Once Pined

Riley just stood there for a moment, Jilly sobbing in her arms, feeling oddly clumsy and helpless.

Jilly whispered something that Riley couldn’t hear.

“What?” Riley asked.

Jilly drew her face back and looked into Riley’s eyes, her own earnest brown eyes filled with tears.

“Mom?” she said in a choked, shy voice. “Can I call you Mom?”

Riley hugged her close again, overwhelmed by a confusing onslaught of emotions.

“Of course,” Riley said.

Then she turned to Garrett. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”

“I’m glad I could help, at least a little,” he replied. “Do you need a place to stay while you’re here?”

“No. Now that she’s been found, there’s no point. We’ll catch the next flight back.”

Garrett shook her hand. “I hope this works out for both of you.”

Then he left.

Riley looked down at the teenager who was still clinging to her. She was struck with an odd mix of elation to have found her and concern for what the future might hold for them both.

“Let’s go grab a burger,” she said to Jilly.

*

It was snowing lightly during the drive home from Reagan Washington International Airport. Jilly sat staring silently out the window as Riley drove. Her silence was a big change after the more than four-hour flight from Phoenix. Then, Jilly hadn’t been able to stop talking. She’d never been on a plane before and was curious about absolutely everything.

Why is she so quiet now? Riley wondered.

It occurred to her that snow must be an unusual sight for a girl who had lived all her life in Arizona.

“Have you ever seen snow before?” Riley asked.

“Only on TV.”

“Do you like it?” Riley said.

Jilly didn’t reply, which made Riley feel uneasy. She remembered the first time she had seen Jilly. The girl had run away from an abusive father. In sheer desperation, she had decided to become a prostitute. She’d gone to a truck stop that was notorious as a pickup place for prostitutes – “lot lizards,” they were called, because they were especially down-and-out.

Riley had gone there investigating a series of murders of prostitutes. She’d happened to find Jilly hidden away in the cab of a truck, waiting to sell herself to the driver whenever he came back.

Riley had gotten Jilly into Child Protective Services and had stayed in touch with her. Garrett’s sister had taken Jilly in as a foster child, but eventually Jilly had run away again.

It was then that Riley had decided to take Jilly home herself.

But now she was starting to wonder if she’d made a mistake. She already had her own fifteen-year-old daughter, April, to take care of. April alone could be a handful. They had been through some traumatic experiences together since Riley’s marriage had broken up.

And what did she really know about Jilly? Did Riley have any idea how deeply scarred the girl might be? Was she the least bit prepared to deal with the challenges Jilly might present? And although April had approved of her bringing Jilly home, how would the two teenagers get along?

Suddenly, Jilly spoke.

“Where am I going to sleep?”

Riley felt relieved to hear Jilly’s voice.

“You’ll have your own room,” she said. “It’s small, but I think it’s just right for you.”

Jilly fell silent for another moment.

Then she said, “Was it somebody else’s room?”

Jilly sounded worried now.

“Not since I’ve lived there,” Riley said. “I tried using it as an office, but it was too big. So I moved my office into my bedroom. April and I bought you a bed and a dresser, but when we have time, you can pick out some posters and a bedspread that you like.”

“My own room,” Jilly said.

Riley thought she sounded more apprehensive than happy.

“Where does April sleep?” Jilly asked.

Riley more than half wanted to tell Jilly to just wait until they got home, and then she’d see everything for herself. But the girl sounded like she needed reassurance right this minute.

“April has her own room,” Riley said. “You and April will share a bathroom, though. I’ve got my own bathroom.”

“Who cleans? Who cooks?” Jilly asked. Then she added anxiously, “I’m not a good enough cook.”

“Our housekeeper, Gabriela, takes care of all that. She’s from Guatemala. She lives with us, in her own apartment downstairs. You’ll meet her soon. She’ll take care of you when I have to be away.”

Another silence fell.

Then Jilly asked, “Will Gabriela beat me?”

Riley was stunned by the question.

“No. Of course not. Why would you think that?”

Jilly didn’t reply. Riley tried to comprehend what she meant.

She tried to tell herself that she shouldn’t be surprised. She remembered what Jilly had said when she’d found her in the truck cab and told her that she needed to go home.

“I’m not going home. My dad will beat me up if I go back.”

Social services in Phoenix had already removed Jilly from her father’s custody. Riley knew that Jilly’s mother had gone missing long ago. Jilly had a brother somewhere, but nobody had heard from him in a while.