Page 68 of Capacity
“Thank you.” I rushed out of her office and found the impossibly long staircase leading to the second floor. Upstairs, more teenagers lounged in the loft area, giggling quietly and looking at their phones.
I damn near ran to the end of the hall and stopped in front of room fourteen. I knocked three times and took a step back.
When Zach laid eyes on me, his sullen expression blossomed into a full-blown smile from one ear to the other. “Ms. Foster?”
“I told you to call me Lumi.”
He bent down and hugged me so tight I thought he’d squeeze all the air from my lungs. He even lifted me off my feet. “God, Zach. I fear for whatever girl you end up in a relationship with.”
“Why?” His brows knitted a frown of confusion on his innocent face.
“No reason. Hey, you ready to go home?”
“Home? Is the adoption final?”
“It will be soon. All the paperwork went through for fostering though.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get. As long as you’re the one taking care of me, I’m good.” He hugged me again, that time it was much gentler.
“Well, let’s get the hell out of here. Pack.” I shooed him toward the slim dresser in his room and he made a mad dash. I hated seeing the tiny room he was cooped up in. The mattress on his bed was thick as a cotton ball and the pillow wasn’t much better.
“Done,” Zach said after only five minutes of throwing stuff in his duffle bag.
“Already? Wow, that was fast.” I handed over the shopping bags and he looked at me like I was an alien. “This is for you,” I told him.
“You got me stuff?” He blinked in amazement before diving into the bags. Inside the Best Buy bag was a new laptop, an iPhone, and all the accessories he’d need. The Target bags had clothes, socks, underwear, and toiletries. “Shit. I mean…”
“Zach, I told you I don’t care if you curse,” I chuckled.
“I don’t know what to say, Lumi.” So he didn’t say anything. He just wrapped his arms around me in a long, cathartic hug that eased some of the ache left behind by missing Kaiden. “Let’s go home,” he said, finally pulling away. I saw that his eyes were wet and red-rimmed but I didn’t point it out. I was just happy to help him when he needed it most.
…
“Your house is so quiet,” Zach remarked as he took long strides around my cozy space. “I’m not used to silence anymore. I’ve been in that fucking group home for a year. My normal life kind of faded into the background. It’s tough to recall good times.” There was a melancholy melody weaved between his words that reached out and gripped the pit of me with such force I had to press my hand against my stomach.
“I wish I knew what you were going through sooner, Zach. I would have made this move before now.”
“I’m just glad I won’t be spending the night there anymore. It breaks you down hearing kids crying through the walls, or fucking through the walls, or fighting. Sometimes, they’d just scream out. I think those were the kids I identified with the most.”
“Why?” I tipped my head to the side completely rapt in what he was saying.
“Because I get that. I understand feeling like there’s so much shit piling up inside of you that you have to let it out somehow. Sometimes a scream is the only way to push it out.”
“If only you knew how much that resonated with me,” I sighed, rubbing his broad back. “Come on, I’ll show you around.” We walked through the house and I pointed out all the important spots, namely the fridge, while explaining the rules of the house. I knew I wouldn’t have a problem with Zach because he never caused issues at school. He mostly wanted to be alone and in his own world. I still wanted to give him some kind of structure because I knew he needed it from a loving source instead of one imposed upon his life from necessity.
When we reached his room, he looked at home. He fit in a way that said he belonged exactly where he was. “You want some time to yourself? I can leave you in here to hang out,” I said.
“Nah, I actually wouldn’t mind hanging out with you. We could watch a movie or something.” He shrugged then looked at me like he wasn’t sure if I’d accept his offer or not.
“Of course. That sounds awesome. I’ll order pizza…or do you want Chinese?”
“Both?” He flashed me a handsome smile and I groaned.
“I forgot how much the average teenage boy could eat. Come on, Zach. We’ll get both.” I loved the peaceful vibe his energy took on once he was away from the damn group home. I wished I could rescue a million kids from that situation. My heart bled for all the children who would never know the effect kindness could have. Who’d never come across a school nurse or loving family who would extend a hand.
Zach and I camped out in the living room for the rest of the evening, watching TV and stuffing our faces with food. I didn’t call Coco or Knight with the great news because I wanted to give Zach some time one on one.
“You’re dozing off,” I said after the third movie. His eyes snapped open and he looked at me with mild defiance. No matter the age, kids never liked being told they were tired.
