Like a candle in the wind

Somewhere in the middle of my 24th and 25th years of life, I was busy raising two kids that didn't belong to me. I eventually had to let them go back into the universe because circumstances dictated that my time being their primary caregiver was up. All of that was very painful for me as I loved them as if they were my own flesh and blood. It was equally hard on them since I basically had them dumped on me 24/7 for close to two years.  Their names were Rachael and Allyson Hemme and I loved them beyond words. They are both in their mid to late 20s now. I have not seen them since they were around 6 and 8 years of age. They were 18 months and 3 years old when they became my wards, my children, my heart. They were who taught me about real love, unconditional love.

There couldn't have been two children more different in temperament than those two sisters. Rachael was the quiet one. She seldom spoke out or did anything truly naughty. Ally on the other hand was one hell of a ball of fire. She was as different from Rachie as night is from day. Ally was constantly in trouble for one thing or another. What I wouldn't give for one more day with them as young children, so innocent, so brilliant, so loving, so trusting.

We had a pretty neat thing going there for close to 18 months. Just me and the kids. Terri was always off with her guy of the month when she wasn't working. Victor was busy being an asshole (he was very good at that too), so he was seldom around and seldom had the kids over to his place. Terri had invited me to come live with her and the kids in return for my taking care of them while she was at work (she worked at night at a club owned by the people who owned the Hamburger Hamlette, I don't even remember the name of it now). After she started working she just kind of disappeared for days on end. So it just fell to me to be the grown up and take care of the kids. I knew nothing about children. I never wanted children and never actually liked them much either. This was a whole new experience for me.