Butterfly (Orphans 1)

"It's about time," she muttered. "Come, Janet, dear. Let us begin your new life. Let's think of this as your true birth. Okay? We'll even use this day as your birthday from now on. Why not? Yes? I like that idea. Don't you?" she declared with another thin laugh. "Today is your birthday!"

"Sanford," she called before I could reply. Actually, I didn't know what to say. My birthday had never been very special to me. He started toward us. "This day is more extraordinary than we imagined. It's Janet's birthday."

"It is?" he asked, looking confused. "But, I thought. ."

"It is." She stamped her words in the air between them and he nodded.

She reached her hand out to me.

"Come along now," she said. "We're going home to celebrate."

When I saw the grim look on Sanford's face and remembered the crazy light that had come into Mrs. Delorice's eyes, I wondered just what I had gotten myself into.

Two

Despite the years I had lived at the orphanage, there wasn't anyone was sorry to leave behind. My goodbyes were quick. Those who had made fun of me for so long just stared with envy. No one had much to say. Only Margaret came up to me as I was getting my things together and whispered, "What kind of a mother is a mother in a wheelchair?"

"One who wants to love me," I replied and left her gnawing on the inside of her cheek.

Celine was already in the car, waiting. Sanford helped me with my things and then opened the car door for me as if he were my chauffeur. They had a very expensive-looking black car with leather seats that felt as soft as marshmallows. I thought the car was as big as a limousine. It had the scent of fresh roses.

"Look at her, Sanford," Celine said. "She's not the least bit sorry to be leaving that place. Are you, dear?"

"No . . ." The following word seemed hard to form, so alien. My tongue tripped over itself. "Mother."

"Did you hear her, Sanford? Did you hear what she called me?"

"I did, honey." He looked back at me and smiled for the first time since I'd met him. "Welcome to our family, Janet."

"Thank you," I said, but I knew I had spoken too softly for either of them to hear.

"We had a nice conversation in the garden while you were crossing T's and dotting I's, Sanford." "Oh?"

"Janet told me she loves to dance," Celine said. "Really?" Sanford sounded surprised.

I had said I liked dancing, but I hadn't done enough dancing to say I loved it, especially the sort of dancing she meant. She turned to face me.

"I was younger than you when I started training, Janet. My mother was very supportive, maybe because her mother, my grandmother Annie, was a prima ballerina. It broke my mother's heart almost as much as it did mine when I had to stop." She had turned to look at me and I could see the strange light had returned to her eyes.

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Both my parents are still alive. They live in Westchester in the same house where my brother Daniel and I were raised," she explained.

My heart began to pound again. It was one thing to dream of having a mommy and daddy, but another to think up an entire family with grandparents and uncles and aunts. Maybe there was a cousin, too, a girl about my age with whom I could become best friends.

"Unfortunately, both of Sanford's parents are gone," she continued. She gazed at him again. "His sister Marlene lives in Denver but we don't see her very much. She doesn't approve of me."

"Celine, please," he said weakly.

"Yes, Sanford's right. No unpleasantness, never again You don't need to know any of the unpleasantness I've had to bear. You've known enough during your poor little life," she said. "You don't have to worry about money, either. We're rich."

"You shouldn't say things like that, Celine," Sanford gently chastised. I could tell immediately that he was sorry he'd spoken.

"Why not? Why shouldn't I be proud? Sanford owns and operates a glass factory. We're not as big as Corning, but we're competition for them, aren't we, Sanford?" she bragged.

"Yes, dear." He looked back at me. "Once you've settled in, show you the plant."

"You can show her, but she's not going to spend a great deal of time down there, Sanford. She'll be too busy with her school