Teen Topics: To the Tune of Characters 5/31/2021
Traci Kenworth
Unconditional Love
Jori glanced around the bedroom painted teal with flower bordering. She swallowed hard. How did she luck into this? A queen bed shoved alongside one wall with gold sheet sets matching the white and gold bedroom set.
“Do you-like it?” the woman said, a hand to her husband’s arm.
No, not woman. Her new mom and dad for that matter.
She’d never had either. Her twelve-year-old self attempted a half-smile. Her voice rose scratchy as she spoke. “Sure.”
Behind them, the lovely interior of one of the wealthiest residents in Backwater, Tennessee caused her to step back. What if she broke something? Would they toss her out? Send her back to the orphanage? Or another foster family? Her hand curled around the suitcase they’d brought for her to put her things in. Her things. One pair of pants. Two shirts. A pair of shorts.
The woman-mom waved her inside the room. “Make yourself welcome.”
“Check out everything,” her dad said.
Taking a deep breathe, she inched into the setting. This couldn’t be real. She didn’t deserve this luxury. As if to hit that message home, two shadows appeared behind the parents. One boy. One girl. The boy smiled. The girl frowned. What a joy it must be for them to get a new sister, almost grown.
Her mother opened the closet. “We got your sizes from the- We hope you like them.”
Inside, every color of dress shimmered.
“The dressers are filled too. If you need anything else. Let us know.”
Her dad nodded. “You’ll be given an allowance to manage. We expect some chores. Same as any family.”
And if she didn’t do it to their satisfaction?
Her mother patted her arm. “Don’t worry. We won’t throw everything at you all at once.” She glanced at the rest of her family. “Let’s give her some space. To sort through things.”
The girl lingered behind the others. She flashed her teeth at Jori. Go ahead. Just relax. She’d be there to set her straight, that look said.
Jori cringed. Well, she couldn’t expect it all to be pudding could she?
