AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But she also needs a stable home.
She needs me.
But she needs a family who can provide for her. Clothes and toys. Big birthdays and big Christmases.
She needs me.
But she shouldn’t have to worry about her next meal.
She needs me.
But she also needs adults who can be a mother and father to her.
She needs me…
But she needs more than what I can offer her.
Naomi deserves more.
She deserves what I couldn’t have…and what I can’t have.
A family that’s whole. A place she can call home. A family she’s proud of.
“It’s not fair,” I whisper brokenly. “She’s all I have left.”
Diane reaches forward and her arms curl around my shoulders, pulling me into her embrace. “What do I do if I don’t have her? Who am I if I’m not her older brother? I need her.”
More than she needs me.
The dam breaks and it feels like my soul has been wrecked by a hurricane. I am left broken and empty…
Tears slide down my cheeks and I silently cry in Diane’s arms. The mere idea of losing Naomi scares me. It guts me and the pain is tragically unbearable.
“Mikael and Rehya are wonderful people,” Diane tells me, as she rubs my back. Her touch is almost soothing, but nothing can calm the storm in my heart. “Mikael is my brother, and I know…trust me, I know they love Naomi as their own. She’s the missing piece of their family. They didn’t know they had been waiting for her, but the moment Rehya laid eyes on Naomi, she just knew. She said it’s an undeniable connection. Naomi gets along great with them, while they are fostering her. Adopting her is the final step of giving your sister the life she deserves. Mikael and Rehya are willing to keep you updated on Naomi as she grows up. Pictures and videos. We might even be able to schedule for you to visit her.”
My whole body shakes. “It’s her birthday today.”
“I know. They have made it official and will tell her today. A birthday surprise,” she explains.
A family for Naomi.
I let the tears continue to flow. My sister deserves this. Naomi has seen too much in her young life. And I don’t want her innocence to be more corrupted than it already has. She’s worthy of this kind of love. A family.
Her family.
I pull away from Diane’s hug.
And me? I guess…I will have to walk this path alone.
I watch Rehya and Naomi together. They are wearing matching braids and their smiles are so genuine — I know, in Naomi’s world, this is what’s right. This is her fairy tale, the one she deserves.
“Why did you bring me here?” I ask, my gaze never wavering from the pair. “To show me this…and to tell me all of this?”
“Because I need you to see your sister happy. This is closure I think you need, so that now you can focus on yourself.”
Myself? What does that even mean?
Almost as if Diane can read my mind, she places a hand on my knee and gives me a gentle pat. “You are a good guy, Grayson. Despite who your parents are, despite your situation and how you grew up. You have a good heart. You’re smart and you’re strong. But right now, you’re still a child. Focus on your studies. Focus on your future. Focus on building yourself. You’re not your mother’s or your father’s son. Become the man your sister will one day be proud of. Prove everyone wrong.”
