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Tense, Eve Baird sat in her social worker’s office. She counted the doors and windows—force of habit, really—and tucked her arms around her stomach, turning when she heard the door creak open. Eve smiled in relief when she saw Lamia enter the office with a clipboard. There held the information about the one good thing in her life.
“Good news, the kids should be ready by tonight.” the woman smiled softly, walking around her desk.
Eve grinned in excitement, “all three of them?”
Eyebrows furrowed, Lamia nodded. “Yeha, but are you sure you want ‘em?” She continued after noticing the colonel’s shoulders tense up again, “I mean, these are troubled kids—they’ve been through a lot.”
“So have I; that’s why I was so adamant that you don’t throw them onto the streets. ” She responded pointedly. “I can handle a few kids—NATO, remember?”
Lamia shrugged, then handed her the paperwork. “Just saying, they’re smart—too damn smart to be wasting away in here—but you have to understand that there is a reason they’ve been turned away so many times.”
“And that is…?” Eve asked, curious.
“One doomed by her gift, one who fled his gift, one who abuses it—what could possibly go wrong,” was all the social worker could respond with before leading Eve out the door.
Cryptic, she thought, and sighed. What a way to start things off.
Anticipation.
That’s the only word to describe the thick air that hung in the living room. Eve wrung her fingers, turning to face Flynn.
“When do you think they’re coming?” She asked for the umpteenth time that night.
Flynn set down his book on the coffee table and scrubbed a hand across his face. He smiled softly at his fiancée. “Don’t worry about it Eve, they’ll be coming soon. Lamia said they’d arrive today, and I trust her.”
She relaxed her shoulders but stood up, getting off the couch’s armrest and began to pace. Eve paced back and forth in the living room, her nerves getting the best of her. She couldn't believe that in just a few hours, their home would be filled with the laughter and chaos of three foster kids. Eve had always dreamed of having a big family, but due her parents being in the military and their habit of constantly moving, they were never stable enough to sustain other siblings. It left her feeling alone and abandoned; it didn’t help that her aunt was her main caretaker.
Eve supposed this was possibly what was stirring her anxiety even more than usual. She wanted to give these kids the life she’s never had. She wanted to show them how beautiful living could be. Sighing, she sat back down on the couch, flopping down to rest her head on Flynn’s lap. He let out a chuckle and rested a hand on her arm and grabbed his book back. Eve stared at him as he read, tracing his features with her eyes. As she contemplated his compassion and overall kindness, all she could think about was how great of a parent he would become.
Just as she was starting to fall from her anxious high, she heard a soft knock. The couple locked eyes for a split second before they began rushing towards the door, pulling it open. There stood three teenagers, bearing both smiles and nervous expressions.
“Hi there,” Eve breathed a slight grin stretching across her face, “my name’s Eve Baird, and this is my fiancée, Flynn Carsen.”
Flynn gave them a small wave before gesturing towards their bags, “let me grab those for you, they look heavy.”
The three clutched onto their bags tighter, the red-haired one shaking her head slightly. When he saw this, Flynn just ushered them into the home, excitement rolling in his body far too much for this to upset him. Eve on the other hand, noticed their tight expressions and grew a tad bit worried.
“Okay!” Flynn clapped his hands together and scanned the trio’s faces, “Introductions!”
The redhead spoke up first, softly stating, “M-my name’s Cassandra Cillian, it’s nice t-to meet you.”
Noting her hesitation, Eve greeted her back. “It’s lovely to meet you too Cassandra. Who’s next?”
“I can go,” said the guy standing beside Cassandra, “the name’s Jacob Stone—you can call me Jake though.” He shook Eve’s hand, his country accent peeking through his words.
“And my name’s Ezekiel Jones,” the final kid stated, dangling something small and brown between his fingers, “and this is your wallet.”
Flynn patted his pockets, eyes widening before he snatched the wallet back, face burning in embarrassment. “No thanks, don’t do that.”
As Eve turned to show them around the house, she felt a small smile grace her lips. She led them toward the corridor, knowing that this was going to be an adventure.
Earlier.
Ezekiel stared at the large home as the car pulled up to the driveway. As he watched out the window, he wondered how quickly they’d be pushed out of the home this go around. He turned to his friends, analysing their faces. Cassandra looked frightened, constantly cracking her fingers. Ezekiel slid his eyes over to Jake, observing the way his hands were clenched and his face tense.
And then there was Lamia.
She simultaneously kept her eyes forward while also watching them from the rearview mirror. It was creepy if you asked him. Ezekiel himself felt anxious and tired. Tired of the switches, tired of the games. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath before pushing the car door open, Cass and Jake trailing behind him. As he walked up to the home, he felt slightly numb, used to this experience.
Ezekiel stood at the foot of the home, holding his small bag of clothes in one hand and a laptop in the other. Lamia rested a hand on his shoulder which he shrugged off. He sighed, mentally preparing himself for this new home. He’s already been in eight before this, and each home carried exhausting memories and permanent scars. Anything was better than living on the streets though, he supposed.
He raised a hand to knock, but hesitated. What kind of people would they be, he asked himself. Ezekiel didn’t think he could do it if they were strict and abusive—couldn’t help but dread the day when he’s pushed too far and has to pack his bags and run.
Nevertheless he knocked.
Moments later, the door swung open and he was met with a tall blonde woman and a lanky man at her side. The woman smiled and welcomed them in, introducing herself as Eve Baird. The tall man—named Flynn Carsen—offered to take their bags, but Ezekiel and the others wouldn’t let him. Instead, he noticed something brown sticking out of Flynn’s back pocket. Carefully, he walked past the man, seeming to be viewing the living room. But, in reality, he was swiping the wallet and tucking it into his own pocket.
As the others began to introduce themselves, Ezekiel studied the couple. He could tell something was off about the woman. The way she carried herself irked him. Even if they’ve just met, he noticed the way her shoulders were squared and her posture tight. She seemed like someone in the police force, maybe military, and that brushed him wrong. The last time one of his foster parents was a police officer, it didn’t end well. Ezekiel mentally reminded himself to watch out for her; he couldn’t deal with the wrath of someone’s short temper again.
He was starting to regret stealing from Flynn, so when it came time for him to speak, he pulled the wallet out of his pocket and fidgeted with it. “My name’s Ezekiel Jones,” he paused, then handed the wallet over, “and this is your wallet.”
As Flynn took it back, embarrassed, Ezekiel could feel his friends’ eyes watching him. Jake gave him a look that asked him why he would return it, but he just shrugged it off. Ezekiel started to crack his fingers, nervous that he might have fucked up his chances with these people already. He kept his eyes trained on Eve, barely able to contain his fear. Though, instead of looking angry she was…smiling? He only caught a glimpse of it, but it looked like a smile. He felt bewildered, wondering what she was up to—there’s just no way she let that slide.
At first, he thought she wasn’t military, not even police. That theory was instantly debunked when he glanced around the room and spotted a photo with her wearing some sort of badge. She was grinning, smiling brightly, contrasting the dread he felt as he looked over the picture. If she was really law enforcement, why did she let him get away with it? Maybe to get on their good side, earn their trust. If so, Ezekiel was adamant to never trust any of the people they were handed off to. It was almost always just a ploy to earn money from the government, and they would always be forced to fend for himself.
He grew even more hesitant by them minute, already imagining the “discipline” they would instill.
Now, he was afraid.