Chapter 10: Di

Jeffrey was adorable, but getting a nose full of slobbery finger was enough for a while. She lifted him off her lap and stood him to toddle off to his mother, Michelle.

"Is anyone hungry?" Di asked and caught Jason giving her a funny look.

"Sure," Michelle said with a sweet smile as she picked up Jeffrey. "Let's eat, kids!"

Lauren and Michelle fixed plates for their kids, cutting the chicken into tiny bits and spooning a few beans on the side. Di got the kids juice pouches and left a basket of warm cornbread in the center of the kitchen table. After the kids were eating on their own, the three ladies joined Jason at the dining room table.

Di kept a nervous eye on the others as she put a piece of chicken and a spoonful of beans on her plate. Something had happened because Jason was avoiding her eyes, but whatever it was Di had missed it. Michelle kept glancing toward the kitchen table to keep an eye on the kids while Lauren shot a hard look of suspicion at Di. The silence continued after they had all served themselves making Di uncomfortable enough to do something about it.

"I'll go sit with the kids so you can visit," Di whispered as she grabbed her plate to stand.

"No," all three siblings said at the same time. Jason looked scared, Lauren seemed embarrassed, but Michelle reached out and put her hand on Di's arm.

"Please stay," Michelle said.

"It's okay. I'm just a foster kid." Di paused as she was standing, dredging up a chuckle that sounded as false as it felt.

"Stop it," Jason growled as his eyes narrowed at her. His anger surprised her enough to sit back down. He glared between his sisters then his gaze softened as it returned to Di. "You're just like us, except we had our Pawpaw. And now you've got me."

Di hated the tears filling her eyes but couldn't stop them any more than her throat closing. Looking down at her plate to hide her face, she waited until the embarrassing moment passed.

"I'm sorry," Lauren said to Di.

"What for?" Di whispered.

Lauren shook her head. "Thinkin' you might be playin' my big dumb brother."

"She isn't playin' me," Jason said. "She's my friend." Di gave him a weak smile and wiped her eyes.

"So, Di, how'd you two meet?" Michelle asked with a bright tone, obviously trying to change the mood.

"Jason was looking for someone to help him around the house. I was fostered at a ruby mine with some other kids, but it wasn't workin' out. When Jason came along I didn't know what to think." A smile flashed on her lips. "But he took a chance on me and I took a chance on him. This has been the best month of my life."

Jason schooled his face as he ate some of the chicken.

"Wait," Lauren started. "They made you work at a ruby mine?"

Di shrugged. "People who get into foster care aren't always looking to help kids. Some are crazy and make you do weird religious stuff. Some want cheap labor for crap jobs they couldn't pay anyone else to do. Grammy's place wasn't the worst place I've had to live."

"What's worse than slave labor?" Michelle asked with a look of horror on her face.

"Creeps," Di said. "People trying to touch you or worse. I dressed like a boy, cut my hair off, and stopped bathing to keep those kind of people away from me. Some kids aren't so lucky and just disappear."

"Oh my god," Lauren said with wide eyes.

Jason seemed to pick up her discomfort around the topic. "Tell them how it's been here."

"Jason is great," Di smiled. "He brought me in and let me have your old room and even let me pick over the clothes you left behind."

"I thought that shirt looked familiar," Michelle whispered to herself.

"All he asked me to do was keep up the house and cook. I'd never really cooked before, but there were cookbooks here and the Internet has all these videos that show how to do things. Then he gave me a budget and let me fix whatever I wanted!" All three siblings smiled at her enthusiasm which made her blush.

"I can't imagine being happy to have chores," Lauren said.

"You probably can't imagine what it feels like for me to have my own room in a house where I feel safe. You have an amazing brother." Those words spilled out with more passion than she felt comfortable sharing and looked down.

They each ate for a while in the silence while the kids chattered in the kitchen. Di and Jason kept glancing at each other while a warmth grew deep in her stomach.