"Unfortunately, we can't get the Sanstons to take them back."
"And what makes you think we would want them to go back to such people who obviously have no idea of what they were doing?" Reyona snapped before the woman could properly finish her statement.
The woman's look and Maxwell's little touch on her arm made her remember the situation they were in. "Uhm, I mean, why don't they want them back?"
"They said she is problematic. You see, these people have been working with us for a while now. They currently have two other boys with them and there has never been such a problem. They were already thinking of calling us before the accident happened."
"So, you also believe the girl is to blame?" Reyona asked with a direct look at the woman.
The woman looked uncomfortable as she looked from Reyona to Maxwell as if she was expecting a backup. Then she looked back at Reyona when Maxwell said nothing.
"See, ma'am. I am not trying to apportion blame here, but the Santons were very sure that they couldn't cope with her. And you saw her in there too," she said helplessly.
"What about her brother? They complained about him too?" Maxwell asked quietly.
"No, but he threw a tantrum when they didn't want him to follow her to the hospital. He wouldn't stay with them without her. They would have loved to have the boy. They said even their boys wanted him to stay, but since that can't work, they want to let the two of them go." the woman looked at Reyona's expressionless face and said, "I am sorry that this had to happen, but there really isn't much I can do right now."
"What will happen to them now?" Reyona asked.
"We will have to take them back in until we can find a new home for them."
"So, what is it? Just pawn them off to the very next verified people? They can't stay where they were because they are not family, but you can just put them anywhere you want because you think it is alright?"
"I…" the woman looked lost for words and stood up gently as she said "I am so sorry, but it is how things are. I can only assure you that they will be in good hands."
"Yeah, exactly," Reyona said with a scoff.
The woman looked away from her unconvinced face and looked at Maxwell. "Uhm, I am going to go now. The doctor said she would be discharged by noon tomorrow if you want to be here."
With that, she hurried away from the room the nurses had offered for their meeting.
Reyona laid her head on the table with a deep sigh. "I was rude to her, wasn't I?"
"I am sure she didn't see it that way," Maxwell said automatically.
She raised her head and looked at him in disbelief. "Don't patronise me."
"I am not. I really think something is wrong though."
"With me?" Reyona asked in a tired tone.
"No," Maxwell answered with a chuckle. "Of course not you. I mean with the kid. You saw how she was earlier."
"You mean the way she clammed up without saying anything?" Reyona asked with a sigh. "I don't know. She did not seem like one who talks much right from time," she said, without much conviction.
"To the point of not talking about such an accident? She didn't answer a single question either. And what about Junior's yells of "They are bad people" every time the Sanstons were mentioned in his presence?" Maxwell asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah, there is that," Reyona said in thought, then she looked up at him as a thought came to her mind. "But then what if he was just echoing what his sister had said to him? I remember he does that a lot."
"Yeah, I notice that as well, but then you always know what his sister told him because he starts such a statement with Ally said…"
"Uh, that is right though. So you think something happened in that house and the fucking Sanstons are not saying anything about it, the girl is not talking about it and Junior only knows that they are bad?"
Maxwell nodded as he said "I am sure he would have mentioned it if he really knew or if it was something he understood. That little dude doesn't have that much of a chill."
Reyona's smile didn't touch her eyes, and it was gone as fast as it came. "You need to get your fucking sister back." she blurted out.
"Sheath your claws, Miss Dexter. I don't need you to remind me of that, you know? I have been on it. I am also on the trail of your ex-husband too, you know," he said as he folded his arms and looked at her. "Which is also why I knew you were still searching for him. And that just brings a little question to mind. Are you still wishing to get him back and all can be forgotten, Miss Dexter?"
"Okay, hold on." Reyona stood up abruptly as his question cleared all the sense of camaraderie she had been feeling towards him in the past few hours. "Since when did you get to question me about anything? Are we that close? I will do what I want to do when I want to do it and for any damn reason that I want. You mind your business when it comes to me. I am not your goddamn sister that you have to put in her place."
She reached for her bag on the table, but Maxwell's hand was already on it.
"Get your fil…!"
"Look, look, I am sorry, okay? That was out of line. You are right. I have no right to ask you such a question. I am sorry." he said earnestly.
Reyona only stared at him as if gauging his earnestness.
Her anger was gone as fast as it had come, she was suddenly tired and quite hungry too.
She had no idea how, but there seemed to be a slight change of something between them.
Could it be because of his understanding of her involvement?
Maybe because she would have expected him to be the first person to point out her foolishness to her, yet this afternoon, he had managed to disarm her with his understanding.
Or maybe it was just because of how tired she was at the moment.
She just wanted to have a rest. Right after she had something to eat.