I was completely neutral about the whole adoption situation. It's nothing new after all. And about my new family? I am not thinking much about it. I am experienced in this field.
After all, what will happen?
I don't think they will abuse me or anything. I will be at the place of their lost little sister, whom they lost and never found so thought to adopt me. Though I will never take her place. I will be a good girl. Won't cause them any troubles. Maybe I have to attend some family gatherings occasionally. If they give me some rules I will abide by them. I don't think they have parents, because if they had they would have adopted me as a daughter. But here I am adopted as a sister.
That's it! It's as simple as that!
Right?
"Fingers crossed." I murmured while walking toward their fancy car, parked outside the orphanage after bidding bye to mother Susan. Mr Dominic was still holding my hand.
"Why are you crossing your fingers, Grace?" He asked but didn't look at me.
"Uhh.. nothing important, Sir." I said softly. I didn't think he would hear, but he did.
"Come on, we are not that bad that you have to cross your fingers." He chuckled a bit with an amused expression on his face.
Great, Grace! You even managed to amuse this cold person.
I looked at him with my eyes as big as saucers. He chuckled! Isn't he the same man who was threatening me a while ago, scaring me with cold eyes and cold voice?
What happened to him suddenly? Is he a bipolar?? Oh god! Save me!
"No. I am not a bipolar." He chuckled again.
"It's just the situation that demanded me to behave coldly." He added.
Shit! I said that aloud. It's so embarrassing. What he must be thinking about me?
"Sorry, sir."
"Apologies accepted but stop calling me sir. I am sir for others. For my sister it's Dominic. Only Dominic. Okay?" He asked with a small smile.
I looked at him in shock.
"What?" He asked with a frown.
"Uhh.. nothing." I mumbled and looked down.
"Tell me what's wrong?" He asked seriously.
"It's just in one of my foster families I had a brother. I called him by his first name and he didn't quite like that. He said it was disrespectful and…" I stopped there still looking down.
"And?" He encouraged me.
"And he said I needed to be punished for being disrespectful." I mumbled sadly.
Let me tell you the 'punishment' was horrible. Too much horrible for my 12 years old body.
When Dominic didn't say anything I looked up and there I saw anger. Anger to kill someone. But it was not toward me and I am thankful for that. I guess that anger came from pity.
Yeah, that's what my life is. A pity..
"You will call me by my name. Okay?" He asked more firmly this time as he was still controlling his temper.
"Okay.. Do.. Dominic." I hesitated a bit before uttering his name.
Okay so it won't be that hard, huh??
"So I guess we warmed up a little. So it won't be that hard?" He asked with a smile.
"Yes. I am sure you are gonna be a great brother." I said and offered him a bigger smile this time.
"And I know you are the best sister." He chuckled.
"Adopted sister." I corrected him immediately.
I didn't mean to spoil the mood but I felt like it was necessary to remind him that I am not his sister. Also I wanted to show him that I am not up for taking his sister's place.
I hope I didn't anger him.
"Sure, princess."
He gave me a small smirk, ignoring my statement.
"Not to be rude or anything but don't tell me you also think I am your lost sister." I said jokingly.
He was going to say something But Dylan interrupted us. We both looked at him.
"Here you go, Doll. Have this sandwich before we reach home and have dinner." He said and passed me a chicken sandwich.
I thanked him and started to unwrap the sandwich as I was really hungry. I haven't had anything since morning.
"You will go with Dylan. I will follow you guys after sometime. I have some work to do." Dominic ordered in a serious tone.
Dylan only nodded his head at Dominic.
Then he walked away while dialing someone. He gave me a look that I couldn't read. I guess I upset him by my words earlier. But I don't think I said something inappropriate. Because I know this kind of misconception will hurt him later.
"So doll, did you think about what you're gonna call me?"
I nodded while swallowing the small bite I took from the sandwich.
"I am calling him by his name." Pointing at Dominic's back. "So I guess I can call you Dylan?" I asked in hesitation.
What if both brothers don't share the same thought?
"That would be great!" He sounded excited. I guess he really loves his sister but she wasn't lucky enough to get his love.
Poor her..
"Let's get into the car. I have water there." He said.
I agreed. He held my hand then pulled me with him till the car as if I will vanish with the thin air if he leaves my hand.
He opened the car door and helped me to get inside. By the way it's the most gorgeous car I have ever seen in my life. I don't have much knowledge about cars but I know it costs more than my life.
Then he took his seat in the driver's seat.
"Sit belt, doll." He said cheekily. I guess he won't stop calling me that. So I didn't stop him anymore. I put the seatbelt on. I was done eating the sandwich by then.
He passed me the water bottle and started the car. He seemed really excited. He was almost jumping on the seats. He was behaving like a child.
"What got you so worked up?"
He looked at me once then concentrated back on the street. After a short drive he stopped the car in a sideway.
I almost stopped breathing thinking about all the bad scenarios. He turned at me from his seat.
"You still don't understand, right?" He asked but before I could say something he continued. "A sister means a lot to us, Grace." He said with softness and seriousness.
I took some time to get the seriousness of his words.
"But I am an adopted sister. Not a real one. You are behaving like I am your own blood."
I was confused..
"How do you know that?"
" Know what?"
"That you are not my real sister?"
"For god's sake! Why would I be your lost sister?!?!" Now I was frustrated. Have he lost it!!
"Do you know anything about your parents, family?" He asked with a straight face looking at my eyes.
"No! Maybe they are dead or maybe they didn't want me, maybe I was unplanned so they left me alone with Nay Nay."
I teared up while mentioning that my parents didn't want me. But I composed myself.
"I also have one 'maybe'." He said while air quoting the word maybe.
"Maybe you are our sister!" His voice was rising with every word.
"Ducking hell! Why do you think I am your sister?!" I asked in a complete pissed tone.
"Cute! You don't curse." He said while chuckling. I glared at him.
He instantly got serious after seeing my looks.
Suddenly I started to breathe hard. I was at the verge of an anxiety attack. I don't want my family. They left me on the street for me to suffer. I hate them.
"Ok , doll, calm down." He said nervously and worriedly.
"No! Tell me why do you think I am your blood sister?" I shouted. I want answers.
Suddenly all the things start to mess with my head.
"Ok, listen. Why do you think you are doing so much for that orphanage?" He asked.
I looked at him in confusion. Maybe because they have a lot of money and doing some charity?
"Because after searching for almost 5 years we found a clue that our sister was there in that orphanage for sometime. But she was gone before we reached her. They didn't have any photo of her to make it any easier. Do you know when my sister's birthday is?" He shooted his next question.
I shook my head negatively. Too afraid to know the answer.
"It's November 26." He dropped the bomb.
No, it's just a coincidence.
It was getting hard to breathe.
"What actually happened to your sister?" I asked shakily.
"She was stolen by a nurse from the hospital she was born."
He said looking at me carefully to examine my expressions.
That was the moment when I completely lost it. I started to cry. I was crying like a mad girl. It's getting really hard to breathe now.
Dylan was on my side in a second. He quickly freed me from the seatbelt and hugged me tightly. He was saying soothing words and it helped me to calm down.
It's just a coincidence. Yeah, just a coincidence. I am not their sister. I will never accept that after all the horrible things I experienced.
He was just making stories in the air. Yeah, Grace. Just ignore him. When they find it out that I am not their sister, they are gonna leave me anyway.
A phone rang at the background that pulled us back from our daze.
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