"You remember the rules, don't you?" Asked Mr. Collins as he drove his SUV up the drive to Miss Lucy Katherine's Orphanage.
"Yes," replied the brown honey haired girl in the back seat. Mr. Collins raised his eyes to the rear view mirror to look at her.
"And?" He said. The girl sighed.
"Keep your head down, don't draw attention, keep to myself, but not completely to myself, and... no use of any magic." Mr. Collins nodded his head as he pulled up to the front doors of the building where an elder woman about in her late fifties to early sixties, waited. The girl sat there in the car and waited as Mr. Collins got out and opened the door for her. The elder woman came down the stone steps to greet them.
"Mr. Collins, I presume?" She asked with a cheery smile. "I'm Miss Lucy, the caretaker of this here building." Mr. Collins tipped his fedora hat to her and they shook hands. Mr. Collins introduced the girl to her. "Very nice to meet you. Come, come, there is much to discuss." As they entered the mansion-like building, Miss Lucy led them to her office. "The girl is free to roam the place as we get everything settled."
Mr. Collins, not really liking the idea, nodded. Before he went to the office with Miss Lucy, he bent forward toward the girl.
"I won't be long, so don't wander far, got it, Evalyn?"
"Yes." Said Evalyn.

𓃠

Evalyn paced back and forth in front of Miss Lucy's office double doors. How long did it take to make a few arrangements? She knew that Mr. Collins never took this long before. Blowing a strand of loose hair from her dark blue crystal eyes that had a tint of light blue swirls in them, she walked to the opposite side of the hall and stared at a painting hanging from the dark oak walls. The painting was of a flower in a vase, and below the painting was a small end table with a vase and a flower in it as well.
How creative, Evalyn thought and rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to move to the next painting along the wall, one of the office doors swung open. "Alrighty then," Mr. Collins said as he opened the door. "I assume everything is in perfect order?" He shrugged on his long coat jacket and made sure the collars were popped up, covering his neck all around except for the small opening at the front.
"Yes they are!" Miss Lucy said coming from the open door that Mr. Collins held open for her. "And I'll make sure that Evalyn is comfortable and welcomed."
"Much appreciated." Evalyn followed the two adults to the main doors where she knew she would have to say goodbye to Mr. Collins... again. They made small talk as they made their way to the doors, Evalyn as silent as a mouse. When they reached the doors, Mr. Collins tipped his hat to Miss Lucy once more. "Thank you, again."
"Of course," Miss Lucy said, giving Evalyn a squeeze on the shoulders, which Evalyn hated whenever someone did that. Mr. Collins only smiled. He walked up to Evalyn and gave her a small hug.
"Please, please, please, make this work," he said softly to her. "I can't afford to keep doing this. Not now. Not with everything that's going on."
"I'll try," Evalyn muffled through Mr. Collins'  jacket. "But no promises." Mr. Collins chuckled and released her from the hug. He tipped his hat to Miss Lucy for the last time and went out the doors, but not before giving Evalyn one last look. Evalyn watched as Mr. Collins got into his SUV and drove away, down the drive and into the street where he disappeared.
Evalyn felt the light touch of Miss Lucy's hand on her shoulder. "Come, girl, let's get you settled in, mm?"