HOTH Season 1, Part 8

Oh yeah, it’s finally here!

Hang on to Hope
Season 1, Part 8

~Written in POV of Issa~

Ugh. I don’t like Urgent Care centers. Nothing against them, I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. It was a little drab and gloomy.

But through all the sitting here quietly, I brainstormed an amazing idea. It was something I really, really wanted to do.

And nothing can stop me from doing something I really want to do.

“Issa, just checking on you! Do you need any water or anything? Hungry at all?” The nurse peeped through the door. “No,” I answered.

“Alright! If you need anything, just press the button by your bed and a nurse will come!” She responded cheerfully. A little too cheerfully. Almost fake.

I watched her as she walked down the hall, looking over her papers.

My boredom disappeared when I had a visitor – it was Lexi!

“Issa! My mom and dad are outside the door since they said only one visitor at a time, and I wanted to go first, so here I am, are you OK? Does your arm hurt? Can I sign the cast?!” Lexi exploded with questions.

“I’m so sorry for you!” She finally ended.

“That’s OK – my arm doesn’t hurt any more, and sure, you can sign the cast. And, I’m sorry I called you and Emma losers. I want to apologize her next chance I get…Hey, I’m glad you came. I have an idea, and I wanted to discuss it with you.” I told her.

“That’s totally OK, and I’d love to hear your idea!”

So therefore I explained to her something very profound, something very awesome, and something very, very important to me.

Later that day, when I came home, I called everyone to the family room, because now it was time to present my idea.

“Ms. Amy, Mr. Jackson, I’ve been thinking a lot lately on a cause that’s really important to me. Before I came here, the Foster Care Act helped me and cared for me until I found a foster home. I moved for home to home until now, where I’m firmly put for the time being but that’s not the point. The point is, the Foster Care Act doesn’t have a lot of money, and I want to help them. I care a lot about that, because it helped me a lot. I want to raise money for them. And I need y’all’s help.” I spoke.

“This is going to be awesome,” Lexi grinned, awaiting her parents’ approval.

“Oh my gosh, that’s a wonderful idea! This really is something you care about? Oh, that’s just wonderful! What do you think, honey?” Amy gushed, and turned to Jackson.

Jackson had been quiet the whole time.

“I don’t know,” he muttered slowly, shaking his head.

“We don’t have a lot of time or money either, Issa. I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can do anything right now.” He told me.

Well, I tried. I leaned against the wall, defeated.

“Dad, listen to me. We’re giving back to the people who took care of Issa before she came to us. Can’t we do SOMETHING? Like maybe on the weekends, with the Bible Club Girls? Maybe a bake sale, or garage sale? We could set up a website and people can donate! Please, daddy, please!” Lexi begged.

“Whatever your daddy says goes, Lexi,” Amy quietly told her when Jackson’s disapproving look translated more then what he’d say.

“But – ” Lexi didn’t finish. She looked at me helplessly.

I just walked out of the room, feeling like a deflated balloon.

“Well, I have supper to put on,” Amy excused herself, walking out of the room.

“I think I’ll, uh, take a nap.” Jackson mumbled, exiting as well.

~Written now in the POV of Lexi~

I couldn’t let my parents crush Issa’s dreams. She’s been through so much already. Plus, the FCA deserved our help.

I called Issa in, and I discussed how to help the FCA in a way my parents wouldn’t mind.

“I don’t think starting a nationwide protest against your parents is a very good idea,” She nervously laughed, adding quickly, “No offense.”

“None taken. I was thinking it sounded a little…unnecessary.” Lexi sighed. “There’s got to be some way. I want to help so badly – I know how rarely organizations like that receive any donations, and how hard it is to run a thing like that. China is my birthplace, and I’m from an orphanage there. I was adopted – notice how I look nothing like my parents? The orphanage I came from was not very happy, it was poorly run because we didn’t have the funds we needed. So, I really, really want to help the FCA now. There’s got to be a way!” Lexi told me confidently.

“Wow…I never knew that,” was all Issa could say.

“Let’s think of a way together,” Lexi decided.

“Together.”

To be continued!