Separately Together

Chapter Twenty-one: 2/2

The process wasn't terribly hard, but it was lengthy, it took me two weeks to get to see her.

They have approved me to foster Dixon. It was so hard working around Harley, because I wanted it to be a surprise for his birthday which was today. I bought him a gift, even though I don't think there would be anything more surprising and appreciated then Dixon.

I don't know why I was so nervous, but I kept twisting my hands over and over again, because I felt like these ladies were judging me for being so young and fostering.

I felt their eyes on me the whole time like they were waiting on me to mess up.

I wonder if she would recognize me, probably not she was a lot younger the last time that I see her. She was fifteen now, and I think the last time I saw her was when she was around ten. We played together because I was fourteen at the time, not too much older than her but enough that she clung to me like I was an older sister.

She was a joyful kid back then, but I imagine that changed, with all of the hardships she's had to go through alone. The ladies up here gave me her file to read and some of the things she's been though were rough.

I was going to hide the file from Harley because he was already on end right now. There was no point in him getting upset about this when the man that inflicted the most pain was already dead.

The only think him seeing this file would do was cause him to beat himself up more about the whole situation.

Finnic and Harley haven't made up yet. Liz and I have been keeping our distance because it was hard for us to hang out together with the two bulls always around.

She comes through the doors, looking just like her older brother except she was more petite, she didn't have a lot of mass to her.

"Sweets?" She asked with a confused expression on her face and mine lit up with excitement that she remembered me, I had little faith that she would.

"Dixon." I say smoothly helping her grab her bags.

"I don't understand." She says softly looking around as if she had misunderstood something.

"I'm your new foster parent." I say explaining it to her slightly shaking from all of the older lady's gaze on me.

We finally get everything in our arms and walk out of the dreaded office with blank grey walls. I was thankful to be away from all of their prying eyes and being free to explain what and all was going on. I knew she had to be confused, I doubted her caseworker explained to much of what was going on to her.

"What's going on?" She asks looking at my car like a lost puppy. "This isn't some kind of joke, is it?" Her eyebrows pulling together, like her older brother does so often.

"No. Why would I do that?" I ask sadly taking the bags from her arms and pushing them in on top of all of the other ones. "I live with your brother now."

Her eyes light up, "Wait so ..." Recognition comes into her features and it's a joy I don't think I have ever seen before. So pure as she slams into me in a strong hug, clinging to me like she never wanted to let me go.

On the way to the house, I can see her growing increasingly excited, twisting in her seat, and twirling her hair while she stares out of the window.

"So, are you and my brother, together?" She asks making a weird looking face. "Isn't that a little weird, your Finnic's sister?"

I chuckle nervously a little.

"It's complicated." I decide it would be best to keep it vague and let Harley decide what he wanted to tell his sister.