Page 29 of I Dare You
I remember things changed for me, however.
It was Christmas Eve, and most places were closed.Most were home with family and friends.I wasn’t upset about being alone.After that night in the woods, not a lot of things upset me.I was numb to things previous.But after, I didn’t feel a thing.
However, I saw a young woman sitting at a bus shelter, a baby in her arms.I don’t know what possessed me, but I pulled over and asked if she needed a lift anywhere.She agreed and got into my car.
We made small talk, but it was evident she was desperate for her next fix.She asked me to drop her off at a convenience store so she could use the ATM.When she handed me her baby, something felt wrong.
But I held that baby for five, ten minutes.
When fifteen minutes had gone by, I entered the store, baby sound asleep in my arms.I asked the clerk where the woman was.He said she’d left via a back door.
But that was impossible.
I had her baby.
I couldn’t call the police for obvious reasons and had nowhere to go.
But I couldn’t abandon the little girl.
I bought a laundry basket and a blanket and drove around with that baby for hours.With the Christmas lights twinkling and the church bells tolling, it felt as if I was like Mary and Joseph, looking for an inn for them and their child.
I had my own baby Jesus.
In the end, I drove to an orphanage run by the church in hopes there was a number I could call.I wouldn’t drop her on the doorstep, so I decided that, if I got into trouble, well, so be it.I was all she had in this world, and I wouldn’t allow the beginning of her life to follow the path of a grim tale.
I rang the doorbell, and when I saw a sister appear, I gulped down my fear.I told her what had happened, and I could see the skepticism in her eyes.She believed I was the girl’s mother.I didn’t take offense because anyone would have thought the same thing.
Sister Gayle welcomed us in, and I’ve stayed here ever since.
Was this divine intervention?If I believed in God, it would be hard to ignore.Finding a baby on Christmas Eve, and she, in turn, ends up being your salvation.
But I don’t believe in anything I can’t touch or see.
Ironic, seeing as I work at Saint Carmichael’s Orphanage—a catholic establishment with priests and sisters.
But my lack of faith doesn’t stop me from caring for the children.I understand what it’s like to be an orphan.I can relate to these kids because I am them.
I’m now nineteen years old, and people call me Olivia.Liv for short.
Hallie was too unique, and I just wanted to blend in.
I never left Texas.
I am twelve or so hours away from Hollow Banks, and the town of Flat Planes is where I call home.
To start over, I chose to let go of my past, leaving behind painful memories of Rebecca and her group of mean girls, and my aunt and uncle, who never felt like family.
The orphanage allows me to stay here.I pay board for a simple room and a shared bathroom.But I don’t need much.Staying here allows me to remain hidden because I only leave when I must.The church pays me minimum wage, but it’s more than enough.
All the kids are orphans for various reasons, ranging in age from newborns to ten-year-olds.They dream that they’ll be adopted out, and most are, like baby Kelly, my Christmas miracle, who was adopted by a loving family.
Although this is an orphanage, the term carries a stigma.I see it as a school for kids who didn’t have a conventional start to life.But this is their chance to change that.
I feel connected to them.
Who knew I was good with kids?
Sasha finally settles, so I gently place her into the crib.
