“What do you feel for Elijah?” she repeated with asmile.
“Um, I don’tknow…”
“Do you love him?” she asked, looking at me in a motherlyway.
“Yes,” I whispered quietly, looking down. I was in love with him, and I couldn’t see how my life would be without himthere.
“He loves you just as much, you know,” Joslyn said, bending so she could meet my eyes. “He has always loved you, and will love you till the end of hisdays.”
I couldn’t help but smile, looking up to the only real mother figure I’d ever had. I could see Elijah loved me, even after everything I had been through. He was there, helping to hold me while I fell apart at the seams and after he saved me, bringing life back into me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be heretoday.
“Now, I wanted to give you this without everyone watching,” Joslyn said, handing me a scrapbook. The book was covered in blue and white flowers, with ‘Memories’ written in the middle in cursivewriting.
I slowly opened it, seeing pictures of my parents and pictures of me with Elijah and Zack as we all grew up. There were some current pictures of all of us, showing me just how much I had changed in the last threemonths.
“Thank you,” I said with tears in my eyes. I understood why she did this without everyone else watching, and it made me feel loved—like I belongedhere.
“You’re very welcome, dear child,” she said, giving me a hug. “You have always been like a daughter to me, no matter what hashappened.”
Shortly after I got my tears under control, she called everyone in for lunch. We all sat at the big round table as we ate and joked around. I listened to the boys tease each other, laughing at the childhood stories theyshared.
After we finished eating, we all went back to the living room to open presents. Lizzy got new clothes and even more toys, which she really didn’t need. I smiled, rolling my eyes at just how extravagant our family was. I guess when having as much money as this family did, it didn’t reallymatter.
It was dark out by the time we left, the trunk of the car packed full of everything we had been given that day. I was surprised the time went by so fast, and that I had enjoyed it. I was able to get to know my new family better, without any worry that any of them would ever turn their back and hurt me like my motherhad.
