[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] [name_f]Kaitlyn[/name_f] [name_m]Radcliffe[/name_m] (11) is Lewis’ little sister.[name_f][/name_f]
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] has always been attached to [name_m]Lewis[/name_m], and during the time of the two of them being separated, she had a feeling of dread and loneliness follow her, doubled on top of all the trauma already following her from being separated from her family in the first place. The tears she shed during those years were many, and despite the fact that [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] is now around [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] again, she still doesn’t feel entirely safe, fearing that they will be separated again, maybe for good this time.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] has no idea about Lewis’s plan to take custody of her, but if she did, she’d be excited, although a little skeptical. The move has made [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] a little more hesitant and quiet than she used to be, and she lost quite a few friends. Thankfully, she has her brother, as well as the polish worker in the museum and [name_f]Juliette[/name_f], who she stops by to visit frequently. She likes listening to the older man’s stories, hearing and trying to learn his native language, and watching her brother and [name_f]Juliette[/name_f] work around the museum.
[name_f][/name_f]She’s considered to be weird, especially by her peers. They don’t understand the way [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] collects buttons and other small items, and the way she tries to pawn off her buttons when she considers someone to be her friend. [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] isn’t the best with words, but buttons are her secret language, though not many kids understand that. She does have one friend, a 13 year old girl in the eighth grade, who takes her button gestures extremely seriously, and returns the favor by making a bracelet for her with rubber bands in whatever color Vanesssa wants, or surprises her by what she feels will fit the mood.
[name_f][/name_f]She has a favorite cartoon show – “Dearly Departed” – about a shy, quiet kid who moves into a strange new town where ghosts and spirits roam free, but are only visible to those who wish to believe. The ghosts aren’t mean, and they aren’t meant to be hunted. They all have personalities and stories, and Vanessa’s favorite ghost from the cast is named [name_f]Anya[/name_f], and she tells the polish man that he reminds [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] of [name_f]Anya[/name_f]. She mainly resonates with [name_f]Mira[/name_f], the main character, for all her curiosity and refusal to stay in the dark. Dearly Departed is loved by people of all ages. Though it’s mainly made for children, it has attracted a wider audience because of the complex characters and storyline.
[name_f][/name_f]Vanessa’s obsession with buttons and the show does not come from nowhere. She tells everyone stories she made for the buttons she hauls off to others, to breathe life into others. Her brother believes she might be autistic, although she has never been diagnosed or tested. The signs are there, but they aren’t strong enough for anyone to believe there’s something like that. [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] has always felt like an outsider with the way her mind and affection lives through buttons and stories and coats with a lot of pockets, but she’s trying her best.