"Adult Things" Anna and Moria McEntire The weather was warm and it was a bright sunny afternoon, but Moria hardly noticed. Her mind was racing with so many things she didn't understand but felt she should. Her friendship with Emma was getting stronger, but as it did it just lead to more things Moria didn't get. She was starting to feel as if she were the one in the bubble rather then her brother. The newest question to her ever growing list was how could Emma's parents just up and leave for a vacation to Risa with only a brief missive to Emma? Her friend had told her the day before at school that when she'd gotten up that morning her parents were gone and there was just a note; gone to Risa for two weeks, take care of things, you know how, good girl. Emma had been left alone in her house, sure she had funds, food, a house keeper to check in on her but she was still alone. With her sketch pad in her lap and a charcoal pencil in her hand Moria sat in the garden swing and watched her mother working in her garden. She'd been sketching the woman as she watched, but the more she allowed her thoughts to run wild the more she simply stared. She knew without doubt that her mother would never just up and leave, so how could Emma's? Anna pulled up a weed and tossed it in the growing pile in her wheelbarrow. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Moria daydreaming and smiled. "Anyone interesting on that mind of yours?" It took several moments before Moria realized that her mother had spoken to her and she blushed. She took another moment to rewind to figure out what she'd been asked. "I guess so. It's more then just someone though." "Want to tell me about it?" Anna asked as she set her trowel down and leaned back on her haunches. Moria looked at her mother carefully as she tried to decide where to start. Could she get Emma into trouble if she told her mother the girl was alone? Would that be a bad thing? "Do parents have to love their children?" She came right out and asked. She could have started with something more simple, but that's what was on her mind the most. "Have to?" Anna asked carefully as she stood and moved to sit next to Moria. "No, precious, they don't have to. Most do, though. Your Dad and me love all of you very much." She leaned in to kiss Moria's head and put an arm around her. "What's brought this on?" Moria opened her mouth to tell her mother about Emma, but then stopped. She still wasn't sure if telling would be in her friend's best interest. "Before I tell you will you answer something else for me?" "Sure thing, precious." "If parents don't have to love their kids, they have to at least take care of them right? I mean, what would be the point in having a kid if you were just going to ignore it?" Moria asked breathlessly. "You mean legally? Yeah, they have to take care of their kids. It's against the law not to unless they pay a nanny or give them to a guardian." Anna frowned as she tried to understand what Moria was saying. "It's called neglect when parents ignore their kids. The Federation sees that as a crime. Precious, what's happened?" Moria chewed on her lip as she brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. After what seemed a small eternity of wrestling with what she should say, and could say, and where it would all leave her friend, Moria asked, "Have you ever noticed how odd Emma acts when she's over?" "How d'you mean?" Anna asked, wanting the girl to explain, even with the chill already starting in her bones. "She was surprised that you made dinner with us, ate with us, spent time with us. She was awed at the fact that you hug, kiss, and cuddle us. She was dumbstruck that Daddy actually plays games and stuff with us." Moria sighed. She was sixteen, how could she have just assumed everyone's family was like her own? Then again, Emma had thought the same thing. "She asked if you guys read to us when we were little, and how you could have taken time from your career to teach Jimmie violin, to bake with Vix, or go to art museums with me. She even asked me why you called me precious." "Don't her parents do similar?" Moria's mother asked softly, her heart sinking. Moria shook her head, looked down, and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "Mo," Anna said softly, "this is important. Where are they now? Emma's parents, are they at home?" She couldn't help but look up and blink. Moria couldn't ever remember if her mother had ever called her Mo before. Swallowing, she looked down again and sighed, "Risa." "And Emma? Where is she?" "Right this very moment or in general?" Moria stalled. "Moria," Anna warned. Moria sighed, leaning into her mother she answered. "At home." She tightened her hold on her own legs as she rested her chin on her knees. "I don't understand it, Mummy. I mean it's like Emma's not even there. They didn't even care that she came in at four am, they had no idea where she was, they didn't even know she was out. Then they just leave with nothing more then a note. I just don't get it." "Neither do I, precious," Anna whispered as she hugged her girl to her. "We need to tell the authorities, little one. They need to take care of her." "Oh we can't, Mummy!" Moria uncurled and turned to look fully at her mother. "Emma'd never forgive me." "So you would rather leave her alone and uncared for?" Anna pushed. "You are willing to take responsibility for the fact that she's been abandoned? You have to make the decision, Moria. Are you willing to risk your friendship, knowing that, in the end, she will have a better, happier and safer life if you tell the authorities?" Moria opened her mouth to argue but then sighed and leaned her head back. "This is another one of those adult things isn't it?" "I'm afraid so, precious. It only gets harder as you get older," Anna chuckled softly, ruffling Moria's hair. With eyes narrowed Moria groaned. "I don't like these adult things." "Neither do I, but you're an adult now so lump it, precious." Panic and fear swelled in Moria's belly. The last thing she wanted was to be an adult. Sure she wanted to be independent, but couldn't she do that and still be her mother's little girl? She still had that freedom though, she could still be just a kid because she had her parents around. Emma didn't. "What'll happen to her, Mummy?" "If she's left or if she's taken care of?" "Are you sure she'll be taken care of? What will they do with her?" Moria asked. She knew what the right thing to do was. She'd always known, why else would she have brought it up? Her mother was a mother, a doctor, and an officer, she knew that there was no way her mother would have just ignored the issue. "She will be taken into care, along with any siblings she has. Then they'll find her a foster home with kind, loving people who will take care of all the kids together. She'll be loved, precious," Anna said softly yet insistently. Moria went back to chewing on her lip. Emma could have a family, a real one, one like her own, almost. There was no family anywhere like her own. Sighing Moria swallowed hard again. "It's just her, Mummy." "Don't you want to protect her?" "Of course I do." Moria replied, taking a big breath. "Who do we call?" "The police, I'm afraid, " Anna said with a little sadness. "For the first few hours this is going to be very scary for her. But after that, everything will be better." Tears welled in Moria's eyes. "She's going to hate me." "Very likely." Anna wouldn't hide it from her. "Sometimes doing the right thing can feel wrong. You just have to remember it's for her." Placing a soft kiss on her cheek, she smiled at her daughter. "I'm very proud of you. A lot of people wouldn't do it for selfish reasons. But you're strong." Moria snorted. "One moment of doing the right thing out of a life time of screw ups and it's going to cost me a really good friend." She felt sick thinking of what might happen with Emma, but she wouldn't lie to herself, knowing her friend would have a family and knowing her mother was proud of her was worth it. "Come on then, let's get this call made." Anna stood and offered her hand to her daughter. Taking her mother's hand Moria got to her feet, grabbed her sketch pad, and followed her into the house. This was going to be awful but worth it. She hoped.