Four Flames for Angela

“Okay. You took the dogs out earlier, right?” Angie said calmly.

“Ye…yeah,” Todd answered, his voice hitching.

“When you took them out earlier, what did you do with the leads when you came back in?” Angie had to calm Todd down if they were going to find the leashes and get the mess he’d made looking cleaned up.

“I don’t know!” Todd screamed.

“Okay, okay. Just calm down. We know they are in the house. Why don’t you go look in your room and I’ll come help after I pick this stuff up?” Angie said, starting to pick up the pile of stuff Todd had thrown on the floor while he was looking.

“Will you come help me?” Todd asked, still sniffling.

“Yes. As soon as I get this picked up.” Angie turned back to what she was doing.

“Are you mad?” Todd sniffled.

“No, honey. I’m not mad. I just want things to look nice. And I want to pick this stuff up.” Angie turned and gave him a hug.

“Okay. Come help me when you’re done, please.” Todd stood, watching Angie.

“Go on. I’ll be there as soon as I finish here.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, Todd. I promise.” Angie took another deep breath and finished what she was doing. Sometimes she wondered if she’d been sane when she decided to take on a seven-year-old boy, but then he looked at her with those dark brown eyes and all was lost. She wouldn’t change anything for the world. She and Todd were a family and meant to be together. She sat a minute before taking another deep breath and heading back to Todd’s room.

“How are you doing, buddy?” she asked, standing in the doorway to Todd’s room.

“Look what I found!” Todd said excitedly, holding up an action figure.

“Nice. Did you find the leads for the dogs? River and the guys will be here soon, and if you want to take the puppies with us, we need the leads.”

“Oh! I forgot what I was looking for. Help me?” Todd’s room was a mess, but Angie tried not to be too mad at him. When they lived in the foster home, he had shared with three other boys and never had a space of his own. She had visited him after she left, and things were even more crowded in the home.

“Sure, let’s see what we can do.” Angie started sorting through the mess, hoping it wouldn’t take too long. Within a few minutes, she’d found what they were looking for and made a huge dent in organizing Todd’s room.

“We’ll finish this later. If you want to take the puppies out before the guys get here, we need to go now.” Angie stood up and brushed off the skirt of her dress, hoping it wasn’t too wrinkled, but nothing could be done about it.

“Wait! Wait!” Todd screamed, running back into his room.

What now? Angie thought. There was always something with Todd. “What are you looking for now?” Angie asked when she turned back to see Todd frantically throwing things in his room again, destroying everything she’d just accomplished.

“I need my hat,” Todd practically screamed.

“What hat?” What is he talking about now?

“The hat they gave me. My fireman’s hat! I have to have it with me or they’

ll think I don’t like it!” Todd was screaming and throwing things.

“Your hat is in the closet with your jackets and boots. Come on.” Angie grabbed Todd’s hand, then seeing the leashes still lying on the floor, grabbed those too and led him out of the room.

“Here’s your hat. Now help me put the leads on Spot and Tag so we can take them out.” Maybe the distraction of walking the dogs would keep Todd occupied until it was time to go.

They were walking the puppies up and down the sidewalk when the brothers pulled up. River was the first one out of the truck. “You look really nice,” he said and pulled her in for a hug.

“Thanks,” Angela said, smiling.

“That dress matches your eyes.” Rock was next to hug her.