I had what little there was of my belongings in my lap as I stared out the car window. I couldn't believe that I was going to have a real home, a real family. I wasn't even sure what a real family was supposed to be like since I had been kicked out of so many foster homes, and I couldn't even remember my birth parents. Was it easy, or would it be hard?
My gaze turned to Alex. He had dark brown hair and piercing teal eyes. Was he my dad then? He looked down at me and smiled, "You excited?"
I simply nodded my head, not sure of how to respond. I couldn't wait to live in a home, and yet, there was this nagging fear in the pit of my stomach. What if it wasn't what I thought it would be? I would find out soon enough.
Alex noticed my expression. "Don't worry. You'll like it. You probably haven't met her, but my wife, Elliana. . ."
His wife? He was married? I remembered the brief mention of that in court, but it had never registered until now. He was married.
"-I know you'll like her. . ."
He continued on, while I could only nod every now and then. I really was paying attention; it was just that so many thoughts were running through my mind. With my head leaning against the window, I gazed out at the dark roadside. Miles upon miles of woods and open country stretched out before my icy blue eyes, which started to droop until finally I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
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"Wake up," a gentle voice coaxed me from out of the realm of deep sleep.699Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BVi2TiWrR
The first thing I noticed was the bright light invading my face. I cupped my hands over my eyes and blinked a few times. I was laying on a bed in an empty room, obviously not in the car anymore. Alex's bright teal eyes gazed down at me, his hand on my shoulder.
"You fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake you," he smiled softly. "This is your room. We were going to decorate it, but then we decided to let you enjoy doing it since it is your room."
We? Meaning his wife? For the first time, I noticed the woman standing in the doorway. She had honey-blond hair and silvery blue eyes, just like me. I immediately grabbed my hair and felt it, the silky smoothness slid between my fingers. I couldn't help but wonder if that's how, what's her name . . . Elliana's hair felt.
She saw me staring at her and slowly made her way by the bed, "Hi, I'm Elliana."
"I'm Jillian . . ." was all I could say. "D-do you mind if I . . ." I reached out to her hair, questioningly.
She nodded.
I ran my fingers through her silky hair. "It's so soft, just like mine!" I exclaimed with a warm giggle.
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It was a bright morning. Beams of sunlight peered through my window and spilled out into my newly decorated room.
I sat up quickly. "It's Saturday!" Leaping off the pink polka-dotted bed, I got dressed, ran into the kitchen, and plopped on one of the stools at the table, a silly grin plastered on my face.
Alex sat across from me, "You're up early." A playful smirk spread across his mouth, "Oh yeah, it's only natural since we have a surprise in store for today."
Elliana set three plates on the table, "Of course, the surprise!" She shot a wink in my direction.
If I had learned anything from being here for five days, it was that a surprise was always a good thing. Now they were just teasing me. Building up the excitement. I knew no matter how hard I could beg, they would never spill it. No use trying.
"Today, we're having humpty dumpties." She pushed a blue china plate in front of me.
"Ellie, what's a humpty dumpty?" I asked, raising my brow.
She feigned a mock gasp, "Why, it is only the finest that a breakfast cuisine could offer. Fresh free-range eggs grilled to perfection in the center of a buttered slice of Ezekial bread. The middle of the Ezekial bread is then fried as fine french toast served with butter, wild berries, and all-natural maple syrup."
"Geez, what an obvious sales pitch for Ezekial bread." I rolled my eyes. "Health nut."
I waited for Alex to say grace before digging in. Oh, what heavenly delight it was.
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Finishing up, Alex went to go put a few things in the car while I stayed behind to help Elliana clean up.
I traced along the edge of a blue china plate. The intricate designs curled and twisted around leaving me to wonder how anyone could make something so awesome.
"Oh, you should let me put those in the dish-washer."
"Uh, I can get it." I stacked the three plates and proceeded to lift them up. They were heavier than I thought.
It felt as if time slowed down. Elliana turned to face me just as the plates slipped out of my grasp.
CRASH!!!
She shrieked and ran over to where the dishes lay in a horrid manner. Two of them had broken into pieces, while the top one was chipped and had an ugly crack through the center.
"No, no, no, no, no! Why weren't you more careful! These were my great-grand mother's china!" She shouted.
I didn't stay for more than a second. Sprinting as fast as I could, I sought shelter in my bedroom. I leapt on the bed and grabbed my pillow, gripping it tightly against my chest.
The scene replayed over and over in my head. Why? Why now? Everything was so perfect. Why now? I sobbed into the pillow.
A hand touched my shoulder. "Jillian. . . I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't ha-"
"Are you going to send me back now?" I looked up, tears staining my face.
"Why would you ask that?! Of course not."
I turned away. "Everytime I do something bad, I get sent back."
Unexpectedly, she pulled me into a hug, "I would never send you back. It was only an accident." She stroked my hair.
"Never?"
She gazed deep into my eyes, "Never. I will do everything possible to make sure that you never ever have to go back there again."
I squeezed my arms around her, afraid to let go. "Thank you, thank you, thank you-"
Alex stumbled through the doorway, "Is everything okay?! I saw the plates shattered on the floor and. . ." He paused, looking at me, and then Ellie. Swiftly covering the distance, he walked over and knelt by my bed.
"Hey. . ."
I turned to face both of them. "C-can I call you Mom and Dad?"
Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes, "Yes. . . yes you can."
I pulled them both into a group hug. For the first time in my life, I felt loved. Genuinely loved. And I didn't want it to end.
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