"I'm not, sometimes I just wish I could have had just a sample of what it was like. I didn't get into the system until I was thirteen. My parents were druggies, and forgot I was around most of the time. I had to scrounge around for food. At least they didn't beat me, I met several kids whose parents would tear into them when they ran out of drugs. I guess I was lucky on that one." Jason said.
Lisa was learning a lot about the foster care system. Michael had told her one of the homes he was in had used the kids as slaves essentially, making them do all the work and then locking them into their rooms, except when there was an inspection, then they paraded them around and made sure they were clean and fed.
Lisa led the group through the mezzanine into the family room. Her parents were there, waiting for them. Her father stood up and came to greet them. "Hello, I am Christopher Stevens and this is my wife Chelsea." He held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I am Michael Joyce, and this is Jason and Greta Miller." Michael shook hands with Lisa's father.
"Thank you for rescuing my daughter. Lisa tells me you are a singer, I do believe I have heard of you. You do a lot of screaming at the top of your lungs, right?" Lisa hoped that Michael could see the laughter in her father's eyes, he wasn't trying to insult Michael.
"Wow, you have heard my music. I am sure it is on a heavy rotation in you CD player." Michael had caught on.
Lisa's father laughed loudly. "Have you eaten yet? Chelsea just finished making supper, and we were waiting for you to eat."
"That sounds great. We were thinking about grabbing something on the way in, but Lisa said that we might be able to mooch a meal off of you, so I thought we might as well wait." Michael told him.
"A free meal wins out every time, a man after my own heart. Come on, we are going to eat at the family table instead of the formal dining room. I didn't want you rock star types to get crazy and decide to try to break my good china like you do your guitars." Christopher told them.
"Now see, how am I going to keep my reputation if you don't let trash something." Michael was obviously enjoying joking with Lisa's father.