Chapter 2- The lady in black
As the lady walked into the room she looked over to Harper who looked as if she was only seven years old when in reality she was older. The lady sat down across from Harper and said, "You must be Harper. I am here because your mommy-" Harper cut her off, "I am not allowed to call her 'mommy' she says it is inappropriate and to just call her mrs. Sallow. I am sorry for cutting you off, please continue." The lady turned to Meredith and turned back to Harper, "Well Harper, my name is Hazel. I am here because mrs. Sallow called me to take you into my care. Would you like that?" Harper thought about leaving her current home to live with a stranger and asked, "Are there other children there?" Hazel said yes and that it was an orphanage. Harper knew the things that could happen in an orphanage and she could be stuck there until she was eighteen and then be stuck selling drugs in a dark alley or be successful and there was no in between. After a few moments Hazel said, "we have a family for you already Harper dear, they are very nice but need a few weeks to set up." Harper said she will go with Hazel and that she was very excited.
A few days in the orphanage and she is already getting picked on. She isn't phased by it because she has been called much worse by her own parents. Harper has a spot on the stairs where she sits and stares at the door hoping the family will come sooner to pick her up and bring her to the home she has always dreamed of. She has already been to a foster home but they abused her and when Hazel came to check on her, she seen the bruises and immediately took Harper back into the orphanage. Everyday a girl named Delilah would sit next to Harper and tell her a story from each of her homes, Delilah was fifteen and only had three years left in the home. She would comfort all of the younger girls because she knew what it felt like to be alone in an unfamiliar place. Delilah had a younger brother, Silas who was Harpers age and has been there since he was one. Silas makes friends easily and Delilah has been distant since her best friend, Elena got adopted into a sweet family last year she talks of her everyday to Harper so she knows it is possible to have a family adopt you.
It has been a year since Harper was put into the orphanage a family walked through the door and seen Harper on the stairs with tears in her eyes and with no hope of getting adopted. She had dirt on her face since Delilah had died of undiagnosed cancer and wasn't taking care of her anymore, Hazel had left the home for a new job in New York. The family went to the front desk and asked if Harper was open for adoption, the woman at the desk passed over the papers to foster Harper since this family was already cleared to adopt a child. Harper was told to pack her bags and she would be dropped off at the family's home. She was afraid this family would treat her like the other families but she went anyways.