Page 68 of After We Fall

He’s standing in the corner, arms crossed over his vast chest, running his tongue over his front teeth. He must need something to chew. I confess even I’d take a toothpick right about now. Anything to release some of the stress in this room. With the exception of Tanya and Bianca, lined up in front of me is my who’s who of personal disasters.

Meredith slides into the room, and when her head is angled so that only I can see her expression, she bugs her eyes out at me.

“Was there a camera crew with him?” I murmur to Meredith, knowing full well the senator wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to be seen, especially at a nonprofit.

“Harlan’s smooth-talking the local reporter outside now,” Meredith says in a low tone.

“He’s a good boss.”

“And an even better husband. I also strongly advised the senator’s personal assistant to stay in the living room with the cup of coffee I shoved in his hands.” She turns to face the room and loops her arm through the crook of my good elbow.

The whole gang’s here.

I gather a fortified breath and step toward my adoptive family to begin introductions. “Tanya and Bianca, I’d like to introduce you to California State Senator Phillip Nelson and his wife Cynthia Nelson. Phillip and Cynthia, may I present to you Miss Tanya Purtle and Miss Bianca Miller.”

Wide-eyed, Tanya looks at me. “The person on the phone yesterday said they were calling on behalf of your parents. Are these your parents?”

Her question is greeted with a chorus of conflicting answers that come at her all at once.

“No,” Jason scoffs.

“Yes,” the senator says.

“We love Penelope,” Cynthia says.

I clear my throat. “The Nelsons adopted me from a group home when I was sixteen.” I omit the detail about them disowning me at age twenty-four. “And this is Jason Livingstone. We became good friends at the group home, and he was also adopted by the Nelsons.”

“And how do you know our Penelope?” Cynthia asks Tanya.

“This is our abode,” Tanya says, puffing out her chest, presumably for her successful vocabulary effort.

Thank goodness she used the word with a degree of accuracy. The senator doesn’t understand mistakes.

Cynthia raises a hand and taps the pearls at her throat. “It’s a wonderful facility.”

Tanya blanches. “Facility?”

“Home,” Meredith says, her firm tone leaving no room for debate. “We do have a wonderful home here, don’t we?”

Phillip curls his hand to inspect his manicured nails. “We could bring a little extra publicity today to give the place a boost in public awareness.”

“Thank you, sir, but today’s timing isn’t ideal. As always, though, we appreciate others thinking of us.” Meredith’s sincere words are convincing, even to me. But I know she’s protecting me.

Bianca breaks her seething stare at the Nelsons to focus on me and asks with impatience, “Can they back a trailer?”

My Bianca. She knows unsafe when she sees it.

Before I can figure out how to defuse this impossible situation, Luke steps forward and thrusts out a hand to Phillip with an almost angry “Luke Granger.”

While he continues with his curt introduction to Cynthia, Bianca holds her laser focus on me, waiting for my answer. Can the people in this room, claiming to be my family, back a trailer?

No, I mouth to her.

Almost imperceptibly, she nods.

Luke stares down Jason. After a beat, he shakes Jason’s hand and says, “Why are you all here?” His words boomerang through the room, hitting everyone with their bluntness.

Jason throws an irritated glare my way. “We’re here to check on Penelope.”