Me and Victor watched from the street until Hilary got Miki up to the doorstep of her house and then we turned to take the kids home.
First up, to my great sadness was Karen's house. It was one of the more, how do I say it diplomatically? Gaudy, overdone, pretentious, 'I've got tons of money and I want everyone to know' houses in Serenity Hills.
While Victor waited at the edge of the sidewalk with the other kids, I carried Karen to the door of the home. Karen's foster parents didn't answer the door however but a butler.
The man managed to look down his nose at me, even though we were the same height.
"I've brought Karen home." Sure it was super unnecessary but as the man just stared at me coldly I figured I had to get the ball rolling.
"The Master and Mistress of the house are not in but leave the child with me and I will make sure she gets to bed."
I instinctively tightened my hold on her as I felt the girl clutch me desperately.
"If you would just show me her room I could carry Karen up and tuck her in." I replied to the combination 'Penguin' / 'Tall man'. To be honest I wasn't comfortable turning Karen over to the cold and haughty man.
"That would not be permissible." The butthole in a suit informed me and gestured for me to put her down.
Finally I lowered Karen to stand on her feet. "Night Sweetie." I told her, just before the officious butler led her towards some stairs. To be fair to the man, he didn't exactly drag her but Karen did spend a lot of time staring back at me.
"Close the door as you leave." The butler ordered me before pulling Karen up the stairs.
As I went back to the group at the street my eyes met Victor's. I sighed sadly before kneeling down and opening my arms for the kids to climb on top of me again.
With some kind of unspoken agreement, none of the boys tried to climb into my right arm but left it vacant and just climbed on my back once again.
Lisa's house was almost as hard on me. Her foster parents were home but so obviously drunk and uncaring about their child coming home they just waved her in. Lisa clutched on to my legs for such a long time I feared she was going to not go in for a moment but finally she gave me a watery smile and told me how much she enjoyed the evening and carrying her large candy bar went inside.
I was prepared to explain the evening to her foster parents but they just shut the door in my face.
As we neared the first of the boys' houses I asked Victor if he could take them up to the door and this time I stood near the street.
The moon was still bright, shining and full above me but at least there was some shadows for me to hide the tears that threatened to come to my eyes.
Weirdbard has 666 imps counting me and yet any time any of us came 'home' to Cragmore he made sure to meet us and welcome us back and now we were missed. Even 13.
To my mind it was just incomprehensible how utterly cold and indifferent these parents were being to their children getting back from a night out and by this time they must have been contacted by the police and notified their had been trouble.