Phoenix Child
Page 53
* * *
Friday night I stood in my mom's old room unpacking my few belongings. It didn't take long. After unpacking my box from storage, the shelves and closet weren't even half full.
I didn't pack up any of my mom's things; there weren’t many. A few clothes hung in the closet, and a handful of books were on the shelves. It was obvious that while my mom liked staying here and loved her room, it wasn't her permanent home.
My collection of jeans and dark tee shirts looked odd hanging in my mom's lavender closet. I thought about taking Gavin up on his offer to paint the room, but it still didn't feel right.
I could hear Gavin and Anali in the kitchen. The steady hum of their voices sounded warm and comforting. I knew I should go out and sit with them, but instead I took the scrapbook Melanie gave me down and sat on the bed.
Melanie filled it with pictures from birthday parties, trips, Christmases, and other events. I didn't realize there were so many pictures of me. In the back people wrote me little notes wishing me well, or drew pictures. Shante took a whole page to draw the two of us holding hands. She wrote "best fiends foever" beneath the drawing. I smiled at her mistakes. I’m sure Melanie tried to help her, but Shante was stubborn. I was very glad she forgave me before I left.
"Sapphire, dinner," Anali called. Putting the scrapbook back into my old backpack, I forced a smile and went out to have dinner with my new family.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Love is the flower you've got to let grow.”