Chapter 2: Bad News

Amanda unbuckled Josie, and Kathy helped Sabrina out of her booster seat. We all walked toward the agency building. Amanda swiped a key card to let us in, and we stepped inside a hallway that smelled faintly like cleaning supplies. They led us into a small room that looked almost like an interrogation room. We sat down to eat.

My sisters devoured their food and compared their Happy Meal toys. I ate my fries quickly while they were still warm — everyone knows McDonald's fries are gross once they get cold. I couldn't stomach the cheeseburger. Anxiety sat heavy in my chest, making it impossible to eat. When Amanda noticed I wasn't touching it, she asked if I was going to eat my sandwich. I shook my head. She paused for a moment and then asked me to step outside with her.

Kathy reassured Sabrina that we'd be right back, and my sisters continued coloring while we left.

Amanda brought me into another small room that looked almost identical to the first one: three chairs, a desk, and a painting of a waterfall hanging crookedly on the wall. She pulled one of the chairs closer and sat down right next to me.

"So Jacob," she began gently, "do you like Jacob, or do you prefer Jake?"

"It doesn't matter," I murmured, staring down at my shoes.

"Okay, I'll call you Jake then — if you don't mind." She paused. "I brought you in here because you're a little older and a little more mature than your sisters. We figured you might understand what's going on."

My stomach tightened. I waited, bracing myself.

"Your mom got into some trouble today while you guys were at school," Amanda said.

"What happened?" My voice came out tight, like something was lodged in my throat.

"She got pulled over with some other people in the car. During the stop, the officer grew suspicious and continued with the search. It turned out your mom had some warrants she needed to take care of."

I didn't look up. My eyes stayed glued to my shoes.

"She was arrested for the warrants," Amanda continued, "and a few other charges. She's at the county jail right now. We stepped in to pick you guys up because someone needs to make sure you're safe."

"A few other charges?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," she said gently, "she had some things on her she wasn't supposed to have." She took a breath. "Do you understand what all this means, Jake?"

I nodded. I'd seen things before. I knew enough. But usually we were with a babysitter — never picked up from school by strangers.

"Why couldn't someone in the family come get us?" I asked. "Why did JFS have to?"

Amanda folded her hands. "We've had some concerns for a while. Your mom has built up a bit of a record over the years, and we've seen some repeat behaviors. Our job is to make sure she gets the help she needs, and in the meantime, that you guys are safe."

I nodded again. I still didn't look up. My mind spun with worry about what came next.

Amanda reached over and rubbed my back gently. She gave me time to take everything in. Finally, I lifted my head — just enough to look at her — and asked, "So what happens now?"

"Well..." She sighed softly. "For now, until we figure everything out and come up with a game plan, you and your sisters are going into our custody. We'll place you in a foster home so we can make sure you're safe while your mom gets help."

"For how long?" My voice shook. I'd heard stories about foster care, and most of them weren't good.

"I don't know, buddy," she said truthfully. "That's up to a judge. And ultimately...it's up to your mom, and whether she gets the help she needs."

A thousand more questions burned inside me, but one mattered more than the rest.

"Are me and my sisters gonna stay together?"

"Oh, of course, sweetie. We're not going to separate you guys." She kept rubbing my back, steady and reassuring.

We talked more. She answered every question she could. She asked me to be a supportive big brother, since this would be especially hard on Sabrina and Josie. Kathy, she said, was explaining things to them in a way they could understand.

After a while, we went back to the first room. I grabbed my burger, and we all headed into a bigger room — one with toys, a couch, and a long mirror that took up nearly the whole wall. I immediately wondered who might be watching us from behind it.

I finished my burger. We played with toys for what felt like ages. Then an older woman walked in — obese, with dark red dyed hair, swinging a ring of keys on her fingers. She talked briefly with Amanda and Kathy. After a moment, Kathy said goodbye to us, and the red-haired woman approached.

She introduced herself as Vicki. She would be our driver to the foster home. Amanda said she'd be coming along too, to help get us settled into our new "home," as she called it.

In my head, I said: No foster house will ever be my home.

I grabbed my stuff, and we followed them out of the building and into another van.