"I’m on the run, nowhere to go. Living where I can.” Those are the thoughts that are running rampant in the head of 7 year old Kyle. Kyle tries to forget what happened to his family, but he cannot out of fear for his life. What does life have in store for Kyle? Will he find the meaning of life? Or will he live in agony for the rest of his life?

Chapter 2 :

Amanda walks to her office and cracks the door just enough to where she can hear her kids. She picks up the phone and calls one of her colleagues at work(She works for the county as a social Worker) to relay her situation.

“Hey Amanda, what can I do for you today?”

“I actually got 2 things I need you to do for me. The first being that I need you to look into a case about 3 counties over where the family died in a house fire. The second being I need to have you place a kid with me that I found homeless in a nearby park.”

“The first should be no problem but can you elaborate on the second?”

“I found this kid in a nearby park who coincidentally came from a house fire but I don't think this case is related to the first. Anyway, I found him and he was quite small for his age and had other things wrong as well.”

“My oh my, that is definitely a travesty. Do you have a name for the kid?”

“His first name is Kyle but he won't tell me his last name because of his past abuse.”

“You said he had other issues as well. Can you elaborate for the paperwork?”

“This kid is a Transgender kid. He’s a girl at heart but is a boy elsewhere.”

“Wow, that's a shocker.”

“Yea it sure is. That compounded with abuse is sad.”

“Get that foster paperwork done ASAP ok?”

“Will do hon, see you soon.”

With that Amanda hangs up the phone and goes to check on her girls.

“Hey girls, how are you?”

“Good!” They Both say in unison.

“I need to talk with u guys about something can you come here please.”

“Ok!” The girls say and they go to sit with their mother.

“You know the kid we picked up at the park?” Amanda says to her daughters.

They both nod and look at their mother confused.

“Well that kid will soon be apart of our family, I’m taking him in and you will have a new sister. She’s a little younger than you Haley.”

Haley is beaming at the thought of having another sister who’s around her age.

Her other daughter Samantha is in utter confusion after her mom says this to her.

“Now Sammy I can see your confused, I will explain it more when she wakes up ok?”

Sammy nods and hugs her mother.

“Would you two like to watch a movie?”

Both girls say yes and Amanda puts in her favorite Disney movie Cinderella.

Meanwhile, Lilly is fast asleep and ends up sleeping for about an hour before waking up.

Lilly gets out of bed and walks out into the living room rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Hey Lilly how are you?” Amanda asks.

“Good.”

“Looks like someone needs a new diaper?”

Lilly nods and just snuggles up on the couch next to Amanda watching the movie.

After the movie finishes, Amanda takes the girls to their rooms and changes their diapers before getting them dressed to go shopping.

“Get your shoes on girls.”

“Here Lilly you can wear these.” Amanda says.

“Can you help me?”

“Sure thing.”

After getting their shoes on they head out to the car, where Amanda proceeds to buckle them into their carseats.

“Alright girls let’s go shopping!”

Haley and Sammy are beaming but Lilly is just staring out the window.

Haley asks her mom “Where we going?”

Amanda says, “It’s a surprise for all of you.”

Haley then turns to Lilly and says “Hey Lilly?”

Lilly turns to Haley and says “Yeah?”

“You otay?”

“Just scared.”

“Why Scared?”

“Me not loved til mommy found me.” Lilly says while starting to cry.

Haley reaches over and grabs Lilly’s hand and says “We wuv you Lilly, don't cry.”

“You no get it. Me hurt badwy inside by my daddy."

Amanda hears this and steps in “Lilly, it's ok to cry, we all have to at one point or another.”

Haley then says “ You want hug Lilly?”

Lilly nods and Haley says “When we get there I give you hug ok?”

Lilly nods and lays her head back to rest.

“We’re almost here girls!”

“Yay!” Says Sammy and Haley

Lilly looks on as she sees that they're pulling into a Mall.

“We going to Mall?” Asks Lilly

“We are Lilly! About once a month I treat the girls to a little shopping where they get clothes and what not!”

By this point Lilly was beaming. She was excited to go shopping because she never got to do so before today.

“Lilly, before we go in I want you to know that you can get what you want. Don't be afraid to ask ok?”

Lilly nods and waits for Amanda to unbuckle her carseat.

Amanda parks and proceeds to unbuckle the girls from their carseats.

Haley then gives Lilly the hug that she promised and they proceed to enter the mall.

“Where first girls?” Amanda asks the girls.

“Clothes!” All three girls say.

“Ok let's go.” Amanda says.

They enter a store
and start browsing the clothes.

Lilly looks at clothes but doesn't see anything that suits her.

“Find anything Lilly?” Amanda enquires

Lilly shakes her head and keeps looking.

“You've never done this have you Lilly?”

“No.” Lilly says softly.

“I’ve never had to pick out clothes because I only got hand me downs.” Lilly whispers

“Well let's find something you like ok?” Amanda states

Lilly nods and takes hold of Amanda’s hand

Lilly sees a nightgown with flowers on it and picks it up feeling the material but not sure if it suits her.

Amanda notices Lilly in deep thinking and proceeds to say “I think that’d look cute on you Lilly.”

“It's not that, I'm just not sure if it's me or not.”

“Want to try it on?”

“I don't even know what size I am.” Lilly vocalizes.

“Well you fit perfectly into Haley’s clothes so I know what size you are.”

“Come on Haley,Sammie, we’re going to try clothes on now.”

*Warning* Things are about to get shaky so be forewarned.

“Momma, can we all get a matching outfit?” Haley asks

Amanda ponders her daughter’s question and replies “I think you’re asking the wrong person here Haley.” Amanda winks at her daughter.

Lilly then proceeds to have a flashback.

3rd birthday, only thing I wanted was a doll to comfort me when I was alone. Instead my dad bought me this outfit that matched him to the T. My grandparents were so nice, they gave me my best gift that year. They got me the doll I wanted. The day after is when things changed. Dad no longer cared about me. When I did see him it was when he beat me senseless. I was always sad, my grandparents loved me, I wished I could live with them.

4th-7th birthday: No gifts to be seen, dad at work, me being alone with nobody to talk to. Was teased to death in school, my one saving grace was my friend Brianna. If it weren’t for her, i would be dead by now. She was the only one who’d talk to me. My grandparents died in a car accident the day before my 6th birthday and were killed. My dad wanted nothing to do with them, after the funeral we never spoke a word of them.

This past birthday was the worst yet, nobody loved me, nobody cared about me. No presents, no nothing.
*Snap back to reality*

“Lilly, would you like a matching outfit with me?” Haley asks

“What you thinking of?” Lilly asks

Haley proceeds to show Lilly an outfit consisting of a T-Shirt with Cinderella on it, a pink skirt and some white tights to go with it.

“That's adorable Haley.” Amanda states.

Lilly nods in agreement.

“Can we try it on mom?” Haley asks.

“Go right ahead, let me help you though.” Amanda

Amanda proceeds to help Haley and Lilly get into the outfit.

“Go look in the mirror you two.”

*Lilly looks at herself and is in awe at what she sees*

Lilly looks at Haley and comments “We look like twins.”

Haley looks at herself, then at Lilly and says “We do don't we?”

Amanda looks at the two of them dumbfounded. Lilly was right, they do look a lot like twins. “If I didn't know better I would have thought they were twins.” Amanda thinks to herself.

She happens to look over at Sammie who fell asleep.

“Alright, let's get your other clothes back on and we’ll pay and go somewhere else.”

*Amanda proceeds to get Haley and Lilly back into their other clothes. Then pays for the clothes and head off to a store that sells beds.*

“Now Lilly, this is a turning point for you. You get to pick your bed out. Now I need you to think hard ok?”

Lilly looks up at Amanda scared and Haley grabs her hand and whispers “Let's find you a bed ok?”

Lilly nods and hugs Haley then proceeds to look at all the beds.

Lilly then puts her hand on a bed that has princesses all over it but doesn't think it fits her. She continues on and finds her dream bed, a Pink bed with Dora on it. It is the one calling her name. She proceeds to sit on the bed and notices it has bed rails on one side.

Amanda looks on as Lilly inspects the bed, thinking to herself “That bed screams Lilly in my eyes” then proceeds to ask “Is this what you want Lilly?”

Lilly looks up at Amanda and states “I think so, this seems to feel me inside.”

*If not by sheer luck, or just a mere coincidence, a floor salesman walks up to Amanda*

“Anything I can help you gals with?” The man politely asks.

“Yes actually, I'm buying a bed for my daughter and she picked this one.” Pointing at the bed Lilly was sitting on.

“Sure thing, I’ll have one of the clerks ring you up for the purchase but before I go I must ask do you want the set or just the bed?”

“What comes with the set?”

“The set includes a Dresser, the bed, and a nightstand.”

“What's the difference in price?”

“The set itself is on sale this week and it's only about 25$ more than the bed itself.”

“I think we’ll get the set then if the price is that reasonable.”

“Alright then, I’ll have a clerk ring you up and one of the men in back will bring the set out to your car.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Amanda, I know this may sound strange, but I already see you as a mother to me. The girls also feel like sisters to me. What I'm trying to say is, can……..” Lilly chokes up at this point and Haley embraces her sister as Lilly calms herself down.

Amanda is tearing up at this point and says to Lilly “ No need to say anymore Lilly, I know what you were going to ask. Yes it's fine if you call me mom/momma. You're my daughter now Lilly and I don't see you as anything else.”

Lilly gets up off the bed and hugs Amanda.

“Thank you, You're the mother I never had.”

Amanda then takes Lilly and Haley’s hands and heads up to pay for the bed set.

“Have a good evening ma'am.” The cashier says after the items are paid for.

*Amanda heads out of the store with all three kids and a worker puts the bed set in the back of the car for Amanda.*

*Amanda then buckles the girls into their Car seats and they head home.*

*All three girls slept on the way home and by the time they got home it was time to get ready for bed.*

Sammie being the youngest was done first. Followed by Haley and then Lilly.

“Lilly, would you like anything to drink in bed?”

Lilly shakes her head no “I can't have anything in bed, last time I did I got sick.”

Amanda looks at Lilly shocked. This little girl really was deprived of her childhood.

“How about if I help you? Would that make you feel better?”

Lilly thinks for a moment and nods slowly not being sure what to expect.

Amanda goes out to the kitchen and makes up a warm bottle of milk for Lilly. “Hopefully this will calm her down after such a stressful day.”

Lilly waits in the living room looking at what she is wearing. A footed sleeper with Disney characters all over. She wonders if she’ll ever feel normal.

Amanda returns and scoops up Lilly and puts Lilly in her arms.

“Lilly, I want you to know I care about you. I said this earlier but I’ll say it again. If at any point you don't feel comfortable with me doing something then tell me and I’ll stop.”

Lilly nods and Amanda puts the bottle into Lilly’s mouth.

Lilly is already tired but the bottle cements that fact and she falls asleep drinking the bottle.

Amanda takes the bottle out and replaces it with a binky.

She then puts Lilly in a Pack and Play for the night noting that when her husband gets home tomorrow she'll have to have him set up Lilly’s bed.

End of Chapter 2