Show You How

Savannah sat at the table unable to believe it. They had just taken Audrey away. She was gone. Savannah refused to just sit there and do nothing, though. She stood up, getting dressed, and getting ready to go visit the adoption agency. She was going to get Audrey back no matter what it took.

Wearing a nice blouse and black dress pants, Savannah walked into the adoption agency. She walked up to the first person she saw, and the older lady looked up at her, “Hi,” she smiled. “Are you looking into adopting?”

“Yes,” Savannah said. “I’m actually wanting to adopt my cousin. She was just put into foster care,” she explained.

“Okay, well, let’s sit down and see what we can do,” the woman told her.

Two hours later, Savannah walked out of the adoption agency feeling a thousand times worse than when she had walked in. They had told her that they would file the papers, but it was a slim to none chance that she would be able to adopt Audrey.

When she had asked them why, they had listed off a number of reasons, the most important being that she was a single, twenty year old girl who did not have a steady income, so they didn’t know if she would be able to provide for Audrey.

Savannah drove home, calling Brendon on the way. “Bren, can you meet me at my house?” she asked into the phone when he picked up.

“Of course,” he had said, and he had promised to be there when she arrived fifteen minutes later.

As soon as she pulled up in the driveway, she saw Brendon’s car with him sitting on the front step of the house. She parked the car, bolting out of the car, running up to him and wrapping her arms around him as she started crying.

“Savannah, what’s wrong?” he asked her, tightening his grip on her. She didn’t answer for a moment, and Brendon grew worried. He pulled away just enough to look at her face. “Savannah?”

“They won’t let me adopt her,” Savannah cried, burying her face in his chest.

“What?” Brendon asked. “What do you mean they won’t let you adopt her? Why not?”

Savannah proceeded to tell her everything that had happened at the adoption agency, ending with all the reasons why she wouldn’t be allowed to adopt her.

“I am so sorry,” Brendon told her, not knowing what else to say to comfort her. Savannah merely nodded as a new batch of tears started streaming down her cheeks, and she latched onto Brendon once again.

Two weeks later, Savannah was still trying to figure out what to do for Audrey. She had tried everything she could ever think of, but there was just no way she was going to be able to adopt Audrey.

She was sitting at the kitchen table when all of a sudden her phone rang. She picked it up, recognizing the number as the Jennifer’s. “Hello?” she asked.

“Hi, Savannah. This is Jennifer Lyons,” she told her. “I have some news,” she said. Savannah’s stomach immediately turned upside down. Jennifer had told her that she would call her if she had found out that Audrey had been adopted. Was this the reason she was calling now?

“Yes? Is it about Audrey?” Savannah asked, nervous for the answer.

“Yes,” Jennifer said, and then she paused. “Well, I don’t really know how to tell you this, but Audrey was adopted today.” Savannah’s heart immediately shattered into a million pieces. Why was this happening?

“Who adopted her?” Savannah asked quietly. She just wanted to know if Audrey was going to a good family or not.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t release that information. All I can tell you is that she was adopted. Hopefully, the family that she went to will allow her to call you and keep in touch with you,” Jennifer told her. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Okay, thanks,” Savannah said. Her whole world around her was crashing down. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the last few months. She went from caring only about her dance career to falling in love and wanting to adopt her cousin. Had it really only been just a few months ago that she was starting the tour with Panic at the Disco and Fall Out Boy? It seemed like ages ago.

Grabbing her phone, she dialed the number of the one person she knew could help her feel better. After four rings, she heard Brendon’s voice mail message, and she sighed. “Hey, Brendon, it’s Savannah. Listen, I really need to talk to you right now. Give me a call back when you get this,” she said into the phone. Afterwards, she set the phone down on the table, hoping he would get the message soon.

Fifteen minutes later, she was still staring at the phone, waiting for Brendon to call her back. She knew she was ridiculous, thinking something was wrong when it had only been fifteen minutes, but she needed him right now. She knew he was a busy person, but he always answered her calls, no matter how busy he was.

She tried dialing the number again, but it once again went to his voice mail. She hung up the phone, trying to figure out who to call. She scrolled down the list of names in her phone until she ran across Ryan’s. She hit the green button, dialing his number.

Ryan picked up, and Savannah immediately asked, “Hey, do you know where Brendon is?”

“No,” Ryan answered. “I thought he’d be with you. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Savannah admitted, debating whether she wanted to tell Ryan that Audrey had gotten adopted. Finally making a decision, she said, “Audrey got adopted.”

“Oh my god,” Ryan breathed. “I am so sorry, Savannah.”

“It’s okay. I just really need Brendon right now,” she told him.

“Well, if I hear from him, I’ll tell him to go straight to your place, okay?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, thanks,” she said, hanging up the phone. Where was Brendon? She couldn’t believe how much she had changed. She actually needed Brendon. She thought back to the first time she had met him. They hadn’t exactly gotten along too well back then. But, somehow, she had grown to love and need him.

She put her head in her hands, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself down. She kept telling herself that Audrey had been adopted into a good family that would love her.

She kept stealing glances at her phone, wishing that Brendon would just call her back. After another hour had passed, she started getting seriously worried about him. Was he okay? Did something happen to him and that why he wasn’t answering his phone?

She started to dial his number once again when the front door opened, and Brendon walked into the house. “Oh my god!” Savannah cried, running over to him and enveloping him in a hug. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for like the past hour and a half, and you weren’t answering your phone. I called Ryan and everything, and he had no idea where you were either.”

“Savannah,” Brendon interrupted her, but she continued talking.

“Brendon, Audrey was adopted. I don’t know who adopted her or if she went to a nice family or…”

“Savannah,” Brendon interrupted her once again. She looked up at him. “Savannah, she went to a good family,” he assured her.

“What? How could you possibly know that?” she asked. All of a sudden, three people walked into the house: Ryan, followed by Paige, followed by Audrey.

Savannah’s eyes went wide, as she ran to Audrey, picking her up and spinning her around. “Oh my god, Audrey! What are you doing here? They said you were adopted!”

“I was adopted,” Audrey told her.

“What?” Savannah asked her. “But, how could you be here if you were adopted? Where are your parents?”

Audrey turned around to look at Brendon. Savannah stared at him, realization washing over her. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I was in the adoption agency,” he explained.

“You adopted her?” Savannah asked, feeling as if her chest was about to explode.

“Yeah,” Audrey said with a smile. “Isn’t this great? Now we can still be together!”

“Brendon, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, pulling him down the hallway, glancing back to make sure Paige and Ryan were going to watch Audrey.

As soon as they made it to her bedroom, she shut the door behind them, making sure that Audrey wouldn’t be able to hear them. “What the hell were you thinking?” Savannah questioned, making sure to keep her voice low.

“What?” Brendon asked, confused as to why she was upset. “I thought you’d be happy. You’ll get to see Audrey all the time now!”

“You didn’t think this through at all, did you? Brendon, what happens if we break up? Huh? Audrey’s going to stay with you, and I’m never going to see her again?” Savannah questioned.

“Who says we’re going to break up?” Brendon asked.

“Brendon, I’m just saying what if,” she told him.

“I’m not going to keep you away from Audrey,” Brendon assured her. “You know I’d never do that. And, I had this all planned out, but I figure now’s the best time as ever,” he said, pulling a small box out of his pocket. Savannah’s eyes went wide as she realized what it was. “Savannah, will you marry me?”

“Brendon!” Savannah cried. “You’re asking me to marry you? We’ve only been dating for just a little while.”

“Savannah, I know that, but I love you. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Audrey. And, if you’re not ready for that, then I’ll wait.”

Savannah looked into his eyes, knowing he was telling her the truth. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” she exclaimed, and he slipped the ring back onto her finger. A few seconds later, the bedroom door flew open, and Audrey, Paige, and Ryan came running inside.

“Did I just hear you say you’ll marry him?” Paige questioned.

“Yeah,” Savannah smiled, showing them her ring. She looked over at Audrey. “I know this isn’t the normal family you were hoping for,” she began.

“No, it’s even better!” Audrey exclaimed, walking over and hugging Brendon and Savannah.