Wolf Tamer by Avery Song
Finding A Place To Call Home
~THREE MONTHS LATER~
"Harper Blake,five years of age, suffering from amnesia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus far, she's been shuffled through six foster homes. The recent family didn't last twenty-four hours before they contacted us and insisted we retrieve Harper, because she was making a ‘ruckus’. She giggles to herself and talks to an apparent ‘imaginary’ friend," the woman with glasses explained before lifting her eyes from the plain black binder to look at Dolly and Sam, who were sitting across from her.
"As a professional reviewing this data and with the experience I've gathered from working with children traumatized by scenarios involving murder, I believe it's going to be quite a difficult task to get her into a family where she can essentially blend in well." She paused to look between them with a sympathetic look. "You have to understand that families in these parts, in particular, may be excited to adopt, but they want...well...a normal child."
Why can't you be like a normal child?!
Mommy, the mutt is talking to herself again!
She's scary, Dad! Can't we just get rid of her?
Your friend is stupid and invisible! She's just like you!
Out of all the foster kids, we just had to get the defective one!
Can we keep her for the money?
In order to be a good new daughter, you have to do something for me, or else I'll return you right back to that shithole.
You can't tell the adults. No one else. Do you understand?
I shookmy head in hopes that the evil memories that brought tears to my eyes would go away. It was hard to silence them with how stressful the last three months had been.
The word "normal" would bring them all into my head in a rush, and it was hard to make them stop.
Moving away from the door, I walked over to my temporary bed that Dolly had let me sleep on. I liked it cause the sheets were pink and more comfortable than the floor.
All the other families say mutts deserve to sleep on the ground.
The thought had tears shedding down my cheeks as I silently slipped under the covers of my blanket, hiding my entire body beneath the safety of the soft, warm fabric.
"Sad."
I twiddled my fingers as the single word from my imaginary friend within my mind echoed again and again. I looked to the bandages on my fingers, the pink plaster with yellow stars only reminding me of the ultimate truth: we got into trouble yet again.
Very sad...
I didn't know what else to think about this situation. What more could I do to fix myself so I would be accepted by a family? No one liked me.
Right now, it felt like in this big world, it was just me and my imaginary friend. At least she understood me, unlike all these adults who used big words I couldn't quite grasp and made me feel like I was invisible.
My family never treated me like them.
Three months. That was how much time had passed since my family was killed. Mom. Dad. Brother. That night had turned into a scary one, and now I was an orphan. I had no other family members, which meant we were all alone with nowhere else to go.
Dolly and Sam were my temporary parents until I found a "new" home. It was one of those things that the counselor said was mandatory, even if I didn't want to leave.
I didn't want to go anywhere. What was the point when everywhere I went, the family would say mean things to me? Why bother telling the orphanage counselors how excited they were to adopt me face to face, but bring me home and do the complete opposite by hating me and my imaginary friend?
To me, my imaginary friend was like a wolf. I liked to picture her that way. She wasn't very big and I could only see her in my head, but she talked to me a lot so I wouldn't feel lonely.
She's my mini wolf.
I hadn't thought of a name for her yet. I didn't tell her that I was scared to name her because what if I woke up from sleeping and she disappeared?
I don't want anyone else disappearing from my life.
The families I'd endured thus far weren't very pleasant. They appeared that way in the beginning, but the moment I left with them, everything changed.
Family one was too happy, and at night, I was forced to sleep on the cold basement floor while they called me “doggy” or “mutt”. My imaginary friend didn't like that, so we ran away by breaking the window. Somehow, I found Dolly and Sam's house, surprising both of them.
Family two was evil. They called me “ugly mutt” and would tell me to get out and live in a tiny house in the backyard and eat food from the same bowl as their dog. Again, my imaginary friend didn't like that at all, so we broke their vase. They may not have liked that, but it made me happy - even though my mom taught me that it wasn't nice to break things.
Family three and four were the same. Two weeks into it, I was back at Dolly and Sam's all because the families didn't like me having bad dreams at night. It wasn't my fault I was chased by scary black figures and shot at. They didn't care.
Family five was the longest. I spent one month in the hollows of their basement because they went on holiday vacation. I tried to be a good girl because I was tired of running away, but being home alone was scary.
My imaginary friend was my protector when scary noises came out from various places, but she encouraged me to cry loudly all night long, so I did.
That was when we met a really friendly police officer. Not only did he bring me back to Dolly and Sam's place, but he gave me a lollipop and told me if I ever had trouble to find a phone and dial the number on a special card he gave me. It was for emergencies, and I should always keep it with me.
I really liked him. He's kind, like Dolly and Sam.
His name was Officer O'Neil. He was best friends with Sam and said he'd keep an eye on me while the other adults tried to find me a place to stay. On the drive home, I'd told him about my imaginary friend and all our adventures. Compared to the doctors and agents who said I was crazy when I wasn't in the room, Officer O'Neil understood me.
He told me that sometimes in this world, people don't like those who appear to be unique. I never really understood because I didn't feel unique. I had brown hair and blue eyes. My skin was pale white, and I tried to behave. I couldn't get how I was special, but he promised to help me figure it out once I found a family.
That's why I hoped family six would be right for me, but instead, I had to call him.
I had no choice...
It wasn't necessarily because I was trapped, like with the other families. The mommy was super nice. They didn't have any kids so I was their first, and the mommy would make really tasty cookies and braid my hair.
The dad was the problem. He wasn't a good man like Sam or Officer O'Neil. He wanted me to do strange things and would tell me I couldn't tell the mommy, or I'd get in trouble. My imaginary friend said I shouldn't because it was bad. I didn't really get it, but I trusted her more than I did this strange man.
He wanted me to share baths with him and said I had to touch places on him that were weird. My real family never asked that of me, and even if they were dead, I wasn't stupid.
Unless I trusted the person, I wouldn't do anything.
There's not a lot of people I trust anymore...
The only good thing about the family was meeting a kitty. She was super tiny and a bit hyper in nature, but she'd run around and play with me, so I decided to keep her.
I called her Muffin, and I loved her very, very much, but the man didn't. He wanted to take Muffin away, saying dogs and cats weren't allowed to be friends. I don't understand.
I never really understood why everyone brought dogs into any conversation or treated me like one. I wasn't a dog, and Muffin loved me already. Why was it fair to take her away when she had nowhere to go?
Like me.
Muffin only stayed there for food and water, but they didn't love her the way I did. He said if I didn't do as he asked, he'd cut Muffin's neck with the kitchen knife, but I didn't want to do the scary stuff the man wished for me to do. It wasn't fair and it made me really mad.
So I took the wireless phone from the kitchen, Muffin, a blanket, and some cookies from the special cookie jar and ran away.
Unlike my other escapes, the day was really bad outside. It was raining and cold, but I didn't care. I kept Muffin warm in the blanket and found a box in a dark alley. I tried to use the phone to call Officer O'Neil, but it wasn't working.
It was really scary, but that's when I met a boy. Just remembering the night made me smile just a bit, not because of the scary part, but because I met the boy with pretty eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
I lifted my teary eyes that were wide with fear. My large orbs locked onto a pair of beautiful ones. I gasped because those eyes were like colorful jewels you'd see on necklaces. They were mismatched, like Muffin’s, one blue and the other of gold. The blue shade reminded me of my eye color, while the gold was like watching the beginning streams of a sunset in the sky.
His hair was short and blond, and I knew he was older, but his eyes were very loving, like we were best friends. Even so, I still had to ask his name.
"Who are you?"
He stared at me for a long moment, as if he didn't want to say. "Carter."
"Carter," I repeated. "I'm Harper." I paused to move the head of the blanket. "And this is Muffin."
He looked down at my kitten and slowly nodded.
"Why are you in the rain with Muffin, Harper?" he asked. "Where's your family?"
I bit my lip in hesitation and looked at the broken phone.
"My family isn't good. I have to call Officer O'Neil when it's an emergency, but the phone isn't working and...well..." I trailed off as I looked down to Muffin. "I...I have a temporary family. Dolly and Sam. I want to go to their place...but I'm scared."
"Why are you scared?" he inquired.
"Why do you care?" I didn't mean to be mean, but I was tired of always having to explain myself. "You're just going to disappear like the other adults."
"Do you want me to go?" he inquired.
Peering up to see his calm expression, I slowly shook my head.
"If you go...I'll be lonely. Same with my imaginary friend."
"Imaginary friend?"
"She's in my head," I announced and noticed the way she calmly approached. She didn't seem like she hated him. She was curious. "She likes you. You're not bad."
"I'm not like the adults," he voiced and closed his umbrella.
"What are you doing?" I asked and watched him move to sit next to me in the box.
"Sitting with you," he replied. "I have a phone. Do you want to call Officer O'Neil?"
"Yes!" I beamed, but my smile fell a second later before I felt sad. "Actually... never mind..."
"Why?" I wasn't sure if it was okay to tell him. Maybe he'd think I was weird or a stupid mutt. "Harper?"
I lifted my head and turned to look into his calm face. He was really pretty up close, and my heart sped up while I admired him. Having him here took the fear regarding my family away, but was it okay to tell him how I felt?
"You won't say I'm a weird mutt?" I asked.
His eyes widened at my question before he looked sad. "I'd never call you that, Harper. You're pretty and probably very smart."
"I am smart!" I announced and felt my cheeks warm up a bit. "I'm pretty?"
"You are," he said with a slight smile and reached out to pet my head. "Muffin is cute, too."
"Yeah!" I cheered and hugged Muffin, who was sleeping quietly in my hold. "Well...I don't want to call Officer O'Neil because he'll drive me back to Sam and Dolly's place. They're really nice people and are my temporary family whenever the testing family does wrong, but...I...don't want to be a burden anymore."
"Burden," Carter whispered. "You're not a burden, Harper! Who said that?"
"The adults say it all the time." I shrugged. "They say mean things to me. Call me mutt, ugly, stupid, useless. They said I should disappear or die...so what if Dolly and Sam get tired of me?"
Carter stared at me in shock before he looked really mad.
"No one should be saying that to you. That's all mean! My...uh...family is good friends with Dolly and Sam. Ya. They won't think of you as a burden, Harper."
"Promise?" I asked and lifted my hand to show my pinky finger. He stared at it and smiled as he lifted his pinky.
"Promise, Harper," he replied as his finger entwined around mine. "Now, let's call Officer O'Neil so we can go home."
"Okay!"
The memory faded away.It was a good thing we'd called Officer O'Neil when we did because a very large wolf came out of nowhere and tried to attack us.
Carter had stood in front of me while screaming at the large dog to go away or he'd be in big trouble. He launched at us, but Officer O'Neil came into the alley and shot at him in time. I didn't think it killed the large dog because he ran away limping, but it was scary.
He brought all of us home after getting us pizza from the shop across the street. I think he did that because he said he needed to make a report of the large dog and get his friends to arrest the owner.
Now the agents were here - again - to find me yet another family, and I was just tired of trying. I didn't want a new family anymore.
I want Mommy, Daddy, and Brother back. Can't I just go to where they are? I'd have to die, right? Could Muffin come with me?
Peeking out from the blanket, I looked at the nightstand where my family picture and blade were. The silver metal of the blade caught my eye, the slight twinkle from the moonlight leaving me wondering if I could use that to go home.
But who would protect the blade? Mommy and Daddy said it was important.
I missed them and my brother more than ever, and each day that passed with mean families, the harder it was to keep trying again, day after day. The agents weren’t listening to me. They didn't care about what I wanted. Why did I have to keep getting new families? Why couldn't I stay here where it was safe?
Dolly was nice to me. Sam was super cool. Then there was the little boy, too. I hadn't really gotten to meet him yet, but he'd bring me cookies at the door when Dolly and Sam weren't looking. I liked him for that, and so did my imaginary friend.
That means he's a good person...like Carter.
I was a bit sad that I wouldn't see Carter again, too, and that just reminded me that I was lonely without my family. Looking back at the blade, I couldn't help but think: do I want to be here anymore?
There was a small scratching noise at the door, followed by a shushing sound. I slipped out of bed and fixed my pink dress as I quietly made my way to the door.
"Muffin, don't scratch the door. She'll know I'm here."
That made me giggle before I opened the door enough for my blue eyes to meet a pair of wide silver ones.
The boy blinked as his cheeks began to grow red. He was slightly taller than me, with green hair that had a really shiny look to it. It wasn't green like grass or lettuce. It was like my eyes, but not blue enough like the sky. It was a mix of green and blue, like my favorite color in the large crayon box.
Either way, I liked it because it made him stand out, especially with his lovely silver eyes. The other thing that stood out was the cool mark on his neck. It was different, a mix of swirls that made me wonder what the hidden meaning could be, but I knew cool kids had marks on their skin.
At least in the shows, they do.
He was wearing a grey t-shirt and Batman pajama pants, but what caught my eye was the plate of chocolate chip cookies that had me drooling in seconds.
Muffin sat further down at my feet as she looked up at me.
"Meow."
Meeting her different colored eyes always made my heart grow big with happiness. It was just a brief moment, but the gold and blue orbs matched with her black fur and tiny frame always reminded me of how beautiful and different she was.
Unique. She's unique, like what Officer O'Neil said. That's why people don't like her...or me.
I crouched down to lift her up and began to stroke her small body. She rewarded me with a low purr. I returned my gaze to the boy and smiled.
"I like cookies," I whispered.
He replicated my smile with his own as he nodded. "Me too," he whispered shyly.
A loud noise pierced the air, making us flinch. It surely had to come from the living room, but the boy promptly slipped into my room before we closed the door enough to have a tiny space left so we could listen in.
"Find her another family!"
I knew that voice, and my imaginary friend growled menacingly at the sound of his voice. We hated him; the man named Rogan. It was obvious that he didn't like me, and neither of us knew why. It had to be the same as the other families who hated me.
We're unique.
"We're not getting into this tonight, Rogan," Sam concluded and his voice, even from this distance, told me he wasn't in the mood to argue. "This is getting ridiculous."
"I'll be excusing myself for the evening. I'll return tomorrow morning and you can inform me of your decision," the female voice announced. I knew it was the agent, and it wasn't long before she went and the door came to a close.
"We're adopting her."
My heart skipped a few beats at Dolly's strong declaration. I wasn't sure if she was joking or I'd heard wrong, so I looked at the boy's face and watched it light up with joy.
"Adopt...me? Is she joking?" I asked.
"Dolly's not joking," he said excitedly. "Dolly will take care of you so you won't have to go to any more scary families!"
I stared at him in shock, my mind already wondering what it would be like to finally have a place to call home.
"But-" I began but was cut off by Rogan's yelling. "You're not adopting THAT child. How many scenarios do you need to conclude that she's nothing but trouble?! Look at the chaos. Six fucking families and now we're involving the damn police. You want that THING on this sacred soil?!"
His words triggered all the other insults I'd somehow collected like golden stars, only instead of making me feel happy and proud, I felt sad and lonelier. My shoulders sank at those hurtful words, as the idea of being adopted was thrown into the bin of hopeless dreams I'd somehow created in my mind.
See? No one wants us. Can't I just...die, too? Then I can meet my family in heaven.
The soft clench around my hand brought me out of my thoughts as I lifted my gaze to the boy, who gave me a determined look.
"You're staying."
"You...don't know me," I voiced the obvious. "I don't know you, either. Can't you see? No one likes me or my imaginary friend. No one wants me here...or anywhere."
"I want you here!" the boy exclaimed. "My name is Ian! Ian Chestwood. You're Harper, right?"
"Ya. Harper Blake," I quietly muttered. At least I knew my last name. I couldn't remember much aside from that.
The incident had taken a lot of my memories, like an evil boogeyman snatched them. I couldn't even really remember my parents’ or brother's faces. Something to do with the trauma, from what the doctor told Dolly.
"You're going to stay here," Ian vowed and bobbed his head. "I won't let Rogan the Bully win!" I was surprised with how loud he was being, but with a squeeze of my hand, he opened the door and dragged me with Muffin down the hall.
We were in the living room before my shock could register on my face, and four pairs of eyes landed on us. I couldn't handle the scrutiny of their gazes, which were a mix of shock and, of course, Rogan's scary orange eyes.
I hid behind Ian quickly, hoping I wouldn't get in trouble - again.
"Ian?" Sam questioned. "Why are you here with Harper? The adults are talking right now."
"Harper is staying!" Ian said it loud and clear. "I won't let anyone hurt her anymore!"
I couldn't help peeking out to one side to see who was in the room. My eyes took in Dolly, Sam, Officer O'Neil, and Rogan in the living room. All of them looked taken aback by Ian's words, but Dolly had a little smile on her face, which brought a bit of relief in the thick, tense room.
"She is NOT staying, Ian. You're not a part of this conversation," Rogan snapped.
"No! YOU stay out of this!" Ian barked back and pointed at him. "This ain't your house! It's Dolly's and Sam's. They get to decide, not you! You're just a big, bad bully! Harper is my friend, and she gets to stay with Muffin!"
He crossed his arms over his chest to try to make himself look big and scary, but I couldn't help but tap on his shoulder so he'd look my way as my imaginary friend said something quietly in my head.
"Me too?"
"Does my imaginary friend get to stay too?" I whispered, as if the adults wouldn't hear me. Ian blinked and met my worried eyes. He beamed at my question and quickly nodded his head.
"Yes!" he replied and looked around the room once more. "And Harper's imaginary friend gets to stay as well!"
I looked over at Officer O'Neil as he began to chuckle. He was the tallest one in the room, and his chocolate skin always mesmerized me because we didn't have a lot of people with skin like his. It made me feel like he was special, too, and from the looks of things, those who were special stuck together.
He walked over to me and knelt down to my level. With a gentle stroke of my head, he whispered, "You're really protective of your imaginary friend, aren't you, Harper?"
I wasn't afraid of Officer O'Neil, and I felt like I could tell him anything without fearing I'd get in trouble. Maybe it had something to do with his blue eyes that were really light, like water described in picture books.
"She protects me from bad people. She can tell if you're good or mean. She's the one who told me not to do the things the evil man wanted me to do. She said we should get help."
Officer O'Neil's eyes looked at me with sadness in their hollows, and I noticed Dolly was on the verge of tears. Sam looked upset - not in a way that was directed at me, but maybe the situation angered him.
As for Ian, he just looked worried.
"I don't get it," Ian noted. "Who was going to do bad things to you, Harper?"
I couldn't help but look his way so I could answer.
"The man...err...Daddy six said I'd have to take a bath with him and touch him in weird places! He said if I didn't, he'd cut Muffin's throat with the kitchen knife."
The room was filled with silence as I shrugged and looked at Muffin as she quietly looked up at me. "My imaginary friend told me I should get the phone, blanket, and food so we could run away. I didn't want to do weird things, and I love Muffin. He was going to hurt her, and then she'd disappear like my family. I didn't want that, so I ran away into the rain and found a box, but the phone wasn't working," I stressed and pouted my lips.
After taking a moment, I continued on with my story. "Then a boy found me! Carter. That was his name. He was nice and let me use his tiny phone to call Officer O'Neil," I explained, noticing the way Ian frowned at the mention of Carter's name.
I didn't let him bother me as I hugged Muffin a little tighter and didn't look at anyone in particular.
"See...I wasn't going to call Officer O'Neil. I don't want to be a burden anymore. All the families call me mean names. They say I'm ugly. I'm a mutt. A weird dog. I don't like sleeping on the basement floor. It's cold. I also don't like sleeping in the small house outside in the backyard and eating dog food because I'm a dirty mutt. No one wants to listen to what I want...and I don't want Dolly and Sam to hate me. They're nice to me...and I don't...want them to hate me like everyone else does," I quietly confessed as tears began to pool in my eyes. "Carter said I'm pretty and smart. He said his family is friends with Dolly and Sam, so they won't think of me as a burden if I come back here. So that's why we called Officer O'Neil."
I lifted my head to see Officer O'Neil's eyes were already filled with tears, like mine, and it made me smile a little as I reached out to pat his cheek.
"Don't cry, Officer O'Neil," I whispered. "You'll make me cry."
He blinked his eyes as he whispered, "Harper, you should never feel like you’re a burden when you're in danger."
"But that's what I am," I said with a shrug. "Everyone says I'm a burden. The agents say I am because other children get families right away. The families say I am because I'm not perfect or a normal child. Dolly and Sam are always arguing with meanie Rogan. It's always because of me. So why wouldn't I be a burden?"
My words silenced all of them, but I kept going.
"Everyone is always so busy, but at least here, you guys kinda care. Officer O'Neil is busy because he's a police officer. The police are very busy people. That's what my mom said. Even though he's busy, he came to help me. Carter was super nice to me and he knows you guys. He was probably busy, too. Dolly is busy, but she always feeds me when I come back here. Sam's busy, but he always comes and holds me when I have scary dreams of men chasing me and loud popping sounds," I explained and pointed to Ian. "Ian's busy, but he gives me cookies and is nice to Muffin. OH! And Wolfie! Wolfie is nice to me!"
"Wolfie?" Sam inquired.
"Wolfie! The one who saved me in the forest. He has nice, soft fur, and I cuddle with him at night."
The others exchanged looks, but Ian smiled widely. Maybe he was proud of Wolfie for being nice to me.
"I don't want to do this anymore. Going family to family," I voiced and looked into Officer O'Neil's eyes. "If I can't stay, can I die?"
The shock in Officer O'Neil's eyes was no different from everyone else's, but Ian moved between us and put his hands on my shoulders.
"Harper! You can't die! Dying is bad!" Ian stressed with frightened eyes. "No, no. You can't die."
"Why is dying bad?" I asked with a frown. I knew it meant I wouldn't be alive, obviously, but what was the point of being alive when the world hates you? "Mommy, Daddy, and Brother are dead. They're in heaven waiting for me. I've tried finding a family. I've tried being a good girl, but everyone hates me. Is it because of my hair? Or my eyes? Maybe cause my skin is too pale...hm...I don't know."
I shrugged which made Ian slip his hands from my shoulders as I stared into his wide eyes. "No one else likes me, Ian. No one else likes my imaginary friend, either. Without you, Sam, Dolly, Officer O'Neil, and even Carter, I have no one. No family. No friends. Just...me and my imaginary friend. Oh, and Muffin, of course," I whispered and looked down at her once more as my tears fell.
Watching her sleep made me smile, and my heart filled with sadness.
"See, if I could die and bring Muffin with me, I'd go away. Everyone says I should disappear, so why not die? If I die, I'll be with my family again. My mom could read me stories before bed. My dad could teach me different things. Brother always plays with me, and we'd eat nice hot food and sleep in beds!" I lifted my head up once more, trying hard to smile, but I wasn't close to happy.
I was...sad. So sad the tears wouldn't stop falling.
"I won't have to sleep on the floor anymore. No more cold and nasty food. No more bad names. No more being laughed at and teased by the family’s other kids. No more nightmares. No more being afraid. No more pain! I'll...I'll be happy again."
Ian's eyes filled with tears as my lip trembled.
"I want to happy, Ian. I really do. I tried...I did everything...but...I don't think I'm happy. I'm...very sad. My imaginary friend is sad. I'm tired of being sad, Ian."
Tears ran down my cheeks as they did Ian's, and he pulled me into a tight hug.
"Don't be sad, Harper! I'll make you happy! If...if no one is going to take you in...I'll take you! We can live together! You and me! I have a treehouse. It's not that big, but we can fit a small bed there! I'm not good at making food, but I'll ask Dolly to make our food, and uh...I'll work! I'll clean the house and share my allowance with you! We'll live in the treehouse and Muffin can, too. Your imaginary friend will be there as well, and Wolfie will visit. OH! You...you can meet my friends! I...know Carter. He knows my other friends. We can all meet and be friends...and just be happy!"
He pulled back as more tears rolled down his cheeks. I didn't like seeing him so sad, and I tried not to sob as those orbs of silver begged for me to listen to him.
To be persuaded into living a little longer.
"So don't be sad. You're my friend now! You can't die...or I'll cry...and Wolfie would be sad too. We'll both be sad! A lot of people will be sad!"
"But..." I sobbed as my tears flowed uncontrollably like my whimpers. "I'm lonely. I want to be loved again. I don't want to be a burden."
"Harper." I lifted my head to see Officer O'Neil was next to me. Ian moved out of the way and took Muffin so that I could give him my full attention. "You're not a burden, Harper," he assured me. "We don't want you being sad. How about I talk with Dolly and Sam so we can figure something out? If they can't take you, what about you come and stay with me?"
The three other adults gasped in surprise, and Rogan muttered, "You're not actually serious."
"I'm very serious," Officer O'Neil emphasized, and even gave Rogan a side glance that wasn't so nice. It was almost like a warning stare. He returned his gaze to me and smiled.
"If you stay with me, I'm probably gonna have to bring you to work sometimes."
"Work! Do I get to ride in the car while it goes wee-whoo?" I asked in excitement.
Officer O'Neil chuckled. "Well, only if there's an emergency, but for you, we can do a trial ride with the sirens on."
I beamed at the idea as he gently stroked my hair.
"What do you say?"
It sounded like a really fun idea, but I couldn't help but look at Ian.
"Can...Ian visit me? And Wolfie? Oh, and can Muffin and my imaginary friend come, too?"
"Yes, they can all come and visit whenever you like," Officer O'Neil replied as he pulled me into a tight hug. "I don't mind having around a smart, beautiful, and talented girl like yourself. You can be my little deputy on duty."
I giggled as I hugged him as tightly as I could. I didn't remember the last time I'd hugged an adult like this, and being able to do this with Officer O'Neil reminded me of the times I got to hug my daddy.
"Now," he began as I pulled back to look into his hopeful eyes. "The adults have to talk about a few things, but you have to promise me you won't shed any more tears, you hear? You're now Officer Blake."
He lowered me back down and straightened his back up to put his hand up like the officers I saw in movies.
"Is that clear, Officer Blake?"
"Yes, sir!" I approved and mimicked his actions.
"You will be happy and continue to be a good, pretty, talented girl."
"I will be happy and continue to be a good, pretty, talented girl!" I repeated.
"Me too! Officer! Officer!"
"Can my imaginary friend be an officer as well?"
"Certainly," Officer O'Neil replied.
"Can I be an officer as well, please?!" Ian asked and lifted Muffin. "With Muffin! She'd be our sidekick!"
"Yes, Ian. You can be one too. Guess I'll have a mini team of officers. Is Wolfie going to join?"
"Yes!" Ian cheered. "He'd love to join!"
"Alrighty. Why don't you two go play in Harper's room while we talk? You can eat the cookies Ian took earlier."
Ian began to blush as Dolly arched an eyebrow in his direction.
"I was wondering why I've been missing cookies."
"Run away!" Ian declared and began running down the hall with Muffin.
"Wait for me!" I called out, but looked to Officer O'Neil. He smiled and opened his large arms, inviting me to give him another tight hug.
He released me. I was going to run away, but I looked into those blue eyes and smiled.
"Thank you," I whispered. He nodded and I glanced over to Sam and Dolly.
"Say thank you?"
I let go of Officer O'Neil and quickly shuffled up to where Sam and Dolly stood.
"Thank you," I replied as I lifted my head up to look at their surprised faces. "Sorry if I'm a burden, but...thank you for being kind."
With that, I ran to the hall in hopes of being with Ian. When I reached my room, Ian was there with Muffin. I was going to close the door, but Ian stopped me and pressed his finger to his lips to signal that we should both be quiet.
I nodded, and we listened in as we heard Dolly's statement.
"We're adopting her. It's final."
My eyes widened as I looked at Ian. He almost squealed, but quickly closed the door as lightly as possible. The moment it was shut, he had me in a hug.
"You're staying! You're staying!" he repeated again and again. I pulled back to see his teary eyes, and I couldn't help but fight not to cry as I smiled.
"Thank you, Ian. For being my friend."
"You're welcome, Harper! You're my new friend now! My best friend! I don't have many friends. Only a small few!"
"Are they nice?"
"Hmm. Ya. They sometimes suck, but deep down, they really care. They would like you, Harper. I like you. We'll keep each other company so we won't be lonely!"
"Company," I whispered as if the idea were a fairy tale. "Yes. We can keep each other company so we're never lonely!"
He nodded. "Now we have to eat cookies to celebrate!"
We giggled and went straight for the plate of cookies. It didn't take long to finish them as Muffin explored the room like it was her new mission to sniff every bit of wood.
We eventually moved to the bed, and I couldn't stop myself from yawning as I rubbed my tired eyes.
"Ian, I'm sleepy."
"You should sleep," Ian encouraged.
"But...I'm scared of the bad dreams."
"I'll protect you from them, Harper. You're safe with me!" Ian vowed and opened his arms. "Come! You can sleep in my arms."
"Why?"
"It's like having a hug in your dreams!" Ian declared. "Dolly always hugs me when I have scary dreams and it keeps all the bad dreams away! So hugging you will protect you."
"That's cool! I like hugs," I replied and crawled over to snuggle against him.
"Meow!" I felt Muffin as she came out of nowhere and snuggled right in between our necks. We laughed and got comfortable before I yawned again and relaxed.
"Ian?"
"Yes, Harper?"
"Can we be friends forever?" I didn't want to lose him down the road. He was so nice. At least if we were friends forever, we'd always be together.
"Forever and ever. You, me, and your imaginary friend. I'll even get Wolfie to join!" he vowed.
"That makes me happy," I confessed as my eyes grew heavier even as I fought to smile.
"I'll always make you happy, Harper. I promise," Ian vowed.
My eyes finally closed but I couldn't get my smile off my face as his words echoed in my head. It didn't take long until the world slipped away, but I'd never felt happier at the idea of the future.
That night, I didn't have a single bad dream.