Crystal (Orphans 2)

"Sure," he said, practically seizing them.

"We'll just be a minute," she told Mr. Kolton. "Fine. Good luck, Crystal:' he called to me as I started for the steps.

"Yes, good luck, honey." Ms. Thacker followed. I didn't look back.

Louise talked a continuous stream as we ascended, describing the house, its history, and how much she enjoyed having foster children.

"You're all precious to us, right, Gordon?" she said. "Yeah," he muttered. "Precious?'

She paused at a door and knocked before opening it. A small girl with a face as perfect as a cherub's looked up at us. She lay curled up on her bed. She wore what looked like a tutu and a pair of pointe shoes.

"Janet, you're not sick again, are you, dear?" Louise asked quickly.

She shook her head.

"Just tired from practicing your ballet?" She nodded, her eyes on me and full of terror.

"This is your new roommate, Crystal. Crystal, this is Janet. I just know you two will get along well. Janet's not a bad student, either, are you, Janet?"

She shook her head.

"Maybe now that you have a roommate, you won't stay to yourself so much," Louise said.

Gordon slapped the suitcases on the floor. "I got things to do," he grunted.

"Fine, dear," Louise said.

"Yeah, fine," he muttered.

"Gordon growls a lot," Louise said when he left, "but he's a pussycat at heart. Well, I'm going to let you two get acquainted while I go down and finish up the business with the agency people. Feel free to roam about and explore your new home," Louise added. "Welcome again, dear," she said, and left us.

I looked at Janet. She seemed so fragile, but her legs did look firm and muscular.

"You study ballet?" I asked. She nodded.

She's as shy as a butterfly, I thought, and went to my suitcases. She watched me for a few moments and then sat up.

"I don't study it anymore. I don't have any teacher," she said.

I looked back at her. "If you like doing it, just keep doing it. Maybe someday you'll get another teacher," I said.

She smiled. It was a pretty smile, a smile hungry to shine on someone who would give her love. I liked her. Maybe it was good that she was so shy and fragile. Maybe it was good that I would have someone else to look after besides myself, I thought.

I went to the window and looked out toward the lake. "It is pretty here," I said.

In the falling, purplish light of the failing day, the stars began to emerge, each like the tip of a magic wand, full of promises.

Janet and I sat by the window and looked up. I was pleasantly surprised when her hand found mine. We sat silently for a moment. Maybe there wasn't a family out there waiting for us. Maybe the only family we would have was each other. Maybe the only promises we would fulfill were the promises we made to each other. We had no wealth, no currency, nothing to offer each other but trust.

Afterward, she showed me pictures of herself in a ballet costume and began to tell me about her life. It didn't come fast. She had been wounded in love as I had, and she was afraid to confide in anyone. The secrets of our hearts would have to be unraveled like a ball of string, a little at a time. We would weave our pasts, our pains, and our dreams around each other until we were safely in each other's cocoon.

Only then could we go back into the world.