As Amber ventures through her new life, she endures the lies, secrets and betrayal that comes with it.
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Adopted at the age of fifteen into the Peterson family, Amber is not ready for all the new consequences th...
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The silence was deafening, overwhelming even.
Sophia's breath was hitched in her throat while Lucas struggled to maintain a calm demeanor. The young girl that sat in front of them kept her head down slightly, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.
She'd seen them in movies her parents had watched. One of Brooklyn's most prominent couples. Even their children served as role models for many other teenagers her age. They were the family that everyone aspired to be a part of. And here they were, seated in front of her, asking her the most ludicrous question, making her wonder if she was actually just in a dream.
"You want to-to adopt me?" she asked the couple, her voice quivering slightly. Though she hadn't wanted to show how much of a disaster she was, her voice seemed to have a mind of its own - betraying her intentions, deepening her embarrassment.
"Well, of course we do!" Sophia exclaimed and her both hands flew in the air - as if her team just won a lacrosse game - but it was really only for the theatrical effect, her own way of attempting to soothe the unsettling nerves that had crept up and taken up residence in the pit of her abdomen.
Amber flinched slightly, but she wasn't paying close attention to see if anyone noticed. She couldn't be blamed - she presumed Sophia was going to hit her.
Amber...
It was her inner voice that warned her. Composing herself, Amber adjusted her posture on the chair and took quiet, almost imperceptible breaths to calm herself.
"Why?" The question left her lips before she registered it, her voice finally on her side but her mind suddenly straying away from the teamwork required. Amber had to wet her dry lips, her tongue doing the job just fine, traveling swiftly across their thin structure.
It didn't go undetected by Lucas, who reached for a bottle of water on the table in the room. "Thanks," Amber said, smiling gratefully at him when he handed her the bottle.
Giving her a smile of his own, he quickly straightened himself as Amber downed the bottle. "Amber, we'd like to help you, sweetheart," Sophia responded gently. "Unless you're uncomfortable with it," she quickly added, not wanting to make the young girl feel forced to do anything she didn't have to.
"I'm not," She shook her head vigorously. Sophia's lips twitched in glee, and Lucas' placid attitude returned. They both shared a quick grin before Monica - Amber's adoption agent - entered the room, a smile on her lips as she relished at the prospect of yet another family being brought together.
"Congratulations, Amber! " Monica's grin spread from ear to ear. "You'll be a Peterson soon! "
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