People come and go through foster homes all the time, not many stay for long. The older kids are trouble makers and become the first to leave. The younger kids and babies stay the longest. Then there’s kids like me, neither trouble makers or babies. We stay in foster care for about half a year until we get moved on. I’ve been her for about a month now. There were two boys, sixteen and thirteen, and three girls, fifteen and thirteen. Brenda and Travis were trying to let a new arrival come in, a younger child. This child is special in some way, whether it’s mentally or physically. We don’t know anything expect that the child is a girl and an infant. Travis spent three days creating a nursery, painting walls and setting up furniture. Even if they don’t get the baby, the room still had to be set up for an inspection. We all knew that foster care made sure that the houses were suitable for the age of the child. I wondered out of my bedroom and down to the kitchen for breakfast. Brenda and Travis sat at the counter with a smile of their faces.


“Good morning.” I said, grabbing a box of cereal.


“Good morning, Aaleahya.” Brenda said. “Would you mind going to the family room for a bit? We have some good news for you children.”


I left the cereal and empty bowl on the table and went into the family room. Hana and Rose laid on the floor, Kyle was reclined in the chair, and Jason was spread out of the couch. I moved Jason’s feet and flopped down onto the couch.


“Alright.” Brenda smiled. “We will be getting the baby to come here.”


She paused for a moment to let it sink in. A baby was going to be coming here. Of course that a lot of babies were in foster homes but I haven’t been with one since my second foster home.


“She’s four months old and her name is Laila. She was put into foster care since her mother died when she was a month old and there was no one in the family to take her.” Brenda said.


Everyone gets the background on the new arrival before they arrive. Everyone knew the scoop on my past and I learned the background of the others within the first three days I was here.


“She’ll be arriving this afternoon.” Travis added. “It will be a bit of a different change to adjust to but we’ll all fall into a routine.”


They released us and we all went back to our own little things. Jason and I went back into the kitchen to our abandoned breakfast.


“Four girls and two boys.” Jason said, “That’s unfair.”


“You’re just jealous that the new arrival is a girl and not a boy you can rough house with.” I laughed. “Either way, she’s a baby. You couldn’t even rough house even if she was a boy.”


“Well…it…it would feel better if there was an even number, three boys and three girls.” Jason replied, blushing.


One thing I learned about Jason is that he hates being wrong, hates it with a passion. He’s so stubborn and gets all red when he knows that he is wrong. It's a pride and denial issue and Jason got it bad.


“Hurry up.” Brenda called from the sun room. “The bus will be here soon.”


I dumped the rest of my breakfast out before grabbing my messenger bag from the chair. I scrambled around the house for my school books, racing out to catch the bus.


“Nice to see you too.”


I flopped down into the bus seat and propped my knees on the seat in front on me.


“Hi Kaylee.” I sighed. “I've just had a busy morning. Brenda and Travis have a new arrival coming during the day. They told us this morning, then Jason and I got a bit distracted. Brenda reminded us that the bus was coming then I was scrambling around to grab my stuff.”


“Sounds like fun.” Kaylee smirked. “Guess who don't want to come over then?”


“You know I love you Kaylee, but it's a baby. They're cute adorable little things.” I smiled happily.


“I know, I know. You want to see the baby.” Kaylee smiled. “I'll just call you after school.”


The bus pulled into the school lot and everyone unloaded. I grabbed my bag and walked out of the bus, unable to concentrate for the day. A new baby was coming to the house during the school day. I'm just to excited to be able to do any work.
Time flies when you're having fun...more like it flies when your dying to get home and see the new arrival. Jason and I flew off the bus since we were the only ones to come home. Kyle stayed as a tutor for fifth and sixth graders while Rose and Hana stayed for a after-school tutoring program to brings their grades up.


“Breanda, Travis, we're home!” I said as we walked into the house.


“Did you have a good day?” Brenda asked.


“Yup,” Jason answered. “Is the baby here?


Brenda led us into the family room where Travis was holding a baby. There was a woman in there too, her social worker. I left my messenger bag in the kitchen and washed my hands.


“May I hold her?” I asked the social worker.


“Of course, dear.” She answered.


Brenda positioned my arms the right way and Travis laid baby Laila in my arms and pointed at the couch for me to sit down and be careful.


“Laila has had a....difficult beginning of life.” The social worker said. “With the loss of her mother and such.” She looked over at Brenda and Travis. “Do you want the others to know or would you like to tell them yourselves when you think they're ready?”


“Tell them.” Travis said.


The social worker turned to us with a sullen look.


“Laila's mother was murdered while Laila was at daycare. There was a note left at the scene, saying 'You're next.' We think he or she wants Laila.”

Someone wants the new arrival, someone wants Laila. Why would anyone want to kill a baby? I mean, unless they're a sick, messed up person, no one would want to harm a sweet little infant. Laila had been here for about a week now and nothing strange had happen yet. That's what we want though, a normal life. I was walking home with Kaylee from school, feeling slightly strange.


“Hey, it looks like something is going on.” Kaylee pointed out.


I looked down the road and she was right. Cops were blocking off a section of the neighborhood .I looked at the street sign, it was my street.


“Kaylee, that's my street.”


We walked up to the nearest cop to learn what was going on.


“Some couple and a baby was murdered.” He answered.


I looked over at Kaylee with a worried look. Brenda and Travis was a couple with a baby. It could be any couple, but it may be them.


“Did this couple happen to be foster parents?” I asked .


“Yes.”


“My parents.” I whispered. “They're my parents.”


The cop wouldn't let me through and Kaylee took me home with her. I liked Brenda and Travis, they couldn't be dead. Laila couldn't be dead either, she was just a baby. I was in shock, terrible shock.

Our social workers allowed us to stay in town long enough for the funerals. I stood in between Jason and Kyle with a sullen look. Everyone was only here for Brenda and Travis. Laila got sent back to her home town to be next to her mother.


“Goodbye.” I whispered, throwing a flower into each grave.