The firefighter patted her soothingly on the shoulder as a fresh bout of weeping overcame her, but he didn’t seem able to find the right words to comfort her. He seemed all too happy to leave her in the hands of the Red Cross volunteer who’d been busy making temporary arrangements for Tessa and many of the other displaced tenants. Through her tears, Tessa accepted some sort of voucher for a motel room a few miles away, and was assured she’d be able to stay there for a week or so until more permanent housing could be found.

“We’ll have additional Red Cross staff on site when you arrive,” the volunteer informed her. “They’ll probably be in the lobby or a meeting room, the desk clerk will be able to direct you. You’ll be able to pick up things like food and bottled water, some toiletries, things like that. I don’t know how much they were able to organize with such short notice but they might have clothes and things as well, you’ll just have to wait and see. Otherwise, they’ll be able to tell you when and where you can pick them up.”

Tessa nodded, her body feeling ice cold despite the fact that it was still around seventy degrees at this time of night. After asking for directions to the motel, she hesitated before inquiring, “What – what about my mother’s – I mean, burial arrangements, that sort of thing.”

The volunteer, a kind but rather brisk woman in her late fifties, gave Tessa’s hand a little squeeze. “Not a pleasant thought to deal with, is it? Your mother’s remains will have been taken to the county morgue by now, I’m sure. Our volunteers will be able to help you with all that over the next few days. For tonight, I’d advise you to try and get some sleep. You’ve had more than enough trauma to deal with already.”

But Tessa knew she’d never be able to sleep, even though the motel room she’d been assigned was on the new side, and that for the first time in years she’d have an actual bed to sleep in instead of a sofa or cot or air mattress. She ignored the boxes of granola bars, cookies, trail mix, and other food she’d been given upon checking in, and brewed herself a cup of tea using the in-room microwave. Drinking it helped to warm her up a bit, but she feared that nothing would be able to ease her anxiety about what would happen to her next. She’d had a lucky break tonight, all things considered, when none of the emergency personnel at the apartment site or the Red Cross volunteers here at the motel questioned her further as to her actual age. But Tessa knew it would only be a matter of days – at best – before the truth would come out, and she shivered anew with dread at what her very limited options would be. A foster home if she was lucky, but it was far more likely that she’d wind up in a group home of some sort. She could only hope that it would be a decent sort of place, and that most of the horror stories she’d heard from shelter residents about them had been greatly exaggerated.

It was well after midnight when she finally fell into an exhausted slumber, worn out from crying and worrying about what the next few days would bring.

“Hey, Tessa, you got a minute? I think I might have some good news for you.”

Tessa looked up from the rack of clothes she’d been restoring order to, and smiled at Michelle Wallace, a co-worker here at her weekend job at Forever 21. “Well, that would certainly be a switch after the last few days. What is it?”

Michelle gave her a reassuring grin. “Well, nothing’s a hundred percent sure yet, so maybe I shouldn’t get your hopes up. But, well, I was telling my mom about what happened to you, with the fire and losing your mother and all that, and she said that maybe you could stay with us. At least, she’d be willing to talk to whoever the people are that arrange the foster care, see what they have to say.”

Tessa was startled at this announcement, the very last thing she’d expected to hear. While Michelle had always been nice to her since she’d begun working here last June, they weren’t technically friends and didn’t even attend the same school. But Michelle had been overwhelmingly sympathetic yesterday when Tessa had tearfully confided in her about the apartment fire and Gillian’s tragic death. This offer to actually live with Michelle and her family, though, had been completely unexpected.

Tessa had been extremely selective about whom she’d confided the whole truth to concerning her current situation. As shocked and devastated as she’d been on Thursday morning - less than twelve hours after learning that she had no mother, no home, no clothes or other belongings – she’d dragged herself to school, fearful that her absence would be noticed and that questions would be asked as a result. And she had desperately needed a few extra days to deal with her grief and loss, and to prepare herself for the bleak future that surely awaited her.

She’d been lucky – if one could use that term to describe her dire situation – that the Red Cross personnel seemed to be focusing on finding new accommodations for the families with young children and the elderly first. Tessa was young and seemingly able to look out for herself for a few more days until the neediest of the displaced apartment residents had been taken care of. She wasn’t about to correct their misinformation, and was more than content to be on her own for as long as possible. After all, she’d been looking out for herself – and her mother – for several years now so her situation was nothing the least bit new.

It had been impossible, however, to hide the fact that her eyes were puffy and red from crying when she’d arrived at her first class on Thursday morning, and Logan had immediately asked her what was wrong when he’d taken the seat beside her.

She’d fought back new tears while telling him about the apartment fire the night before, but had left out the worst part of the story – that of her mother’s death. Tessa didn’t really know Logan, after all, and had no idea who he might innocently repeat her story to – his parents, friends, a teacher – and she’d been all too aware of needing to keep that bit of information to herself for the time being.

Logan had been incredibly sympathetic, and had assured her he understood that she couldn’t really make plans to go out on dates right now, not until she had a permanent place to live. But Tessa knew that a guy as cute and popular as Logan wouldn’t be sitting around waiting for her to get her life in order, and that he’d most likely be asking another girl out sooner than later.

She’d told herself that it was all for the better, really. Tessa had cringed inwardly at the very thought of Logan seeing the rundown little apartment she’d been living in, at seeing how poor she and her mother really were, and at least this way she’d be spared that particular humiliation. Even if it meant giving up yet one more dream – that of going out on a real date with one of the most popular guys in school.