“I’m leaving you, and you’ll never see the child again!” screamed Jane. “I want us to be a proper family! No outsiders!”
“Jane, calm down! There are no outsiders in our family!” Alexander tried to soothe his wife. “Emily is our daughter too!”
“Alex, let’s just send Emily back to the orphanage!”
“Have you lost your mind? ‘Send her back’? What are you talking about?” Alexander stared at her in disbelief.
“Its simplewe just take her back! Were having our own baby soonwhy do we need someone elses?”
“Jane! We were blessed with our own child *because* we took in a little orphan girl and gave her a family! You were the one who insisted on adopting her!”
“I never thought wed have our ownthats why I pushed for it! What kind of family doesnt have children?”
Five-year-old Emily stood outside her parents bedroom door, unable to believe what shed heard. She wasnt theirs? They wanted to send her back to the orphanage?
Tears spilled from her eyes. Shed been so happy about the baby coming and now, because of it, she was losing her parents.
As if sensing something, Alex got up from the bed and walked to the doorwhere he found a tearful Emily.
“Daddy am I not really yours?” Her huge, frightened eyes searched his face.
“Of course you are, sweetheart!” Alex scooped her up in his arms. “Youre ours!”
“But you said you wanted to send me back! That means Im not really yours!” she insisted, rubbing tears across her cheeks.
“Yes, we adopted you, but that doesnt mean you arent ours! We love you so much! Mummys just hormonal with the baby coming Lets get you to bed.”
—
“I didnt give birth to her! Shes not mine!” Janes rage only grew. “Chooseher or me!”
Alex helped pack Emilys things.
“Youll stay with Granny for a bit, just until Mummy calms down,” he told his daughter. “Once the babys here, shell come to her senses, and well bring you home, alright?”
Emily nodded.
Shed agree to anythingjust not the orphanage. Besides, she loved Granny. Granny was kind and always had something sweet for her.
“Granny if Mummy tries to send me away, can I just live with you instead?” Emily asked as soon as they arrived.
Lydia Edwardovna fixed her son with a stern look. He gave a helpless smile.
“Janes hormones are all over the place.”
“Of course, my darling!” Granny helped Emily out of her coat. “But Mummy wont send you anywhereyoure her daughter! Shes just upset, thats all!”
—
Two months passed. Emily stayed with Granny. Her father visited less and less, torn between work and the hospital where Jane lay on bed rest.
One morning, as Granny made breakfast, Emily stared out the window. Spotting her fathers car, she gasped.
“Granny! Dads here!”
“This early?” Lydia frowned.
He never came before lunch. Sensing trouble, she told Emily to stay in the kitchen and went to meet him.
“Jane she didnt make it. The labour it was too much. The baby too.” Alexander slumped onto the hallway bench, exhausted.
The three of them sat at the kitchen table, forgetting the tea cooling in their cups.
“Mum, Im taking Emily home. Its time.”
“If youd like I could stay with you a while,” Lydia offered gently.
“Thanks, Mum”
—
Emily marvelled at her new hair ribbons. A little longer, and shed be a proper schoolgirl! Her crisp uniform and bright backpack waited eagerly.
The front door creaked open. Dad!
“Daddy!” She raced to meet him. But Alexander wasnt alone. Beside him stood a petite, slender woman.
“Sweetheart, this is Lisa. Shell be living with us!” he announced with forced cheer.
“Hello, Emily!” Lisa smiled warmly, holding out a bouquet. “For your first day of school.”
“Hi,” Emily mumbled. Ignoring the flowers, she marched to her room.
“Dont take it personally,” she heard her father say. “Shes really very sweet.”
“Im sure well be friends,” Lisa replied.
“Yeah, right!” Emily thought, slamming her door.
Alex and Lisa married quietly. Soon, he was offered a promotion and vanished into work.
All care for Emily fell to Lisas delicate shoulders. She tried everythinghelping with homework, attending parents evenings, taking her to the cinema.
Slowly, Emily softened. The house filled with peace.
Then came another blowLisa was pregnant. Emily locked herself in her room and cried. Lisa pleaded through the door.
“Emily, please dont cry! I love you! Id never give you away! Youll always be my girl!”
“Really?” Emily emerged, tear-streaked.
“Of course!” Lisa hugged her tight. “Youre my child!”
Months later, Emily cradled her baby brother, marvelling at how tiny he was.
“Mumlook how funny he is!” She hadnt realised the word had slipped out.
Lisa, blinking back tears, hugged her.
Two more years passed.
Emily was in Year 4 when disaster struckAlexander died in a car crash. She and Lisa moved mechanically through chores, caring for little Colin and avoiding speech.
Words brought tears. Colin, confused, acted out.
One night, after hed fallen asleep, Lisa spoke.
“Emily we cant go on like this. We have to keep living. Dads gone, but were still here. Lets stop suffering. Alright?”
“Alright,” Emily agreed.
But trouble never comes alone.
A stern woman arriveda social worker. Emily was to be taken to an orphanage.
“How? What about me?” Lisa demanded.
“Show me the adoption papers.” There were none. “Exactly. Grannys too old, and youre nobody to her. Pack your things, Emily.”
Unlike Lisa, Emily didnt cry. She didnt care anymore. Her oldest fear had come trueshe was alone.
“I *will* get you back!” Lisa called after her, but Emily didnt believe it.
Who wanted an orphan?
Lisa visited often, but Emily refused to see her. She watched from windows as the woman waited on benches. Eventually, the visits stopped.
“Got bored of playing mother,” Emily thought bitterly.
Two months later, the headmaster summoned her.
“Emily, congratulations! Youve been placed with a family!”
“I dont want one.”
“Well, want or not, pack your things.”
Outside stood Lisa.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ive come for you.”
“Ive already been adopted.”
“By me.”
Lisa had fought for monthsbribes, paperwork, endless meetings.
“You *are* my child,” she said. “Come home. Colin misses you.”
Emily hugged her.
“Lets go Mum.”
