Breaking her promise

Sarah paced while gnawing at her nails. She had been doing it all afternoon. It was a sign that she was extremely anxious. She had just showered, had on her most comfy pyjamas which still did next to nothing to soothe her nerves.

Something was clearly not right. She thought has she pondered on the conversation she had with Jonah that afternoon. Everything was going too fast. Jonah was going too fast. How could "his family" have earned his trust so quickly? She hoped it had nothing to do with the foreboding she had the moment she saw those people.

On the phone, he had seemed calm, too calm. The last time he had been less talkative and relaxed had been during his first year at the orphanage. When he had plotted to turn the already traumatised and recovering kids against the adults. Which could have ended in a catastrophe. Which made her conclude that when he was eerily quiet, he had possibly something sinister in mind.

Was he in danger? or was someone else in danger? could he hurt anyone? Sarah caught herself spiralling. Thinking about the worst possible scenario. But her intuition was barely ever wrong.

He had just met his "family" for the first time in his life. He could hide it all he wanted but it would definitely have its negatives. He broke down the first time, doing as much as cursing them out but now he was having dinner with them. Or maybe they 'made it up to him' as they had promised but in two weeks?

Even the administrator had voiced her worries that afternoon. She promised to look deeper into it. They had not officially adopted him so what was there to really be worried about? This was Jonah a former victim of child abuse, who was still recovering and in a relatively unstable emotional state. There was definitely something to be worried about.

Sarah was still pacing when she let out a gasp and stopped in her tracks. It wasn't in shock but realization. His mother! Phoebe Douglas. There had to be a reason why they dismissed her so promptly. Like there was more to the story than they were letting on. And Jonah's attitude made everything all the more sketchy. They were hiding something and maybe the woman had the key. She would have to break her promise and start investigating.