

I walked her into the spare room. It consisted of a queen-size bed, an organized work desk, a normal-sized closet, and a TV. Her face turned bright red and she squealed with excitement. I could tell how shocked she was.

" Thank you so much!" She pleaded.

I left the room and waited for her to unpack her tiny black backpack full of her belongings. Now all I had to do, was figure out what to do in the meantime.

I started to make dinner. Basil pesto pasta with thick penne noodles. It was so thick and creamy. I added extra parmesan to Hannah's and called her out from her room for dinner. She was still so amazed by how nice her room was. I was even amazed. At how polite she turned out to be. Not because of her past, just because she was so quiet and stayed off to the side. We ate our meals in an uncomfortable manner. The awkward silence with every now and then asking about politics or the weather. Then we just broke out into a burst of uncontrollable laughter. The giggles and cackles that filled the room were unbearable. The neighbors thought we must have been nuts.

Over the next couple of days, I got to learn more about Hannah. Then we started to bond. That being said, now two years later I had adopted her and have so much endless love for her in my heart. I feel that my life would have been so bland and laughless without having the chance of meeting Hannah.

I still remember the day that we went to the ice cream shop. It was a warm summer day. Around twenty-eight degrees. I and Hannah decided it would be a great idea to walk to the ice cream shop. We blasted Katy Perry from our phones and jammed it out the whole way there. I got a vanilla chocolate dip cone and she got a vanilla creamsicle dip cone. We then blasted well as high as our phone volume would go to a Taylor Swift song. Bad Blood. W

As we were walking back Hannah decides to have a dance party. Mind you she still had her ice cream in her hand. She did the whip and neigh. But as she was doing the whip, with the hand her ice cream was in, she smashed it into a stop sign. We laughed the whole way home. I mean like our faces were starting to impersonate Santa and his cherry red cheeks. Great job there girl!

There are many more wonderful memories we have made but those are just for us to know and for you guys to find out.

So thank you, Hannah! Always and forever! I love you!

-Momma