#byers-hopper
It’s a quiet Tuesday night at the new house on the coast. Joyce is unpacking groceries after finishing a long day at her new job. Jonathan is getting the table ready for dinner – an extra-large Wave Rider Deluxe that he just brought home from his shift at Surfer Boy Pizza. Will and El are busy working on their homework; an art project for Will, and Home Ec for El.
It’s quiet Tuesday night until El pricks her finger with the sewing needle and curses.
“Damnit!"
The word sounds funny coming from her, and it grabs their attention right away. Joyce runs over to look and tells her to put it in her mouth until the bleeding stops.
"It won’t hurt for long,” Joyce says. “I’ve done that more times than I can count. What is that? a backstitch?”
El nods, frustrated with her work. She throws it down on the couch and pouts, looking far younger than fourteen with her thumb stuck in her mouth.
Joyce chuckles.
“Oh, I know that feeling well,” she says, picks up the sewing project, and sits down. “Will? Can you hit that light for me, please? I don’t know how you kids can even see in here.”
She leans over to have El show what she’s doing. The young girl is still frowning at her work, but she pops her thumb out of her mouth to make sure it’s not bleeding anymore, before telling Joyce what her instructions from the teacher are.
“Ah, I think I understand.” Joyce smiles at her. “Can you show me?”
El sighs and takes her work back, and under the brighter light, the pattern she has to follow is easier to see. She guides her needle through, going slower now to show her tutor.
Joyce beams at El. The girl is so damned smart, it’s almost scary. Despite her past and all the horrific things that happened to her growing up to keep her from a proper education, El picks up things so fast. She doesn’t let anything hold her back when she tries.
Joyce pushes a loose strand of hair that has fallen into El’s view back behind her ear and pats her shoulder.
“Good, now try bringing it back before you get to here. Keep it taut, and now loop through… good! See? Three perfect stitches in a row. Good job, El! You got it!"
El smiles, relieved.
"Thanks, Mom!"
The words slip from El’s mouth before she realizes what she’s saying. Everyone stops what they’re doing – Jon with the pizza box and plates hovering over the table, Will with a pencil perched above his page. El’s face goes red, and she looks to Joyce with wide eyes, like she’s frightened of the reaction she’s about to get.
Joyce feels her face flush too, but not out of embarrassment. A swell of love fills her chest, and she wishes someone else could be there to witness this moment. He’d be so proud of his little girl.
"It’s okay, sweetie.” Joyce finally finds her voice to reassure El. “You can call me that, if you want?”
She looks to her boys for their consent, which of course, they give without hesitation. Jonathan just smiles at El, but Will is nodding his head enthusiastically, letting his foster sister know it was 110% okay by him.
–
That night was the first time El felt like she belonged – really truly belonged. A wonderful family had taken her in and loved her like their own, no questions asked. And she felt lucky.
She wasn’t just a number anymore. An experiment. A runaway orphan.
She was a daughter, and a sister now too, with two amazing brothers who looked after her and kept her out of trouble. She would always have Mama, of course, deep in her heart and back home in Indiana. But now, in this new house, in this new life far away on the other side of the country, Joyce could be her Mom, too…
All that was missing was Dad.
