Anna beamed at Marta when she said her name. It was completely perfect. There were nuances in languages that made it hard for people to pronounce things in a language perfectly unless you were a native speaker. Americans always said her name in the American way, other's could get the name right, but the inflection was never quite right. Her name wasn't a hard one, and Anna hardly ever noticed it, but hearing a native speaker say it was nostalgic.
Anna watched as the girl walked away towards Sterling. It had been interesting to see her come down from her panic attack. Interesting, but sad. Elyse kept her eyes on the girl the whole time, probably making sure that she was still okay. "Is she going to be alright?" Anna asked Elyse.
Elyse didn't turn when she answered. "She should be fine, I'll keep an eye on her for awhile and check in. She's a pretty resilient girl, but she has her issues. Like many of the kids that come by here, she's not had a good start to life."
Anna thought about it. The girl had come from Mexico. She took a guess. "The cartels?"
Elyse looked at Anna, her voice somber. "The cartels, she said, confirming Anna's suspicion.
"Shit..." Anna whispered, careful so the kids didn't hear it. "Think she'll be okay here?"
Elyse nodded. "She's asking questions, gathering information, and she trusts me. Trusts me enough that this place is safe. The fact that she's going to Sterling on her own means she's acclimating well. She'll be okay."
Anna nodded, trusting Elyse, but turned to look at the girl. She had to be about Sterling's age, and she had likely already seen too much. At one point, she'd probably been addicted to drugs. Sometimes people were just shit.
Anna watched as the girl walked away towards Sterling. It had been interesting to see her come down from her panic attack. Interesting, but sad. Elyse kept her eyes on the girl the whole time, probably making sure that she was still okay. "Is she going to be alright?" Anna asked Elyse.
Elyse didn't turn when she answered. "She should be fine, I'll keep an eye on her for awhile and check in. She's a pretty resilient girl, but she has her issues. Like many of the kids that come by here, she's not had a good start to life."
Anna thought about it. The girl had come from Mexico. She took a guess. "The cartels?"
Elyse looked at Anna, her voice somber. "The cartels, she said, confirming Anna's suspicion.
"Shit..." Anna whispered, careful so the kids didn't hear it. "Think she'll be okay here?"
Elyse nodded. "She's asking questions, gathering information, and she trusts me. Trusts me enough that this place is safe. The fact that she's going to Sterling on her own means she's acclimating well. She'll be okay."
Anna nodded, trusting Elyse, but turned to look at the girl. She had to be about Sterling's age, and she had likely already seen too much. At one point, she'd probably been addicted to drugs. Sometimes people were just shit.