“Good morning girls!” Mrs. Leanne said as she took the bacon out of the oven.
“Good morning Leanne.” Elizabeth said lifting Elle into the high top seat in the kitchen.
“Today what do you say we go to the mall and get you girls some more winter clothes. The high today is 38.” She said sitting down at the high top.
“Sounds good. Elle needs a new jacket because her other one got to small.” Elizabeth turned to look at the stairs. “I’m running late I got to go. The office called in and said somebody got impaled by a metal gate.” Mr. Bert said flying down the staircase already in his scrubs.
“Ok, I made you coffee I can just put it in a to go mug so I don’t waste it.”
“I can’t I’m leaving right now.
“Okay we are having you favorite meal tonight so try to make it home on time if you can. I love you Bert.” Bert ran out the door. Leanne let out a sigh, placed her fork down, and stood back up.
“What wrong Mrs. Leanne?” Ellie asked.
“Nothing I’m just not very hungry this morning.”
“Yes you are Leanne. You never make big breakfasts’ unless you’re hungry. So please eat.” Elizabeth said.
“I’m really not. Now I’m going to get showered and when I’m ready we can go. Make sure your sister dresses warm.”  Mrs. Leanne walked up the stairs. “Are we ever going to go back to mommy and daddy?” Elle whispered. “Elle I know it might be hard for you to understand but Dad is dying of cancer. I have no clue what hospital he is in but if I did trust me we would go visit him. And mom well you probably don’t know what drugs are but she got addicted to drugs and it has put her in a bad place called jail.” Elizabeth explained to her sister. Elle was only 6 so it was hard for her to understand some things. Elizabeth on the other hand was 17 so things for her were more understandable. The girls walked up to there rooms to get ready. The Elliot’s house was huge it was 4 stories and that doesn’t include the basement. The girl’s rooms were on the 3rd floor. “Does this outfit look cute?” Elle looked up at Elizabeth. “Um no. Lets pick out something different. Go get me black leggings and you can wear one of my shirts and Ill just tie it up.”
“Ok!”  The girls finished getting dress then headed down stairs.
“Get in the car please, it’s unlocked.” Mrs. Leanne grabbed her purse, turned all the lights out and locked the doors. “Girl, girls turn it down!” Mrs. Leanne banged on the window as the girls jammed out to Hannah Montana.
“Sorry Mrs. Leanne.”
“It’s ok.” Leanne cranked up the car and they drove to Tyson’s Avenue, the local mall in Virginia. The girls went inside to Nordstrom’s and started shopping. “Elle do you like this sweater?”
“No Mrs. Leanne that will make me look like an 80 year old.” Leanne placed the sweater back on the rack. The girls tried on about 50 winter outfits but only got 7 each.
“Do you girls want to go and grab some lunch?”
“Chick fil a!” Elle exclaimed in response.
“Can’t you eat anything other than that?” Elizabeth complained.
“How about we go to the food court where they have many options and you guys can choose something.”
“Okay” the girls said in agreement.
As the girls finished up their food, they got a phone call from Bert’s doctor’s office.
“This is Leanne.” She said picking up her phone. “Tell him I will be right there.” Mrs. Leanne hung up the phone and her lips started to crinkle.
“Leanne what’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked.
“We need to go girls. Elizabeth, I will drop you two off at the house and I need you to watch Elle. I will be home around 7.” Elizabeth turned on her phone to see the time 1:47. The girls hopped into the Mercedes and headed to the house. “I will call you when I get to the hospital. Be safe.” Leanne rolled up the window and drove off.
“Hospital?” Elizabeth said under her breath grabbing Elle’s hand. “What’s going on?” Elle asked.
“I don’t know but everything is going to be ok.” Elizabeth shut the garage door and they walked inside.
“Dear Jesus please be with Mrs. Leanne and Mr. Bert today.  In Jesus name I pray aaaamen.” Elle opened her eyes and gave Elizabeth a hug. They cried in unison thinking about Mr. Bert. He went out drinking instead of going to the office. On his walk back from the bar he stepped into the street and a car hit him. He snapped his neck and fractured his rib.
“Elizabeth please come to the hospital to see Bert. He would like to see his daughters before he, he um possibly dies.”
“We are not his daughters! We have our own dad who doesn’t drink. A dad who loves us and is dying of cancer. Somebody who would probably like to see his daughters before HE dies. Did you ever think about our real father who’s dying? You won’t even tell us what hospital he is in and we have the right to know.” Elizabeth held back her tears and took a deep breath and hung up the phone.
“Lets go Elle.” They got into the jeep, Elizabeth had her license, and headed to the VA hospital. The girls wrote their names in the sign out sheet where you had to fill out the date and person you were visiting. Elizabeth scanned the page and her eyes focused on one name “Kim Kasmine” who was visiting Josh Kasmine in room 207. “Elle, change of plans we are going to see dad.”
“Good because I miss Mr. Bert.” Elle said.
“No Elle, not Bert, dad.”
Like, like our real dad?” Elle asked with an eyebrow raised.
“Yes Elle our real dad.” The girls put on their visitor stickers and headed to floor 3, Cancer Patients. They knocked on the door. No response.
“Sorry girls you missed him.” They turned around and there was standing a nurse.
“We missed him?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I was assuming that you were looking for Mr. Josh, Josh Kasmine.” The nurse explained.
“Yes we were.”
“That’s our daddy by the way.” Elle exclaimed.
“Elle.” Elizabeth snapped. “Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? Well I’m sure you two would like to know that your dad went home cancer free today.”
“He did?” Elizabeth asked. When did he leave? Was he all-alone? Did he say where he was going? What does he look like after 5 years? These were all questions she wanted to ask the nurse. “Did anybody go with him?” That was the only question she really wanted to know.
“Yes a girl with blond hair that looks very similar to this little cutie next to you. I think it’s his wife which I’m assuming is your mom, correct?”
“Ma’am our story is very complicated but long story short, we haven’t seen our parents in 5 years and I want to find them now.” Elizabeth said.
“Oo! I can help. You know I always loved working with children. When I was 29 me and my mom ran an adoption center called Life’s of one. It was a Christian organization. Here take this.” The nurse handed the girls a bible sitting behind the front desk in a purse. Just remember that Go-“
“Jane we need you in room 210, Mr. Parkenson’s life is being cut short.”
“Dr. Makanin can I just say goodbye to thes-“
“Now Jane.” She gave the girls a hug and ran down the hall. Elizabeth picked up Elle and they headed down the elevator.
“It’s so cold.” Elle rested her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder as they headed to the car. They cranked up the heat and headed back to the house.
“Elle get a bag and put in a pair of pajamas, 2 undies, and 2 of your new outfits.”
“Why?” Elle asked.
“We are going to go on a little trip. “The girls packed to bags. Elizabeth grabbed a blanket, left a note and they headed out locking the doors behind them.
Elliot’s,
Elle and me are going to find the one who gave birth to us. We figured everything out thanks to the help of a lovely woman in the hospital. We were going to come say our last goodbyes to Bert but I saw my dads name on the sign in sheet to where my mom, who is out of jail, went in to go visit him. We headed up to his room but it was to late. My mom and dad had already headed home. My dad has been healed and the only person I can thank is, God. I guess I should thank you for being here for Elle and I these past 5 years but I think it’s time we move on. Maybe I’ll see you again.
- Elizabeth Kasmine
After a long night the girls woke up and proceeded their journey. They ate a bag of pretzels they got at the hospital for breakfast. Elle looked across the street and saw happy children playing on the playground and cars flying past them on the busy street. “Sis, can I please go play for a little bit.”
“No Elle, we have to find mom and dad.”
“Please Elizabeth, I promise I will be good the rest of the time.”
“Fine but only for a little bit.” Elizabeth said.
“Yay!” Elle stood up and turned around to excited and stepped into the road.
“ELLE!” Elizabeth jumped off of the ground and that’s when milliseconds turned into minutes as she slowly watched Elle flip into the air. The car slammed on the breaks and Elle fell right down in through the glass. A man and women stood out of the car. The women flung around her blond hair and the man laid his head on the steering wheel banging it like it was a wrestling dummy. “Mom?” Elizabeth asked with her face all wet.
“Elizabeth.” The women knelt onto her knees and opened her arms. They hugged and cried and the sounds of sirens drained out there ears. Pieces of broken glass lay everywhere on the concrete.
“That’s my baby, please tell me she is ok.” Josh cried out.
“I’m sorry sir, there really isn’t anything that we can do.” A pediatric guy explained. Elizabeth and her mom were standing on the side walk still hugging and Josh came to join them.
“Is she ok?” Elizabeth asked her dad.
“I’m afraid we lost her.” He said clearing away his tears.
“Nooo! I raised that sweet girl while you guys couldn’t. She was and is my princess. It’s all my fault.” At this point Elizabeth was screaming in frustration. “I told her that she couldn’t go play on the playground that we needed to go. But she looked at me and I can never say no to her adorable little face. So I let her go play and I regret everything. Please just if I could ask one thing, let me see her before they take her.” Elizabeth poured out in tears. She walked over to the ambulance escorted by firemen. She looked at Elle lying on the stretcher. They were getting ready to put her in a death bag. “Elle, I know you might not be able to hear me but, I love you so much. I was here for you when others weren’t. But I know you are going to be in a better place now and I want you to look down on me everyday and make sure I do the right things.” She kissed her on the cheek and her tear dripped onto her bloody face. She walked back to her parents and they watched as the ambulance pulled away.
“Elizabeth answer you phone!” Leanne kept trying to call Elizabeth but she wasn’t picking up the phone.
“Please leave a message after the beep” Beeeep
“It’s Leanne. Please come home. I miss you. I’m lonely in this big place. Sorry you didn’t get to tell Bert bye. But, he is in a better place now. Watching over me. And I know I can’t see where you are right now but, he can and I hope you and Elle are doing ok. Tell her I said hi and I miss her too. Hope to see you two soon.” She hung up the phone and turned the T.V. on. She turned to channel 5, her favorite news channel. BREAKING NEWS. Read the T.V. “Little girl hit by car walking to park” was the title. “What dummy would let there kid walk into the road.” Leanne said. “This little girl of the age of 6 got hit by a car while walking over to play on the play ground with the other children. But keep watching to see how he older sister Elizabeth finds her birth parents who turned out to be driving the vehicle that hit her little sister, Elle, when we get back.” The news reporter said
Pshhhh. Leanne spit out her coffee. She grabbed her keys and now it was her turn to go on a journey to find the Kasmine’s.