Idina wasn't kicked out of the room. The officers asked if she could stay and Erika responded with ambivalence.

"I really do not care," she said. "At all." She rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "Why does this all matter? Has anyone even done anything wrong?" She was frustrated.

"Not much," the first officer, Officer Higgins, said. "But now we are worried about you and your situation here."

"It's perfect here," she said. "Sure it's not your picture-perfect family, but this is literally the best household I have ever lived in my entire life. I mean sure, the bar's not that high, but there will never be anything that gets better than this. Do you know what they said when I said I had a job? 'Just be home in time to make supper!' That's it. I didn't get kicked out, I wasn't told I had to pay 500 dollars a day to live in the house anymore. No one stabbed me for my bank card. My last guardian let that happen." She spat the word 'guardian'. Then she rolled up her shirt, revealing a long scar across her ribcage. Idina tried to stifle her gasp. She tried not to stare. But she couldn't take her eyes off of the scar tissue that screamed of improper care. 

Erika continued: "So I'm sorry if I don't care about who gets mindless praise for something anyone would have done."

"Not anyone," Idina interjected. " 'Anyone' stood by. Someone did something."

"Whatever," Erika said with an eye roll. "I'm not admitting to doing anything. If you want to help me, give Lily whatever she wants. I get to stay here, save up money for when I turn eighteen and get kicked out, and hopefully, no one stabs me before then. And then maybe I don't get murdered and die under a bridge before I turn nineteen. Just maybe." She crossed her arms and sat back.

The officers looked up at Idina. This was her choice. 

"Fine," she muttered. "I'll do what you want."

Erika gave her a practiced smile. "May I go now?"

The officers nodded and went to get her foster family. 

Idina put on a brave face. She was an actor, she could pretend. And she did. She pretending like nothing had changed since Erika walked through the door, smiling and thanking Lily, telling her she'd be in touch. That she would nominate Lily for a good samaritan award. They shook hands and exchanged smiles. It was what Erika wanted.

~~~~~

It was the day of the presenting of the award. A large crowd had gathered in a park in NYC to see the girl who had saved the life of the Broadway star's son. Idina felt like she had swallowed a hornet's nest. She'd never felt so nervous. It was because she knew this was a lie. But she put on a brave face and pushed through it.

As she was presenting Lily with the award, she looked over at her family and could not help but notice that Erika was missing. It means nothing, she told herself as she went through the actions she had practiced a thousand times in front of the mirror. Absolutely nothing. 

When she ceremony was over, the crowd began to disperse. She walked over to the family.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"Hello," the mother, Ruth, replied.

"I noticed Erika isn't here today," she started, hoping she was not being too nosy. "Is she working or...?"

"We sent her back," the father, Jason replied.

"What?" Idina asked, unable to hide her shock.

"No police," Jason continued. "One of the rules. She knew the rules."

Idina's jaw hung askew. How did she reply to this? "Oh," was all that came out. "Goodbye," she said abruptly and turned to walk away.

She went back to her hotel. She was going back to LA today with Walker, but part of her did not want to leave yet. Not without Erika. She called her husband. Then she checked flights back. It would be tight, but she could fly with Walker home, make sure he got through the gates, then take another flight back an hour later without leaving the airport. 

But what was she going to do? She called her husband again. 

"I don't know what to do," she told him, running her hands through her hair.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

She paused. What did she want to do?

"I want to make sure she is okay," she replied.

"And how will you do that?"

"By making sure she is okay," Idina replied. "By doing something about it. She saved Walker's life and I messed hers up."

"How will you make sure?"

"I-I don't know," she admitted. "I, she should come live with us." She tensed up. She had no idea how he would respond.

"You want us to adopt her?"

"We can deal with it, financially," she said. "Or I could do it. She saved Walker's life." She stifled a sob. "He wouldn't be here now if she hadn't."

"Okay Idina," he agreed. "You need to do this. Do it."

"Thanks," she sobbed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."