"Jenny? Wake up..." said a calming voice.
"I don't want to," I moaned, burying my face in my pillow.
"Jeannette Aurora Thomas, you wake up this minute!" yelled Annaliese.
"WHAT?!" I screamed back.
She pointed at the door. "Explain this!"
Lian was standing at the door, with lipstick smothered all over her face.
"Oh my gosh, Lian, what happened?" I grabbed a napkin and wiped the red off her.
Anna clenched her fists. "Lian? You NAMED it?!!"
I rolled my eyes. "I was trying to help her find her parents, so she won't be here for long."
That didn't seem to cut it. Anna's face was as red as her hair, her teeth gritted together. "CHRIS!! JENNY'S BROUGHT YET ANOTHER ANIMAL!!" She stomped out of the room and headed down the stairs.
"Sorry on her case, Lian," I apologized. "She gets cranky."
Lian rubbed her stomach. "I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"
I brought her down the stairs, where Victoria helped herself to cereal. When she saw Lian and me, her mouth stood agape. "Jen, have you and Roy...?"
"No no no no no definitely not!" I yelled. "She's just a girl who lost her parents!"
"Ohhh," she said, understanding.
I kneeled so I could look Lian in the face. "Okay, Lian, Vicky's gonna make you some cereal, okay?" I helped her sit in one of the high chairs while Vic poured a bowl of cereal for her.
"Well, aren't you a cutie!" Vicky cooed.
I went into the livingroom, where Anna was complaining to Chris, but he looked like he wasn't listening.
Anna glowered at me. "Chris, tell her to get the kid out of here!"
Chris turned his head to look at me. "She's right. After breakfast, give the kid to the police. That's the only thing we could do."
"But I promised Roy I'd meet him today!" I protested.
"As long as the kid's gone por sunset," he warned.
I scoffed. "Some people are just heartless."

"Where are we going?" Lian asked as we entered the starbucks coffee shop.
"We're going to meet my boyfriend, then I'm gonna send you to the police station." I prayed that she wouldn't start crying in public.
I spotted a flash of red sitting alone in a booth, and I noticed it was Roy. I towed Lian to the booth, when she let go of my hand.
"Lian, what are you doing--?"

"DADDY!!!" she screamed, running to my boyfriend.