Free Then There Was You by Melanie Dawn

Why do you care so much for these kids? It’s affecting your family,” he grumbled.
    I looked at his cold, unsympathetic expression. He was far too self-serving to be compassionate toward anyone who just needed someone else to care about them.
    “For some of these kids, Graham, I’m all they’ve got. I see the system failing them every day. I hear what these kids are going through, what they’ve been through… it kills me. I care a lot about these kids. I’m sorry you can’t understand that!”
    “I just wish you wouldn’t bring it home with you.”
    “Yeah, well I wish a lot of things…” I quipped, tossing my fork onto my plate. Standing up, I left my dinner on the table and traipsed upstairs to my bed where I promptly fell asleep.
    Within an hour, Graham opened the door. “She needs her bath,” he said, as he carried Alexis into the room and laid her on the bed.
    I groaned, rolled over, and put the pillow over my head. Can’t he do something on his own for once? Dammit!
    Alexis kicked and squealed next to me.
    “Come on, sweet girl,” I said as I stood up and scooped her into my arms. “Let’s go get ready for another sleepless night…”
    As I ran the water for Alexis’s bath, I could already hear the announcers for the Broncos game on the television in the living room while the popcorn cracked and sizzled in the microwave. Must be nice.

Officer Blevins kept a pretty tight rein on the boys. They always walked in a single file line down the corridor on their way to the recreation room. Thankfully, I worked in a cell block that didn’t have to keep the kids in shackles. In military fashion, you could hear the boys shouting “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” as they echoed down the hall. Occasionally, the group leader would begin cadence, and the others would follow suit.
    I was walking toward my supervisor’s office when I passed the boys in the hallway. An ensemble of gray jumpsuits and black, slip-on clogs lined the wall.
    “Mrs. H!” a few boys bellowed, elbowing each other as if to awaken their sleeping hormones.
    “Hi, boys,” I answered, throwing my hand up and waving.
    “Wanna come shoot hoops with us?” Greg asked. “We’re headed to the rec room.”
    I never passed up an opportunity to shoot hoops. I really missed my high school varsity basketball playing days. “I might join you boys in a few minutes. I have an errand to run first.”
    I needed to get the details of a new kid who would be entering Fairbanks within the next few hours.
    “Okay, Mrs. H, we’ll see you later.”
    I glanced down the line. Malik, DeAndre, Greg, Toombs—all good kids. A little misguided, but deep down, they were all sweethearts. They just need a little push to make better decisions in their lives. Chris brought up the rear. He wore the state-issued black beanie on his head. Looking at me with his animated eyes, he nodded once in acknowledgement and flashed his signature smile. A deep dimple creased his cheek.
    “Hey, Mrs. Honeycutt,” he said with an affable tone.
    “Hey Chris,” I replied, matching his amiable expression.
    A heartbreaker—that’s the term I’d use to describe Chris. Deep, soulful eyes. Tan skin. Squared jaw. Confident, but not arrogant, swagger. Smooth baritone accompanied by unparalleled musical talent. Everything that melted girls’ hearts. One day, some girl, if not Kaitlyn, was going to be swept right off her feet, and I could hardly blame her. I just hoped that we could make headway with his reform, so when he re-entered the general public the decisions he’d make wouldn’t land him right back at Fairbanks. If I thought anyone was capable of reform, it was Chris. I knew why he did what he did to land himself back at a correctional facility. Quite honestly, while I knew there were other ways to handle that situation, I could certainly empathize with his decisions.
    “See you in a few,” he said with a smile that reached his eyes.
    Nodding, I gave a little wave. “Okay.