Page 77 of The Dating Charade

Her mouth felt numb, her throat numb, as though it belonged to somebody else. “Sure. Thanks for coming by. What’s going on?”

An ocean of sympathy lay in Rachel’s eyes. “I checked with all the relatives first. In our initial call he told me he couldn’t take them on—”

“Who?”

“Their uncle.” She wrapped the parka tighter around her chest. “Their uncle came back to claim the girls. Seems he had a conversation with their mother and decided. He’s taking immediate custody.”

“He can’t do that!”

Though Cassie felt every word, it was Star who spoke, who was now tripping down the stairs two and three at a time. She looked down at Cassie. “I’m fourteen, right? I can stay here if I want. I’m fourteen.”

Rachel took a breath, turning her eyes on Star. “Yes, legally you have the right to stay. But the younger ones . . .”

Cassie held Kennedy tighter, disbelief in her voice. “You would separate them?”

“No. The last thing DCS wants is sibling separation. But if Star chooses to stay here, with you . . .” She hesitated.

Star’s eyes bulged. “I don’t want to be separated from them. I choose here. We all want to stay together here.”

“Sweetie, he is your uncle, your mother’s brother—”

“So?” Star’s voice cracked. “Miss C is a hundred times the family he’s ever been. We don’t even know him! We haven’t ever even met him!”

“What you must remember is that he cares about your well-being—”

“If that were true, where has he been all my life?” Star’s voice was cracking as it rose higher and higher, her movements becoming jerky and sporadic. “Tell them, Miss C! Tell them you want to keep us!”

“I know she does, Star,” Rachel said. “I know it. And I feel for you both. But legally, she has no right—”

Star flung her finger toward the upstairs. “Just now she got us a new bed! We’re already settled here. You’ll just have to tell him it’s too late. Come see!”

But as Star tried to coerce Rachel up the stairs to her bedroom, all Cassie could hear was the pulse in her eardrums. Vision started to blur, her body reminding her at random intervals to breathe. She couldn’t trust her arms to hold Kennedy, and yet she couldn’t manage to let her go. She sank onto the steps, Kennedy’s dress fanning around them.

Her mind was groggy, fighting and yet unable to keep up. She’d seen this situation before, watched the same thing happen to foster girls at the Haven. She’d known her heart could take a beating, that it was just the way the story played out sometimes. But this was different. Yesterday she’d been close enough in the system to be kin. She had kept her hopes tethered tightly while Rachel checked around for relatives, while she figured out the situation with Star’s mother. Only when Rachel had called, giving her the news of the termination of rights, did she start to even let her imagination go.

“Where is he?” Waves of nausea threatened as Cassie spoke.

Rachel took a heavy breath. “Spartanburg, South Carolina.”

“This is ridiculous.” Vaguely she heard her mother push around people and down the stairs, felt her hand squeezing against her shoulder. The words spat from her mother’s lips with a tone as close to cussing as she had ever heard. “My daughter hasn’t once wavered in her decision to protect and care for these youths. From moment one. If some man these girls don’t even know can change his mind like flipping pancakes, you can just tell him he missed the boat. These girls deserve more than a wishy-washy—”

“Mom, please.”

Awareness of Kennedy’s trembling body alerted Cassie to speak up, gave her strength to stand. Kennedy, Deidre, and Star didn’t need more drama to remember, another scene of raised, chaotic voices to replay from their childhood. Raising her voice, showing her weakness, wouldn’t help.

Cassie tried to speak calmly. “What about their schools? I know the state recognizes the value in keeping children in the same community, with as many familiar faces as possible. Surely they would agree that moving states isn’t in the best interest of the children.”

“I know. Moving states isn’t ideal, but it’s best, always, to stick with family.”

Cassie continued, undeterred. “What about Star’s attendance at the Haven? The state itself funds the program. I have the statistics regarding the success rate of those who stay loyal through graduation.”

Rachel nodded through it all, was still nodding when she finished. The tenderness in her voice, though she hadn’t moved a muscle off the welcome mat, was clear. “I know, Cassie. Believe me. If there was any chance I could work around these regulations, I would. But as far as the facts go, you’ve provided emergency shelter for a number of weeks. Not months. Not years. This relative is stepping up in a comparatively short amount of time, stating he wants to take charge of his nieces. His background check clears. He and his wife have the appropriate housing and funds required to take on three children. This . . . as much as it pains me to say right now, is truly in their best interest.” She glanced at the other children on the stairs. “Wouldn’t you fight for the right to parent your siblings’ children if something were to happen to them? Wouldn’t you jump on a plane for your nieces if you could?”

Yes, but where was he three weeks ago? Cassie stopped herself from repeating the fruitless words.

Not a foot moved.

Not a voice spoke, except good ol’ Frank Sinatra.