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she could be left alone with Helen without the need for a background check, but I could hear the social worker’s sound of disapproval in my head. I’d call her tomorrow to let her know that Olivia was reporting to a new supervisor. She liked to be consulted first, but she almost always agreed with our suggestions. Since Willa had already gone through a background check in case we needed child care, the social worker probably wouldn’t have an issue with Olivia’s change in work location. For today, I could chaperone especially since it would give Olivia more confidence with Helen. “Sure. If you don’t mind me grading papers while you guys work.”
    “Okay,” Olivia agreed, still somewhat subdued because she didn’t like showing her excitement. She’d been let down too many times before coming to live with us. It was the one thing I wish I could change about her, and I hoped to have a lot more time to work on it.
     

5 / OLIVIA
    WHEN M AND BRIONY knocked on my bedroom door, I could tell something was wrong. They’d been really happy after Willa dropped me off from my last day cooking with Helen. All throughout dinner, everything seemed fine, but now something was wrong.
    Briony sat on the bed facing me at my desk. M placed a hand on her shoulder, standing behind her. This was different from other homes. When one kid got in trouble, whichever parent was home usually started yelling right away. Here, whenever Caleb did something wrong, one of them would tell him to stop and then wait for the other to get home to sit him down and talk it over together. Those talks always started just like this.
    “Your teacher called us today,” Briony said, and something heavy dropped in my stomach. The teacher calling was never a good thing. “She said you haven’t turned in your homework for two days. Is that true?”
    Darn. I should have known this teacher wouldn’t let it slide. That was the other bad thing about being a foster kid; everyone thinks they need to parent you. If it had been anyone else in my class, she would have given them an incomplete until they turned in the assignments. With me, she calls my foster parents to tell on me.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t get it done.”
    M nodded her head, looking like she wanted to say something, but thinking about it. M always thought before she spoke.
    “Why did you tell us you didn’t have any homework? We don’t lie to each other in this house.” Briony didn’t sound mad, but I knew she had to be. I lied and was going to get bad grades.
    I shook my head, upset at myself. My grades weren’t the best and not turning in these assignments wasn’t going to help. Briony and M were super smart college professors who taught super smart students. They had to be so disappointed in me.
    “Olivia?” Briony tried again, her tone firmer. She wasn’t yelling yet, but she wasn’t a yeller like some of the other foster parents.
    Tears pricked my eyes. I knew what this meant. Bad grades were one thing but lying wasn’t allowed. Caleb lost television and gaming privileges for two weeks the last time he lied about telling his mom he asked M for permission to go over to his friend’s house. This was a lot bigger deal than that. I wouldn’t be losing privileges for something major like this. No, it would be something much worse. I was so stupid. This home was the best thing going here and I went and screwed it up.
    Before they told me to do it, I stood and went to my closet. I reached for my duffle bag, feeling my throat go dry as I tried to remember which clothes I’d brought with me and which ones they’d given me.
    M was behind me before I heard her. “You’re not leaving. This isn’t…that’s not what we’re saying.”
    “Oh, honey, no,” Briony rushed over and grasped my arms. “Never.” She pulled me into a tight squeeze.
    I loved these hugs. She wasn’t the first foster parent to hug me, but Briony was really good at giving them. It wasn’t just when she