The Life Changing Vacation

~Chapter 122~

Joanna's POV
After we adopted Sophia, we showed her the house and then we went to the mall to buy some stuff for her bedroom. We also went to McDonald's where bought food and ice cream. That evening, we took her to the movie theaters and watched a kid friendly movie with her. When we got back home, I made her supper and tuck her in around 8:00 pm. I didn't know how this was going to turn out, but I told her that if she was scared or sad then I wanted her to come to mine and Alex's room. I didn't want her to be upset. I read her a story, kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

I woke up in the middle of the night, I was gonna go to the toilet. I went to Sophia's room to see if she was sleeping, and she wasn't. She was crying.

"What's the matter, sweetie?", I asked.

"I miss the orphanage", she said.

"Oh, honey.. you should have woken me up and told me", I said as I sat down at her bed.

"I was scared", she told me.

"I understand, this is new for you", I told her.

"Please don't leave me", she said.

"I won't.. do you want me to get in the bed with you?", I asked.

"Yes", she said.

"I will, it's going to be okay.. I'm here", I said.

I stroke her hair until she fell asleep.

I woke up around 8:30 am. Sophia was still sleeping. I went downstairs and made myself coffee. Suddenly, Kristina came downstairs.

"You're up early", I said.

"Yeah, I was going to the toilet and then I couldn't fall asleep again", she told me.

"Sophia was crying this night", I told her.

"What did you do?", she asked me.

"I got into the bed with her and stroke her hair until she fell asleep again", I explained.

"I can hear you can be motherly if you want to", Kristina said.

Dory came, and then Alex and Sophia came between 9:00 and 9:30. I had just made breakfast. We all sat and ate pancakes together. Later that day, I took Sophia to the beach. We sat there just the two of us talking in the sunset.

"Me living here, does that mean I have to call you mom?", she asked me.

"You can call me whatever you want to call me", I smiled softly.

She didn't answer.

"I just want to say.. thank you for adopting me", she told me.

"I have been waiting for a long time", she said.

I almost started crying. I hugged her and then I took her back to the house. That night, she came into my and Alex's room and told us that she had a nightmare. It was a good sign, because that meant she already had begun to trust us. I'm just afraid the criminal version of me will be back soon, and I hope for god's sakes it don't.