Over the next two hours, Carrie learned enough things to make her head spin.
Her new parents were called Jonathan and Esther Roberts. Jonathan, as he'd mentioned, was a successful lawyer. Esther was a nurse. They'd been married for thirteen years now, and at first, they didn't want to have children, and when they decided that they did, they found out- this is when they began to be quite vague- that they were unable to. That was when they'd started to consider adoption, nearly two years earlier. But what they hadn't realized was that the process was so difficult. And now, they could scarcely believe that they had a daughter.
Carrie took in the information as she packed her few belongings.
"I have a sister." she informed them.
"Oh?" they seemed interested.
"Her name's Michelle. She's eight years old and she was adopted not long ago." Carrie explained, the sadness aparent in her face. "Now I'm afraid that I'll never see her again."
The Roberts were sympathetic, and Jonathan decided to see if he could get the details of this family's adress and such. Carrie seemed so sad about this.
She alternated between being extremely happy to being extremely sad over the next few hours as Carrie and the Roberts exchanged little bits of information.
"Do you think I could learn to play soccer?" Carrie shyly asked.
"Why, of course, honey. I'm afraid neither Jonathan nor I are very good at it, but our neighborhood is full of children, you're sure to find many new friends who could play with you."
"Do you really think so?" Carrie asked, a soft smile in her face, lighting up her eyes.
"Why, Carrie. I don't think you realize it, but you're an extremely charming young lady. I suspect that's why Matron Joanne wants to keep you around here. And, you know, one of the only things that I don't like that much about you is that you're so grown up already. In no time you'll be swept off your feet by a young man and you'll leave us already."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that." Carrie laughed. She was astounded by the Roberts' kindness towards her. Unlike Michelle, she'd known that something like this existed. But it was still a new feeling to her. And she liked it.
By late evening everything was set and all the papers were in order for Carrie to go. Matron Joanne seemed bitter and angry as she bid Carrie goodbye, but Carrie was too impressed by her new parents to care, or even notice.
"Well, dear, we'd love to go home now and settle you in, but I'm afraid we thought that we would have to stay a lot longer, so we paid for a hotel room and everything, and not staying now would seem like a waste, so..."
Esther shrugged. "Do you mind terribly?"
Carrie shook her head. "I haven't ever been in a hotel in my life, I don't mind at all!"
Jonathan smiled. "I'm glad, honey."
At it turned out, the hotel was even better than Carrie had pictured it. Luckily, they were staying in a large suite, so there was plenty of room for Carrie as well as the Roberts (it took a bit of getting used to to suddenly be called Carrie Roberts instead of Carrie Porter, so she didn't think of herself as a Roberts just yet)
There was little packages of soap in the bathroom (that she was allowed to keep!), a large bed all for her, her own lamp and set of drawers, a large closet with a mirror, and a TV. In her whole life Carrie had never seen such extravagance.
Why, there was even a refrigerator in the room, which contained drinks and chocolate!
Carrie was impressed and overwhelmed.
Her new parents were really nice to her, and she appreciated it, but she was not used to it. At all.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I am really, really sorry that I've taken so long (almost a month!). It's not an easy story to write for me, to be honest.
