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“We are your family,” Naveah adds softly, a hesitant note in her voice.
No, Naomi is the only family I have. The only family that matters.
“This can’t be true. If my m-mother is your sister then h-how—” I pause when I start stammering in confusion, licking my lips nervously. “None of this makes sense. My mother never mentioned any of you and if you are who you say you are… then where have you been all this time?”
Diane clears her throat and pushes to her feet. “How about I get us coffee while you guys talk about this? Would you like anything, Mr. and Mrs. Hale?”
Mrs. Hale smiles shakily. “Just a caramel latte for me, please.”
“Nothing for me.” Her husband frowns.
“I don’t want anything either.”
Diane lets out a little anxious laugh before she walks away, leaving me alone with the couple — who are quite possibly frauds. I can’t let myself believe a word they say.
Benjamin’s relentless gaze is nerve-wracking, and my fists clench on my lap. “Hadley was a brilliant young woman,” he starts, his voice is calm, but I notice a twitch under his left eye. As if speaking about my mother causes him some kind of pain. “She was one of the top students at Berkshire Academy, and she had a bright future ahead of herself. She got accepted to Harvard, for Life Science. Hadley dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon, just like Naveah. This was literally her passion. She was quick-witted and extremely intelligent.”
“Hadley was nineteen when she met your father — Harrison Avery,” Naveah continues. “They met in a bar, and Hadley was completely enamored by him. But Harrison…Well, he mingled with the wrong people. He was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks that we would warn Hadley about, but she was in love. And she thought she could change him. Make him a better person.”
I wait for the roar of blood in my ears to quiet, but every new piece of information I receive makes it worse. I draw in a shuddering inhale, and there’s a pause from Mrs. Hale, uncertainty in the look she gives me.
Mr. Hale sighs heavily. “When they began dating, we weren’t happy about it. But Hadley was a stubborn young woman, and once she had set her mind on something, there was nothing we could do to persuade her otherwise. Harrison’s impact on your mother’s life was almost immediate. Her grades were dropping, she was partying more and she became increasingly volatile. Drugs got involved and that’s also when…you came into the picture. When we found out she was pregnant, we knew her and Harrison were in no position to take care of a baby.”
“So, we suggested that we raise you until both Hadley and Harrison could get themselves together. Rehab, of course. They needed to start acting like mature adults. Being a parent is a grand responsibility. But that’s not what happened. Hadley was separated for a while from Harrison. She went to rehab and we took care of you, for the first three months of your life. You really brought us so much joy, Grayson.”
I swallow, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth but finally croak out. “What happened then?”
“Hadley decided that she was done with rehab.” Mr. Hale breaks off, making a sound of frustration in the back of his throat. He looks both pained and pissed off. “She came back home and she said that if we continue keeping her and Harrison apart, she will have no choice but to leave with him. We were scared for your safety…we knew neither your mother nor your father were in the right headspace to take care of a baby. So we allowed Harrison into our home. That lasted for barely a month, before both of them took you and ran away.”
“You didn’t try to find them?”
“We did,” Mrs. Hale adds quickly, almost defensively. “We found them, and you. We gave them space, while keeping a close eye on you. To make sure you were okay. For two years, things were a bit settled. It wasn’t the best situation, and we didn’t trust Harrison, but we didn’t want to push Hadley too much. Until they disappeared again. And this time, it took us longer to find them.”
“At that point, Naveah and I were going through our own personal issues. There was a lot happening.So, when Hadley and Harrison went off the grid for a third time, we let them go.”
“Your mother would send us photos of you every Christmas for four years, with a message not to find her. To leave her be, to be happy with her family. Harrison always hated us, so we thought if we were truly out of the picture, then maybe he and Hadley could figure it out together. They are adults; we couldn’t keep treating them like children.”
“About a year ago, there was something in my gut telling me to find you again. I just wanted to make sure my sister and nephew were doing okay. So, I hired a private investigator. By the time we found you…it was too late.”
“We didn’t even know that Hadley had a second child, Naomi — your sister. Diane told us that she got adopted already. If only we had known, if only we had found both of you sooner—
“You are eight months too late,” I say briskly. But it’s not their fault. It wasn’t their responsibility to keep chasing after my mother, who refused to accept their help, or to raise me and my sister. They did more than they should have already.
Mr. Hale leans closer, holding my gaze sternly. “Listen to me, Grayson. Naveah and I regret letting Hadley leave with you. We should have fought harder, but we didn’t. It’s a regret we will bear as long as we live, but you…You are still young and have so much potential. You still have a future ahead of you,” he points out. “A future we can support. You’re not alone anymore.”
“Sir, with all due respect — I’ve been alone for a very long time, and I know how to take care of myself,” I tell Mr. Hale gruffly.
Diane comes back, as if she has been waiting for the right moment to do so. She hands Mrs. Hale her latte and then takes a sip of her own. “I’ve spoken with Mr. and Mrs. Hale before bringing you here. They are your family, Grayson. There is no need for you to stay in foster care when they are willing to take you in.”
“We’re not just taking Grayson in,” Mrs. Hale says, pinning Diane with a look. “We are legally adopting him.”
I slump back into my chair, my breath leaving me with a loud whoosh. I’ve been punched in the gut before, but this is the first time I’ve felt so out of breath.
Family…legally adopting…
What? WHAT?
My fingers grip the table tightly, until my knuckles turn white and numb. The world sways back and forth.
