Butterfly (Orphans 1)

"I hope you'll keep up with your dancing," Sanford said. "You really were getting very good."

I didn't say anything. I sat quietly and gazed out the side window watching the scenery drift by. It felt as if the world were on a ribbon that unraveled and floated behind us. Every once in a while, Sanford would say something else. I saw him gazing at me in the rearview mirror. His eyes were full of sadness and guilt.

"I hope Celine gets better," I told him

"Thank you." And again I saw tears in his eyes.

We were going to the group foster home, a place called The Lakewood House. Sanford explained that it was run by a couple, Gordon and Louise Tooey, who used to run it as a tourist rooming house. It was a little under a two-hour drive.

"It will only be temporary for you, I'm sure," he said.

On the way he wanted to stop to get me something to eat, but I told him I wasn't hungry. The faster we got there and I started my new life, the better, I thought. At the moment I truly felt in limbo.

Sanford followed written directions but he got lost once and had to pull into a garage for new directions. Finally we were on the road that led to the group house.

"There it is," Sanford declared.

Ahead of us was a very large, gray two-story house. It had as much if not more grounds than Sanford and Celine's home. I saw four young girls walking together toward what looked like a ball field. Two teenage boys were mowing grass and a tall, muscular man with a shock of dark brown hair and

a chiseled face was shouting at some other children who were raking up the cut grass.

"Looks nice," Sanford commented.

After we parked he got out my suitcases. A tall brunette with shoulder-length hair pinned back burst out of the front entrance. She looked about fifty and I thought her best feature was her startling blue eyes.

"This must be Janet. I've been expecting you all day, sweetheart," she declared, coming right up to me. "What a pretty little girl you are."

"Yes, she is," Sanford said sadly.

"Welcome to The Lakewood House, honey. My name is Louise. show you to your room. Right now, she has a room all to herself;' she told Sanford, "but we're expecting new children soon."

He smiled and nodded.

"Gordon!" Louise shouted. "Gordon."

"What is it?" he called back.

"The new girl's arrived."

"Wonderful. I gotta look after these kids, they never get the lawn right," he said. He looked very grouchy to me.

"Gordon takes pride in how we keep up the place," Louise explained. "All of us help, but you'll see. It's fun," she said. "Come on in. Please," she added, putting her hand on my shoulder and guiding me up the stairs to the front door.

There was a small entryway and then a large room filled with old furniture.

"The Lakewood was one of the most desirable tourist houses in its day," Louise told Sanford. She went on to explain how the resort business had died and how she and her husband, Gordon, had decided to use the property as a group foster home. She didn't have any children of her own, "but I always consider my wards my own," she added.

We went upstairs and stopped at a room that was half the size of my mom at the Delorice residence.

"I just cleaned it thoroughly. The girls share the bathroom across the hall," Louise explained. "Cooperation is the key word here," she told Sanford. "It prepares them for life."

Sanford smiled again. He set my suitcases down.

"Well," Louise said, looking at him and then at me. "Why don't I give you two time to say good-bye and then I'll show Janet around the house."

"Thank you," Sanford said.

She left us and I sat on what was to be my bunk. He stood there silently for a moment.