“They said that after their big sister passed away, you were… different.”
I cringed but nodded. “Uh, yeah. I… I, um, kinda pulled away from everyone even more than usual and stuck to myself. I concentrated on training and nothing else, so I, um, well… I didn’t really talk to anyone in the community…” I shrugged, not really wanting to get into the fact that I hadn’t wanted to get close to anyone else for fear of them being tortured and killed in front of me like Coral was.
I winced internally.
Dad grabbed my shoulder, squeezing, and left his hand there. “I know, Oak, and I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
I shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it now.”
He squeezed my shoulder again. “I know. But that wasn’t what I meant. Isidore said that even though you refused to talk to anyone else, you always came by their yurt and checked on them. And that you brought them food and books and toys andthings, especially when you were able to leave the community. You always helped take care of them.”
“I… I wish I could’ve done more.”
Dad grabbed my other shoulder and made sure I was looking right at him. “You did more than enough. You did more than anyone else in that place. You had to take care of yourself too, but you still took care of them. You did good, so much good, and Isidore and Reef both love you for it.”
My eyes watered, and I sniffled. Good grief, I was sick of crying. “I… I tried.”
He pulled me into a hug. “You did more than try, sweetheart. You did it. You helped them.”
I hugged him back for a long moment.
When we let go, Dad asked again, “Are you sure you’re good with us adopting them?”
A shaky smile spread over my face. “Definitely.” I stared up at his golden eyes and took a breath. “Plus, I know… I know you’ve always wanted more kids, and you didn’t exactly get to raise me, so this… this is something you’ve always wanted.”
“It is, but I would never do something that would make you uncomfortable or—”
“I know, Dad. I know.” I smiled. “I seriously love those kids, and if you weren’t going to adopt them… well, I think I would have to even though I’m really not that much older than Izzy or Reef.”
He smiled at me and pulled me into a huge dad hug. “I love you, kid. So damn much.”
“I love you too. And I… I’m really happy you’re making our family, our den, bigger.”
He was practically radiating joy. “Me too, kiddo, me too.”
By the time we came out, I was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement. Dad took one look at me, huffed, and calledout to Daddo, “We’d better do it now before our oldest gives it away.”
Daddo laughed as he came out of the kitchen, and he came over for a quick hug and a whispered, “Thank you,” before joining Dad at the edge of the living room where all three kids were playing with building blocks, Izzy and Reef entertaining Blossom while they built castles she could knock over.
“Isidore, Reef, and Blossom, can we talk to you for a few minutes?” Dad asked them.
Isidore tensed up immediately, and my heart broke knowing she thought something bad was coming. That bad things were her only experience.
I sent her a smile and a thumbs-up so she’d know everything was okay. I wasn’t sure it helped.
Dad took a deep breath and said, “Tan and I have a serious question we want to ask you, and we want to make sure you really think about it before answering, okay?”
The three little ones gave nods, even Blossom after she saw the other two do it, which was cute.
“We were wondering if we could be your new parents? Officially?” No one moved or said a thing, all three kids looking like deer in headlights.
Tan added, “We want to adopt you—all three of you. We want you to be a part of our family forever.”
It took about two seconds for that to sink in, and then Isidore and Reef jumped to their feet. Reef ran for my dad—ourdad—already hugging his legs, and dad reached down to hug him back.
But Isidore held Blossom in her arms and asked, “Are you sure? Are you… this isn’t… you’re not… you’re not going to change your minds?”
“No, sweetheart,” Daddo said. “We’re never going to change our minds. We already consider you ours.”
