Cinderella

I met Amber when she was six years old. Her father and step-mother used to be friends of ours. Amber was the most adult 6-year old you have ever met. From the first day I met her, I wanted her.

Her father isn't a bad person. He would just rather avoid confrontation than stand up for his children. Her mother couldn't provide a stable life for her, so she left Amber with her father and his new 17-year old wife.

Evil step-mother is the epitome of his wife. Never has she made Amber feel like she was her own child. Two weeks after meeting me, Amber was spending most weekends at my house. I loved it. We had so much fun, but she loved it because someone actually acted like they cared about her.

Then I got a job, Amber went to live with her mom, and her father and his wife developed a habit. That habit is the reason that we stopped speaking to/hanging out with them. Amber eventually came back to live with her dad. Then she went down the road to her grandparents, the ones that really love her.

The past few months, while Sean isn't working, we've had more time available to spend with friends. Amber showed up at a cookout we were having a few months ago, and since then she's been at almost every get-together we have. Like yesterday at the lake.

Since I've wanted to raise her all these years (she's 17 now) I talk to her like she's my kid. I was giving her hell asking when she was going to sign up for GED classes. "Do you need my help to get started?"

Yes, she says. Ok. I need help getting my social security card and Georgia ID so that I can register for the GED classes, but my dad won't take me. My immediate thought - and I can't say it didn't pass my lips - was, "What the hell?" He won't take her, said he wasn't going to help her since she dropped out of school.

Now I don't understand that thinking. Your child has to have an ID and SS card to get into GED classes. She also needs those two things to get a job. By not allowing her to do so, you have just decided - for her - that she's going to get pregnant by her dumbass boyfriend, move in with his family, and live a life like you and your asshole wife. NICE.

Amber and I decided that tuesday I would take her to get what she needs. Then we'll get her signed up for the classes, which I offered to pay half. *I'm broke, but I'll use my grant money and it's only 50 bucks...can't think of a better way to spend that* I was going to call her dad tonight and ask why he wasn't going to do it, and let him know that I was. That's not going to happen now.

I guess his wife, evil step-mother, was pissed they weren't invited to the lake yesterday. Oh well. We walked into our friends house last night and she was sitting on the couch, and rolled her eyes when I walked in. She should be careful, I really wanted to slap the shit out of her so hard her wall-eye would move. I thought better of it, there were children there.

Now I'm just going to take your step-daughter, the one you can't stand, to make her life better. To give her a chance at a life at least half-better than yours. To let her know that someone loves her enough to want her to succeed in life. My only problem is that I'm not her mother. But I'll damn well try to be since the two she has don't give a shit.

And if confronted by her "parents", I'm going to say one thing and then walk away: "I will never apologize to you for helping your child have a better life."