To Have a Family

By K. Leigh Michaels

Ever since she was abandoned at the age of six, all Samantha Jenkins has wanted is to be adopted. But she doesn’t want just any family; she has a specific one in mind, one that isn’t possible for her.
Join Samantha on her journey through friendship, loss, and the unexpected, as she learns what it means... to have a family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. Leigh Michaels
• Release date: Aug 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310471087

K. Leigh Michaels

K. Leigh Michaels has had a passion for children and teens since she was a young girl, and has been writing stories since she was six years old. Combining these two loves came naturally as a teen when she began writing short stories and poetry for teens. Leigh has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Wisconsin, and has had several poems published in anthologies.Leigh lives in Wisconsin with her husband and five adopted children, whom she loves spending time with and learning from on a daily basis. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys playing the piano and occasionally composes simple arrangements and accompaniments. She loves to read, almost as much as she loves to write. She enjoys cooking and baking and is also an amateur runner.Leigh is currently working on two Young Adult Fantasy novels and a second Juvenile Fiction for publication.

Book preview

To Have a Family

By K. Leigh Michaels

Cover art by Amanda Hultman

Copyright © 2014 Katherine L Shanahan

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did

not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your

favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard

work of this author.

This book is dedicated

to Megan and Lindsey,

my first little sisters,

and to Kaleigh,

my own living, breathing

Samantha.

Chapter One

Julie

Samantha Jenkins! Get in here right now! You have an interview today!

Not now! Can’t you see I’m about to make a touchdown? the petite, black-haired child answered. She turned back to the game with a swish of her chin-length hair.

Though small for her seven years, Samantha Jenkins excelled at various sports. After beating nearly every boy in the entire children’s home at arm wrestling, she became one of the first chosen for every game. Most of the boys accepted her as one of them, and most of the girls admired her and cheered her on.

As Samantha leaned forward, her black hair falling against her chin, her deep concentration was shattered again by Julie’s voice.

Samantha! Where is that new dress I laid out for you to wear?

Time out! called Samantha. She rose to her full height and spun around to face the children’s home director, who was now walking purposefully toward her.

What did you say, Julie? she asked, impatient but trying not to sound disrespectful.

Samantha, you have an interview in five minutes. Where is the new dress I just bought you?

Wherever you left it. Now I gotta finish this game. She turned back to her best friend Luke, who was waiting to hike her the ball. Julie caught her wrist.

You don’t have time. Now upstairs with you to put on that dress. Julie guided Samantha away from the small yard and toward the building. And hurry! she called.

Samantha went slowly into the building and slowly past the front desk.

Why the long face, Samantha? asked Mrs. Oleson, the woman who helped out with paperwork and schedules and phone calls.

I hate wearing dresses and I hate going to interviews more!

But, Samantha, you always look so pretty when Miss Soronson gets new dresses for you. And socks and shoes, she added under her breath.

I’d wear a dress every day without complaining if I never had to go to an interview again!

Samantha! Hurry up! called Julie from the front yard.

Samantha turned away from Mrs. Oleson and ran up the long flight of stairs. The room that she shared with the eight- and nine-year-old girls was on the third floor. She had been placed in this room because the six- and seven-year-old girls’ room had already been full when she had arrived almost two years ago.

She was barely six when her drunk father had left her on the front porch of the children’s home shortly after her mother’s death. Julie Soronson had, for some reason unknown to Samantha, taken the small child under her wing.

Samantha couldn’t understand why Julie strove so hard to get her interviews for adoption, when she hated interviews; and there were plenty of other children who really wanted an interview. Julie said it was because she cared about Samantha, and she wanted her to have a good home. But every time she thought about someone wanting to adopt her, Samantha thought about having to leave Julie. Sometimes it almost made her cry, and she just couldn’t let the boys see her cry.

So at every interview so far, she had found ways to make sure that no one would want to adopt her. So far, so good; but it always scared her to go to a new interview.

*****

Dressed in the brand new lavender sundress, Samantha sat on her bed. She stared out the window at the clouds and remembered a time that she was with her mother. She had always been a really fun person to be with, kind of like…

Julie burst into the room.

Samantha, what are you doing? Our cab is going to leave without us! Come on!

Samantha sat on her bed gazing out the window, her bare toes dangling inches from the hardwood floor. Her gaze remained fixed even as Julie shook her by the shoulders.

Samantha, let’s go!

The seven year old stubbornly shook her raven head. She like the feel of her soft, jet-black hair against her blush cheeks.

I’m not going.

Why not?

Samantha turned her face away before Julie could see the tears forming.

I don’t want to. Cancel it.

Julie took Samantha’s face in her cool hands and turned her wide brown eyes back to her own green eyes.

What’s wrong, Sam? she asked.

Don’t call me that.

Sorry. I forgot.

Upon her arrival, Samantha had made it perfectly clear that only her very best friends called her Sam. In the year and a half that she had been there, only Luke and Lora Garrett had been permitted to use the nickname. Samantha dearly adored Julie, but she was afraid the other children would make fun of her and call her Miss Soronson’s pet if she let Julie use her nickname.

Besides, Julie was an adult, and Samantha was still slightly wary of her, though not as much as of other adults.

Why won’t you go, Samantha?

I hate interviews, she replied, trying to sound tough.

Don’t you want a permanent home? With your own bedroom, and only a few brothers and sisters instead of two hundred?

No, Samantha whispered, struggling desperately to gather her last shreds of dignity.

But you probably won’t have to wear dresses, and you won’t have me to bother you, either.

That was the breeze that carried those remaining shreds of dignity away.

I – I know, Samantha stuttered through tears. She stared down at the spots that her tears left on the new dress. Once she realized that she had been crying, she quickly rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands.

Then what is it that makes you hate interviews so much? It seems to me that you make the people not want you.

Samantha stared silently at Julie’s slender hands resting on the lavender material.

Why don’t you want to be adopted; you know if you are, you won’t have me bugging you anymore.

That’s why. Samantha barely got it out before her eyes began spilling out tears once again. Julie gently stroked Samantha’s hair behind her ear.

What do you mean? she asked softly.

When - ever I go to an interview to get adopted, it makes me think someone might really want me. Then I’d have to leave you. I can’t – I can’t go away from you… ever!

But, Samantha, you can’t live here forever. We’re here to help every child that we can to find a home.

I do want a home.

But you don’t want to be adopted?

Not by any of those families that I have interviews with.

Sweetie, the only way to find a family to adopt you is to have interviews with families who are interested in adoption.

But, Julie, Samantha pleaded, "why can’t you adopt me?"

"You know they won’t let me on my salary. I don’t make enough money working here to qualify as a supporting parent. They won’t let other families who don’t make enough, so they can’t