Page 24 of Blessings in Disguise

“Where else can I go, Dr. Shepherd?”

“Well, there are group homes. Foster parents.”

“He’s got parents!” His mother bolted up. “I won’t stand for this. Harlan, you’re still 17. You will come home. Be a good boy and do that.” Then she walked out the door.

Harlan couldn’t breathe. He felt his chest might cave in.

Dr. Shepherd grabbed his hand. “Harlan, no matter what your mother thinks, she doesn’t have the final say. If Pathways decides it’s not an acceptable situation in your home, you don’t have to go there.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh. It’s in the court order sending you here. That’s true for all the boys.”

“But a group home sounds awful.”

“No, not necessarily.”

Harlan shot out of the chair. “I gotta go.”

The Rev tried to hold him back. “Don’t leave like this, please.”

Harlan shrugged him off. “Look, Dr. Shepherd. You did your best. It’s oaky. I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.”

But Harlan was already fleeing out of the room.

* * *

Jackson smiled at the five boys who would be leaving Pathways in a few weeks, then he sobered. “Where’s Harlan?”

Silence.

“Guys?”

“He wasn’t in his cabin when we went to pick him up to come here,” Timmy O’Malley offered.

Jackson picked up his phone, punched in numbers. “Harry, see if you can locate Harlan Ford.” He turned back to the kids. Gemma could see he was upset now. And Caleb’s expression matched his.

“Let’s concentrate on you guys for the time being. How you doing?” He waited. Gemma knew he wouldn’t go without an answer. The boys did too.

Finally, they spoke up. “Doin’ great…Super…cool that we’re gettin’ out…”

“Glad to hear all that.” He gestured to Gemma. “You know Dr. Kendrick. She’s going to run through some things with you. And most of you know Dr. Shepherd. He’s on staff too.”

Gemma had been at a conference for three days but got back in time to say goodbye to the kids. She’d miss them. “Hi, everybody. I’d like to make a list on the whiteboard of some issues you need to think about when you leave us. You can call them out. No need to raise your hands.”

Again, Tim O’Malley went first. “Dealing with siblings. I got three brothers and sisters all under ten. I—hope they didn’t forget me.”

“Did they visit at all Timmy?”

“No. My mom said it wouldn’t be good for them to come see me in this place.”

She wasn’t right, Gemma thought. She’d tried to talk the woman into bringing her children on visitor days. But Mrs. O’Malley wouldn’t budge. And somewhere in his mind Timmy knew that she’d chosen their welfare over his.

“Anyone else worried about siblings?” Two more kids raised their hands. “Then let’s talk about some strategies for getting reacquainted.”

The boys all contributed. The answers ranged from doing activities they’d done before to spending time on things their siblings liked.

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