kids, we’re not here to hurt you. If it’s true that you’re living here alone, we just want to help. Our son was here earlier, and he told us some things about you.”
Aaron swallowed. “We gave most of the food back. He said we could have the rest.”
“It’s not about that. We’re worried about the conditions you’re living in here, and how you’re getting food and water. Four kids shouldn’t be living alone.”
The little girl, thumb in her mouth, looked up at Kay. Despite her filthy face, Kay could see that she was a little doll. She smiled at the girl, who pulled her thumb out for a second, as if considering the small kindness. Then she shoved it back in.
“We’re not living alone,” Aaron said. “I told you that’s a lie.”
Scarbrough sighed. “Fine. Then tell us where we can talk to your mama, and we’ll leave you alone.”
There was a long pause, and all three younger children looked at their brother … waiting.
Emotions tugged at Aaron’s face, and for a moment, Kay wished they hadn’t pushed him into a corner. Defeat hung over him as powerfully as the apartment’s horrible smell.
“I don’t know where she is, okay? She left a while back.”
“Did she tell you where she was going?” Scarbrough asked.
“No. We’ve looked all over for her. Nobody knows where she is.”
Scarbrough let out a long breath, and suddenly the hardness went out of him. In a softer voice, he said, “Son, why didn’t you tell the authorities?”
His face flushed red. “Because I knew what you’d do. You’d want to put us in foster care. Only nobody’d wanna take all four of us. Sarah has bad dreams, and Luke walks in his sleep. I have to be there to take care of them.”
That was all it took for Kay to lose it. Her eyes filled with tears, and she stooped in front of the little girl and put her arm around her. The thumb came out again. “Aaron, I’m sure something can be worked out,” she said. “You know it’s not healthy for you to live here like this.”
“We live fine,” he bit out. “I take good care of us.”
There was pride in his voice, and she didn’t want to shoot it down.
“I can understand your fears,” the sheriff said. “Maybe I can keep you four together. We’ll see what we can do to make that happen.”
“Yeah?” Aaron cried. “Who do you think is gonna want to take in four extra mouths to feed when they can’t hardly feed theirselves? I know what’ll happen. When nobody shows up, you’ll have to split us up!”
He was right, Kay knew. That was exactly how it would happen.
Joey’s mouth curled as his own emotions took over. “We’ll run away if you do that!”
Sarah started to cry. “I don’t want to go! I want to stay here!”
Kay tried to hug the little girl, but she pulled away and went to Aaron. He stroked the child’s curls. “It’s okay, buddy. Don’t cry.”
“But I want to stay with you!” she wailed.
Kay looked at Doug. She saw something in his eyes, but it wasn’t compassion. How could he not be moved?
The sheriff cleared his throat. “Kids, all I can say is I’ll do the very best I can. But this is not negotiable. You have to come with me, period. You’ve broken the law, and I can’t let you keep doing it. No way can I let you stay here. I’ll try to keep you together, or at the very least place you in pairs, but at this point you’re lucky I’m not locking you up.”
Kay imagined her own children — what if, when they were small, they’d lived in squalor or been farmed out to foster care?
She looked up at Doug, her eyes pleading. But he wasn’t biting.
The words flew out of her. “We’ll take them!”
Doug’s mouth fell open. “What?”
She got to her feet and turned to the sheriff. “I said, we’ll take them. All four of them.”
Scarbrough’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Are you sure?”
Kay saw the dread on Doug’s face. He had enough problems feeding the six of them. She knew what he was thinking: How
Aaron swallowed. “We gave most of the food back. He said we could have the rest.”
“It’s not about that. We’re worried about the conditions you’re living in here, and how you’re getting food and water. Four kids shouldn’t be living alone.”
The little girl, thumb in her mouth, looked up at Kay. Despite her filthy face, Kay could see that she was a little doll. She smiled at the girl, who pulled her thumb out for a second, as if considering the small kindness. Then she shoved it back in.
“We’re not living alone,” Aaron said. “I told you that’s a lie.”
Scarbrough sighed. “Fine. Then tell us where we can talk to your mama, and we’ll leave you alone.”
There was a long pause, and all three younger children looked at their brother … waiting.
Emotions tugged at Aaron’s face, and for a moment, Kay wished they hadn’t pushed him into a corner. Defeat hung over him as powerfully as the apartment’s horrible smell.
“I don’t know where she is, okay? She left a while back.”
“Did she tell you where she was going?” Scarbrough asked.
“No. We’ve looked all over for her. Nobody knows where she is.”
Scarbrough let out a long breath, and suddenly the hardness went out of him. In a softer voice, he said, “Son, why didn’t you tell the authorities?”
His face flushed red. “Because I knew what you’d do. You’d want to put us in foster care. Only nobody’d wanna take all four of us. Sarah has bad dreams, and Luke walks in his sleep. I have to be there to take care of them.”
That was all it took for Kay to lose it. Her eyes filled with tears, and she stooped in front of the little girl and put her arm around her. The thumb came out again. “Aaron, I’m sure something can be worked out,” she said. “You know it’s not healthy for you to live here like this.”
“We live fine,” he bit out. “I take good care of us.”
There was pride in his voice, and she didn’t want to shoot it down.
“I can understand your fears,” the sheriff said. “Maybe I can keep you four together. We’ll see what we can do to make that happen.”
“Yeah?” Aaron cried. “Who do you think is gonna want to take in four extra mouths to feed when they can’t hardly feed theirselves? I know what’ll happen. When nobody shows up, you’ll have to split us up!”
He was right, Kay knew. That was exactly how it would happen.
Joey’s mouth curled as his own emotions took over. “We’ll run away if you do that!”
Sarah started to cry. “I don’t want to go! I want to stay here!”
Kay tried to hug the little girl, but she pulled away and went to Aaron. He stroked the child’s curls. “It’s okay, buddy. Don’t cry.”
“But I want to stay with you!” she wailed.
Kay looked at Doug. She saw something in his eyes, but it wasn’t compassion. How could he not be moved?
The sheriff cleared his throat. “Kids, all I can say is I’ll do the very best I can. But this is not negotiable. You have to come with me, period. You’ve broken the law, and I can’t let you keep doing it. No way can I let you stay here. I’ll try to keep you together, or at the very least place you in pairs, but at this point you’re lucky I’m not locking you up.”
Kay imagined her own children — what if, when they were small, they’d lived in squalor or been farmed out to foster care?
She looked up at Doug, her eyes pleading. But he wasn’t biting.
The words flew out of her. “We’ll take them!”
Doug’s mouth fell open. “What?”
She got to her feet and turned to the sheriff. “I said, we’ll take them. All four of them.”
Scarbrough’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Are you sure?”
Kay saw the dread on Doug’s face. He had enough problems feeding the six of them. She knew what he was thinking: How
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