Free My Forever by Jolene Perry Page A

suddenly vulnerable lying down.
     
    “Dani, this is my mom, Collette Mason,” Michael says.
     
    I try to wipe the sleepy haze away. I’m bound not to make a good impression.
     
    “Hi Dani.” She has a wide, easy smile and reaches out to shake my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Tracy and Michael have talked about you a lot.”
     
    I look from them, back to their mom. I have no words or thoughts yet.
     
    “Would you like to stay with us for a while?”
s
he asks.
     
    I don’t know how to answer. Why would someone just open up their home like that? I do want to stay there. She has the same nice feeling around her as Michael and Tracy have. But there’s no way she could want another kid in her house.
     
    “Tracy thinks the guestroom i s hideous , but it’s yours if you’ll take it .” Colett e laughs a little at that. “ I’d love it if you felt comfortable enough with my kids and I to stay for a while, at least until the school year is over.”
     
    I cry in rel ief then. It’s embarrassing. I stare at my lap, unsure of what to do. Michael and Tracy sit on the bed behind me and each give me a half hug.
     
    I hear Collette’s voice again. “Okay, there’s no reason for you two to be missing class right now. I’ll see you after school.” She turns toward me then. “Why don’t we go home and get you settled, okay?”
     
    “Okay.” I can’t believe what this lady is doing for me. A stupid teenage girl who’s dumb enough to get herself knocked up.
     
    The nurse and Collette step off to the side. “I’ll get her homework and send it home with your kids. I’d keep her home tomorrow since it’s Friday. She has to need the rest.”
     
    “Okay.” Collette’s voice is so easygoing. There’s a happy feel to it. I like her immediately.
     
    I follow her out to the car, not sure what to expect. There are no words, no coherent thoughts, not yet.
     
    I sit in the passenger’s seat and buckle in , waiting for a lecture, or a warning, or something .
     
    “I can’t pretend to have any idea how you feel.” She sighs as she begins to drive . “I don’t want to pry. You just have to trust that I want to listen to you any time you want to talk, okay?”
     
    “Okay.” I look out the window. I never pictured this happening. In the millions of scenarios I played out in my head, this definitely wasn’t one of them. “I’m sorry to do this— ”
     
    “Dani.” Her voice is the most serious I’ve heard from her. “No mistake on the part of a teenager warrants this.”
     
    “You do know I’m pregnant right?”
     
    She laughs. “Yes. ” She takes a deep breath in. “I got Michael from someone very much like you.”
     
    Right. This is going to be okay.
     
     
     
                 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    9
     
     
     
    I’m stumped by my room and stand in the doorway almost afraid to step inside .
     
    “You’re thinking what Tracy always tells me, that the room is hideous, right?” Collette
asks.
     
    “I’ve never had my own room,” I admit. Besides, the room isn’t hideous. I t’s not my style but everything’s nice. There are no stickers or marker on the white dresser, there’s real curtains on the windows, not old blankets. It’s a soothing color of yellow and bright, clean white. Happy.
     
    She puts an arm around me and rubs my back. I feel like I might cry again
,
but I really don’t want to.
     
    Collet t e gives me the brief tour of the rest of the house. It’s small but set up really well. There are three bedrooms, a kitchen , and a laundry room on the main floor. Her room is the loft above the kitchen and dining area. The house is also on the lake , but probably one of the oldest places here.
     
    After showing me around she has to leave to finish up her workday, and I feel bad again, like a big inconvenience.
     
    “Try to get some rest Dani. I’d guess you didn’t get any sleep last night.” She
r
ubs my back one more time. “I