by Rachel Hanna
“I guess,” Amelia said, shrugging her shoulders.
Faith slowly sat down across from the little girl. She noticed no one else was coming to their table.
“Aren’t your friends going to sit with us too?” Faith finally asked as she opened her own bagged lunch.
“I don’t have any friends,” Amelia said nonchalantly as she pulled her sandwich from the bag provided by HOPE. The bag lunches were a special occurrence as most kids just ate lunch provided by the school.
Faith pushed the straw through her juice box. “Oh, certainly that can’t be true. I bet you have at least a few friends.”
Amelia took a bite out of her sandwich like a ravenous animal and stared at Faith. “Nobody here talks to me.”
“Nobody?”
“They make fun of me.”
Faith looked at her and couldn’t imagine the other kids making fun of such a beautiful little girl who couldn’t help the situation she was in. “Why do they make fun of you?”
“Because we’re poor.” She continued to eat, no real emotion showing on her face. For Amelia, this was all the life she had known so far. It made Faith’s stomach knot up.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“When I was a kid, I got bullied too.”
That caught Amelia’s attention. She opened her bag of chips and shoved a few in her mouth. “Why’d you get bullied?”
“Well, I had this big gap in my teeth. Right here,” Faith said, pointing to where it had been before Dr. Gilmore had fixed it when she was in eighth grade.
“Where’d it go?”
“The dentist fixed it for me,” Faith said.
“Dentist? Your parents must have been rich.”
Faith felt completely inadequate in that moment. She couldn’t compare her situation to Amelia’s. She was a fraud.
“Would you like the rest of my sandwich?” Faith asked after a few moments.
Amelia reached for it without answering and gobbled down the half Faith hadn’t eaten. Her appetite had disappeared the more she realized how bad some of these kids had it. How could she have been so blind all these years?
When lunch was over, Faith told Amelia goodbye and watched her walk down the hall alone. It made her heart ache.
She rode back to the office with Olivia, the car ride quiet as she thought about all she’d experienced. When they finished unloading the car, Olivia called her into the small break room.
“You okay, hon?”
“Not really. That was a lot to take in.”
“That little Amelia is something else, huh? She’s a spitfire for sure.”
“It’s so sad. She said no one talks to her and some kids bully her for being poor.”
Olivia nodded sadly. “That’s true. We’ve been working with the counselors at the school to see if we can help. But it’s hard because of her family situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Amelia was abandoned by her father as a baby. Her mother has a severe drug addiction, and they live either in her beat up car or at the homeless shelter when there’s room. Her mother keeps failing drug screenings, so they get kicked out of the shelter a lot.”
“Oh my gosh.”
“It’s very sad. There’s talk that Child Protective Services is about to remove Amelia from her mother’s care yet again, but she has no family so she’ll be placed in foster care. It’s happened a couple of times already.”
Faith’s heart sank. That poor little girl deserved a great life, and she definitely wasn’t getting a fair shake. “Can I visit with her more often?”
Olivia smiled. “Of course!”
“Something about her just broke my heart,” Faith said, still shaken by the short lunch visit with Amelia.
“She reminds me a lot of myself,” Olivia said offhandedly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I had a very similar upbringing. My mother left me with my father when I was two years old. He was a raging, abusive alcoholic. I wanted to live with my aunt, but she got sick with cancer and couldn’t take me. I ended up running away when I was thirteen, but got picked up by the police over near Savannah. They placed me with three foster families over the years, but nobody could tame me. I was a wild child, for sure. I eventually aged out of foster care.”
“Wow. It’s amazing you are doing so well in your life now.”
“I owe a lot of that to January Cove. My last foster family lived on the edge of town. They were horrible people, unfortunately, but being here allowed me to go to January Cove High School. When I started school here, I was a mess. Still running away, but those teachers and the friends I met here were my saving grace.”
“So that’s why you started HOPE?”
“Yes. I know firsthand what it’s like to feel unwanted and invisible. Giving back helps me. Every time I help a kid, it chips away at the hurts I have from my own past.”
“But look at you now. Married and happy and running this wonderful charity. Do you and your husband have kids?”
Olivia smiled sadly. “No. We tried for years, but it wasn’t in the cards for us.”
“There’s still time,” Faith said, trying to encourage her.
“Actually, no there’s not. I had to have a hysterectomy when I was thirty-two. But it’s okay. I think of these kids as my own. God always has a plan.”
Faith was astounded at her… well, faith. She was almost embarrassed to think she had any real problems compared to what she was seeing. Her eyes were finally wide open, and as mad as she was at her father, she knew nothing about true tough times.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, sweetie, it’s fine. I’ve had eight years to grieve that loss, and I’m okay. Really.”
“Wait. Eight years? You’re forty years old?”
Olivia laughed. “Yes… Actually, almost forty-one.”
“Oh wow. You don’t look a day over thirty-five.”
“Thanks. Probably because I don’t have kids!” she said with a laugh. Faith couldn’t help but chuckle at that too. “Come on, we have work to do.”
Chapter 7
Faith picked at her sandwich, staring out at the ocean instead of filling her growling stomach. She’d volunteered all morning and forgot to eat breakfast, so she should’ve been gobbling up everything in sight right now. Instead, she was lost in thought about Amelia.
“Is something wrong with your sandwich, sweetie?” the waitress asked as she passed by to refill her sweet tea.
“Oh, no. It’s great. Just have a lot on my mind.”
The waitress eyed her for a moment longer and smiled. “Well, that water out there always soothes my weary soul. I’m sure it’ll do the same for you, honey.”
Faith nodded and smiled as the woman moved to the next table. She didn’t know why Amelia’s plight was bothering her so much, but she’d barely slept last night thinking about her. That tiny little freckled covered face hid so many hurts.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Faith turned to see Brandon standing there, a penny between his thumb and index fingers stretched out in front of him.
“Jeez, man, do you ever go to work?”
Brandon put the penny on the table and tugged at his scrub top. “I think this should be an obvious answer, Faith.”
She laughed. “You seem to show up everywhere I am. Are you following me?”
Brandon slid into the chair across from her. “Yes. I’m a former CIA agent, but now that I’ve told you, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Can I finish my sandwich first?”
“Since I know how good their sandwiches are, I’ll allow it.”
Faith loved being around Brandon. He made her feel at ease and even somewhat at home. She no longer felt like a stranger in January Cove.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I guess so. Just a little overwhelmed.”
Brandon slid the penny across the table. “My offer stands.”
Faith picked up the
penny and put it in her pocket. “I need all the money I can get.”
“So what’s going on?”
“There’s a little girl I met yesterday. I had lunch with her. Her situation has me rattled. I feel like I need to do something more for her, but I don’t know what.”
Faith spent a few moments recounting her lunch with Amelia as Brandon listened intently. When she was finished, she sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“Wow, that’s a terrible situation. How can I help?”
Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Who was this man? How was he so amazing? And why hadn’t some smart woman snatched him out of bachelorhood yet?
“I wish I knew. I feel so helpless.”
“Well, let’s see if I can help. When I have a problem, I like to think about what successfully solving it would mean.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Like, in a perfect world, what would you want to see happen for Amelia?”
“Well, I’d want her in a safe home full of love and food and everything she needs to be happy. I’d want her to stop getting bullied at school too.”
“So how do we move her toward that goal?”
“I don’t know, Brandon. That’s why I’m picking my sandwich apart and staring at the water. I told you, I’m not cut out for all of this.”
He smiled at her and covered her hand with his. “Yes you are. That’s why this is bothering you so much, Faith. God is calling you to action on this girl’s behalf.”
She felt his words in the deepest part of her soul. He was right. She felt like she was here, in this moment and in this particular place, for a purpose. But she had no idea what it was.
“When I sat across from her, I felt like…” she said before stopping herself.
“Like what?”
“I don’t want to say. It’s stupid.”
“Just say it, Faith. What did you feel like?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I felt like I was supposed to be her mother.”
She swallowed hard and waited for him to react. To laugh at her. To shake his head in disbelief at her wild notion. But he just smiled and squeezed her hand.
“Then there’s your answer.”
“Come on, Brandon. I’m not even a resident here. I have no paying job. And I’m certainly not vetted as a foster parent. There’s no chance I could adopt this little girl.”
“Maybe you’re right. But maybe you’re wrong. Look, as a doctor, I learned a long time ago that there are many solutions to a problem if you’re willing to get creative.”
Faith shook her head. “I came here to get answers about my birthmother, not to become a mother myself.”
“Which one feels more important to you right in this moment, Faith?”
“It doesn’t matter. I have to get my head out of the clouds. This is never going to happen. I just need to focus on helping Olivia at the charity and getting back home.”
Brandon cocked his head to the side. “Maybe you’re already home, Faith.”
Brandon couldn’t get their conversation out of his mind as he laid in bed trying to get to sleep. Faith was the most interesting woman he’d ever met. She was a conundrum sometimes, an unsolvable equation that vexed his mind.
He tossed and turned as he thought about how to help her. She was obviously worried about the little girl she mentioned, and he wanted to help her. But wasn’t this what he always did? Got involved with women who had major problems that he felt obligated to solve?
He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t do it again. He wasn’t going get wrapped up in drama or problems or worries or strange entanglements. He was going to focus on his work as a doctor and get back to the Middle East to help the people he left behind as soon as possible. Only he didn’t want to leave her behind now either.
Olivia lifted the box of food onto the table and dropped it with a thud. “You wouldn’t think a box of cookies would weigh so much!”
“I could’ve helped you,” Faith said laughing.
“I know, but I’m trying to build up my muscles. My husband, Ed, wants us to do one of those crazy obstacle course things this summer. You know the ones where you crawl through mud and call it fun?”
“Yikes! That sounds…scary?”
“To me too,” Olivia said with a laugh. “But I love him, so I’ll do it.”
Faith had been working with Olivia for a few weeks now, and they’d developed a great friendship. She felt like she’d known her all her life, or like maybe this was what having a sister would feel like.
“So, we’re going to sell these cookies at the carnival this weekend.”
The HOPE carnival was both a fundraising event and a fun time for the kids they served. It would be down on the boardwalk on Saturday, and Faith had volunteered to be the face painter even though she had no perceivable artistic talents.
“Will Amelia be there?” Faith asked nonchalantly. Olivia smiled.
“Yes, of course.”
“Have you heard anything about her situation lately?”
“Only that her mother got arrested again last weekend. Drug possession.”
“Oh no. Where’s Amelia?” Faith asked, her heart starting to race a bit.
“She’s in a temporary foster situation. But I think they’re hoping to find her a permanent situation soon. She’s been tossed around a lot.”
Faith sighed and closed her eyes. She wanted the best for Amelia. She had started spending a lot more time with her, eating lunch and occasionally taking her for ice cream.
“You really love that kid, don’t you?”
Faith smiled sadly. “Shockingly, I do.”
“Why is that a shock?”
“I guess I never thought of myself as the motherly type. I lost my mother when I was young, so I never really considered having my own kids as a life goal. And I was never a big fan of kids anyway.”
“Sometimes life throws us the odd curveball.”
“If Amelia gets adopted, will they be local?”
Olivia bit her lip. “Probably not. It could be anywhere in the state, or even out of state.”
Faith looked back down at the paperwork she was working on and tried not to let Olivia see her tear-filled eyes. “Well, I hope they find her a great home then.”
Faith stepped into the boat, the uneasy feeling of the water bobbing beneath her feet. Brandon had promised her that his friend was an experienced boater, but even now she was second guessing her decision to go on this little aquatic adventure.
“What if there aren’t any dolphins?” she asked, turning back toward Brandon before stepping fully into the boat.
“So you think that dolphins may have disappeared from the ocean overnight?” he asked with a smile. “Then we should call the local news!”
“Very funny,” she mumbled, finally making her way onto the small boat. “When you said dolphin cruise, I thought you meant in a larger boat.”
Brandon put his hand on her back and ushered her into a padded seat before taking his spot next to her. “This is the best way to see them.”
Faith peered over the side of the vessel. “But we’re so close to the water.”
“Zach has been taking people on these private tours for three years now, Faith. And, to be fair, he’s only lost that one woman. But she really shouldn’t have been hanging her hands over the side. I mean, who could’ve seen that shark coming?”
Faith’s eyes grew wide and she started to stand up. Brandon broke out in hysterics and pulled her arm until she was sitting again.
“That wasn’t funny!” she said, slapping his arm. Still, she was going to keep her hands inside the boat at all times, just in case.
“Ya’ll ready?” Zach, a beach bum if she ever saw one, asked.
“Absolutely!” Brandon answered, his enthusiasm not yet infectious. “This is going to be fun. I promise.”
And she believed him, even though her heart was pounding as the small boat shot out toward the open water.
<
br /> Within a few minutes, they slowed down and Zach started looking around with binoculars. When he spotted a small pod of dolphins, he started the boat up again slowly. To Faith’s amazement, the dolphins began to follow them, jumping into the air in the wake behind them. She’d never seen anything so amazing.
“Look! There’s one! And there’s another one!” she said, giddily. She felt like a kid again she couldn’t help but grin watching the creatures chase the boat with glee.
Brandon laughed as he watched her. “Pretty cool, huh?” he said over the load motor. She nodded and pulled out her phone to take video.
Faith couldn’t remember a time when she felt so alive and free. Watching those dolphins jump into the air made her think about how tied down she’d felt her whole life. Trying to keep up appearances. Making sure to have the latest handbag and the most expensive shoes. How had she somehow missed out on the true joys in life?
She glanced over at Brandon who was smiling and talking to his friend, Zach, and for some reason thought about her father. Not her invisible biological father, but the one who’d raised her. The one who was currently sitting in a prison cell, probably not able to see daylight very much.
She thought about joy. Would he ever feel joy again? Did he deserve to? Her heart still ached for him, no matter how mad she was at how he’d wrecked both their lives and then abandoned her.
But suddenly, her life didn’t feel wrecked anymore. Was it possible that she’d been holding onto the past so hard that she hadn’t seen what was right in front of her? This new life. New friends. New work. And even Amelia. These amazing blessings that were falling into her lap left and right.
For weeks, she’d grieved over this fictional life she’d left behind in Virginia when in reality, she’d built a new, happier life in January Cove already.
“Thanks,” she said to Brandon when he turned back around.
He smiled that dimpled smile of his, the one that probably gave female heart patients a few extra skipped beats. “Seeing you so happy is thanks enough.”
She turned her attention back to the water. The dolphins were falling further behind, and she waved at them as if they could see her.
