Stay Forever

such a valid question

Ledger's p.o.v

"Is this a joke?" Hannah asks, and I mean, it is a valid question, but I want to laugh, because this is how I took it when I was first told. But, it is not a joke. Our mothers really did make that agreement when we were little kids. I guess I was just older and had more time to digest the idea of it. I grew up knowing that this is what our mothers wanted and would eventually happen. Well, I wasn't sure once she went missing, but she is just now finding out. Way to go grandpa, just laying it all out like this though. He could have at least waited a little longer before traumatizing the poor girl. She looks terrified. But this is who grandpa is and he isn't someone who bites his tongue or beats around the bush. He is a straight forward man. "This is not a joke" mom is the one who speaks up, which surprises me. I thought she was going to deny it or not want to talk about it right this moment. "Your mom and I wanted you both to be together. We loved each other so much. Your mom was so special to me and we wanted a reason to become a real family and when you were born, we realized that now we could be. I know this is probably weird for you, but I hope you will keep it in consideration. This was something your mother really wanted. One of her biggest wishes. I can even show you the paperwork we signed," mom says. I rub my hand down my face. Hannah is now looking down and I can tell she is probably thinking how to run the h3ll away from here. "Wow, this is a lot. I didn't know people did things like this anymore" she says, and gives us an awkward laugh kind of strangled, kind of, humorous. "How about we just try to get to know each other tonight" Mrs. Danby says, changing the conversation and vibe. Thankful for that. "So, Hannah, where did you used to live?" Maddox asks her. She looks around. "Umm, in foster care" she tells him. "Oh, but like where?" he asks "Just in foster care." she adds. "Oh" It's Maddox's turn to look around. I think everyone feels uncomfortable. Like she is keeping secrets. I don't think she wants us to know anything about her. She doesn't trust us, but then again, she just met us. "So, what was your foster family like?" he asks. She shifts uncomfortably. Leave it to Maddox to not be able to read the room. She clearly doesn't want to speak about it. "They were awful. Wow, this food is amazing." she changes the subject, telling us all that her life in foster care is none of our damn business.

Hannah's p.o.v

I am ready to go home. I know Maddox is just trying to spark up a conversation, maybe get to know me, but asking about my foster family puts me in such a bad mood. To top it off, I have no idea where Holden is and I absolutely hate it. It makes me feel worse and incomplete. I don't even know if I can trust these people. They seem to know everything about my mother and about me when I was a baby, but I just don't feel like I can trust anyone. Yes, I can trust Mr and Mrs. Danby, but it is hard for me to open up to people and I don't know what to think about these people, especially now that I am finding out that they expect me to marry Ledger. I don't know if I believe that this was mom's wish or not. Isabel claims to have papers signed by my mother. It is just a lot for me to take in right now. I think I need to go home, get some sleep, then wake up and sit down and talk to Mr. and Mrs. Danby about all of this. Everyone is staring at me right now and asking me a bunch of questions that I do not feel like answering and Ledger sitting next to me looking so fine and smelling so good. Marrying him does not even sound so crazy with him so close to me. I must be losing my mind.

We finish our meals and move on to dessert, then Isabel offers coffee in her sitting room, so we all head there. At this point, I have kind of checked out of the conversation. That is until Ledger walks over to me. "Are you okay?" he asks me and it makes me feel so silly. Maybe I am over reacting. Everyone here has been nice to me. I need to calm down and stop thinking the worst of people. If mom wanted this for me, then it is for a reason. His phone rings and he excuses himself to take the call. At that moment, Mr. Danby says it's time for us to go. Maddox hugs me, then Isabel hugs me real tight. "sweetie, when can we see you again?" she asks. "Well, I will be at the charity event this weekend," I tell her. "ahh, yes, how about you accompany Ledger to the ball on Sunday?" she asks me. "Oh I don't know. I didn't plan on attending and they will need my help cleaning up" I try to get out of it. "Nonsense sweetie, Paola, you guys will be alright, right? She should go with Ledger?" Isabel says and they nod, smiling from ear to ear. "Well, shouldn't we ask him first? What if he doesn't want me to go with him?" I say, trying to get out of this without making her feel bad, but she just waves me off. "I will let him know. I will see you all tomorrow then. I have a lot of work to do." she says. We say goodnight and goodbye to the man known as Papa, I don't even remember his real name. Did he say it to me? I don't even know, but we walk out and the ride home is quiet. They drop me off and I reassure them that I will be at the event bright and early and they do not need to pick me up or continue to worry about me. I am a grown adult.

The next morning, I get there and have the desserts in four coolers. I want to make sure everything stays fresh. I set up what is inside of two of them first since Mr and Mrs. Danby already have the dream catchers set up. "Honey, I brought some pocket knives too" Mr. Danby says and I smile. He hand carves them. I pick one up and smile. If Holden and I would have been able to get our hands on something like this, we would have probably k!lled out foster parents. Those cheap a$$ cooking knives wouldn't have done damage, but this one is real sharp. I miss Holden so much. I hope that wherever he is in the world, that he is doing good and thinks about me. I hope he knows that I miss him and that I am looking for him. I decide to go live on my social media and tell people where the event is. Maybe this way more people will come to the event. For about an hour, I set up the camera facing me. I move things around and talk to my viewers about Holden and Mr and Mrs. Danby and what the event is for, then I flip it once people start showing up. I am capturing all of the people walking by and there are some kiddie rides not too far away and I think my camera gets the view from there as well. It all looks so beautiful. Another hour passes, and I have to go to the restroom, so I tell Mrs. Danby to hold down the sales and I rush to the ladies room. I come out and run into Arthur "Hannah Han Man" he says, and I chuckle. He is always calling me silly names. "Hey" I say "So, a bunch of us are going to the beach on Sunday, want to go?" he asks me and I do. I really do. I wish I had more time to do things for myself and to meet people, but I remember that Isabel wants me to go to the event with Ledger. I am not sure if she was being serious or if Ledger will want me to go. "I might have something I need to do already, but I can let you know tomorrow," I tell him and wave, as I head back to our booth. When I get back Isabel is standing there "There she is" she says, and comes over to hug me. "I just wanted to see you. These are amazing. Paola says you baked them" she says and I nod. "I did" I tell her, feeling proud. "They are selling quickly, we need to load another cooler" Mrs. Danby says and I squeal. I am so glad that they are selling. We need to raise a lot of money.

Isabel and the Danby's stand here, talking while I move my camera around. "Hi, girl, hi, down here" I hear a tiny voice. I look down and a little boy is standing there. He looks like he is living a hard life. His shoes look beat up, his socks are mismatched, his hair looks long and matted. His face, legs and arms look dirty, his knees look like he might have fallen and scraped them because they have what looks like old dried up blood and his clothes look dirty. I frown. "Hi little cutie. How can I help you?" I ask him. "What's your name?" he asks me. I smile "I am Hannah, what is your name?" I ask him. "That's a pretty name and you are very pretty. My name is Peter" he says. "Peter, how can I help you?", I ask him. I notice how he eyes the cupcakes on the stand. He rubs his little shoe on the ground and looks down at his feet. I am 100 percent sure he is hungry and wants a cupcake. "Would you like a cupcake Peter?" I ask him. He looks up at me with wide eyes. "I don't have any money" he says and I smile. "Hey, that is okay. I actually have a little extra with my lunch that is packed in a cooler back here, want to be my lunch date?" I ask him. I don't have extra, but he doesn't need to know that. I know what being hungry is like and no kid deserves that. He nods and I wave him through the booth. He stands next to me and I bend down. "Where are your parents?" I ask him. "They died last year. It is just me and my sister, but she is working the carnival rides to get us money for food." he says. I smile and nod. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Danby can help me get them help. This is what they do anyway. I sit him on a chair and I pull out my lunch pail. I packed myself a sandwich, a bag of chips, an orange, a fruit cup and a chocolate and a water bottle. Yes, it is just a basic field trip kind of lunch, but there's nowhere to warm food up here, so I thought a sandwich would get me by til we are done here. Plus I can buy something here if I was still hungry, but now I know I have to give him my food and I will buy him and his sister something before I go home. "Honey, I need change, this lady wants to buy all of your cupcakes" Mr. Danby says, and I stand up and hand him my purse and ask him if he can take over so I can help little Peter. "Of course honey. You are so sweet and your heart is so big and so pure. This is what this is all about. I am so proud of you." he says. I feel so proud of myself too. I wish there was more I could do for poor kids who need it.