The Changeling

Chapter 5

Mum pulls the contents free of the large envelope with shaky hands, and reads the papers through silently before sorting through the pictures. She stares at Bronx silently as she hands me the papers and pictures as she still remains silent as she and Bronx stare at each other.

Taking the items from her, I read through the papers, and with each line I find my body becoming colder and number. The first picture I look at is of three people - one adult female with long strawberry-blonde hair with blue eyes, an adult male with short black hair with brown eyes, and a young female with long wavy black hair, and black eyes.

I look almost identical to the younger female.

Handing the pictures over to Arizona as I look at mum in confusion, and I need her to voice her opinion and thoughts to me on what we should do.

Mum looks at Bronx, and there is fear radiating from her; "What do they want with Alaska? I understand that he was taken from them, but he is my son, but I won't give him up without a fight."

"They want him back in their lives," Bronx answers gently. "Now, I have spoken with Easley and Sol this morning, and I have been instructed to explain everything in detail, and offer you a compromise."

Mum encourages Bronx to continue after she gets a nod from Arizona and me.

"Your parents are King Sol and Queen Easley," he seriously says. "This makes you a Prince, and rightful heir of our kingdom of Shaylah. Your younger sister is Princess Aria, and she is 16-years-old. The King and Queen want all three of you to come and live in Shaylah. The three of you will be living in the palace, and everything will be provided for you."

"What about our schooling?" I demand quietly as I stare intently, not fully believing the shit spewing from his mouth.

"There is a school in the Kingdom," Bronx chuckles. "Also, we could always use your nursing abilities, Miss Brewer."

Mum bites her lip as she seems deep in thought before she answers Bronx; "I will consider that option if we agree to this. When do his bio parents want an answer by?"

Her voice hitches on the mention of my birth parents, and my guilt hits me full force about this situation, and how it will affect mum and Arizona.

"They want your answer by Monday," he replies gently; Monday is only two days from now.

"What now? Why couldn't they wait to do this when I turned eighteen instead of now?" I demand with furrowed eyes.

Bronx's facial expression softens; "They have been trying to find you since you were taken. They miss you, they want to restore their relationship with you, get to know you, and the family who are also your family. They also want to begin your training of taking over the Kingdom."

"Why did she take me away, and throw me away like a piece of trash?" I ask angrily, terrified of his answer.

"Your maternal grandmother, Queen Easley's mother took you to the fire station because you had hearing issues," Bronx comments softly.

"But I thought my hearing loss was from the ear infections after I was adopted by mum and dad?" I question absolutely confused.

"Perhaps those probably didn't help your hearing issues," Bronx replies. "Your hearing loss was already noticeable when you were a baby, or so I have been told by my father."

"What is your job exactly?" Arizona questions, snapping from his thoughts.

"I am a tracker, which is what it sounds like," Bronx answers seriously. "I track down those who are lost or have been taken."

"If we have any more questions, we will contact you with them," mum tells Bronx as she escorts him to the door a few minutes later.

Bronx nods solemnly as his eyes land on mine over mum's right shoulder. His turns then to walk back to his home. Mum shuts the front door softly before turning to face Arizona and I with a wavering smile. We follow her back into the living room where we sit back on the couch where we sit silently for a moment as we all absorb the new information.

"If you want to do this, Alaska, I won't be upset or angry," mum quietly says. "Perhaps we can even suggest that we try this out on a trial basis for a short amount of time."

Starring intently at Arizona who stares just as intently back at me, and we have a silent conversation for a moment before I answer her for the both of us; "Let's see if we can do a trial basis."

Mum agrees to this arrangement when she receives a nod of agreement from my younger brother, and she promises to speak with Bronx later today.

"Do you regret adopting me?" I whisper to mum when she returns from speaking Bronx an hour later.

Mum stops in her movements of taking out food to start making dinner, and she turns to look at me in shock.

"No I do not, baby," she fiercely answers as she moves to toward me, and stopping right in front of me. "I have never, and will never regret adopting you. You are just as much as my son as Arizona is, no matter if we are blood related or not."

A few fat tears slip from my eyes, and down my cheeks as I sniffle; "I love you, too, mama. Thank you for being the best mama that Arizona and I could have ever have, or asked for."

Mum pulls me into a tight hug that Arizona joins in a few seconds later, and we happily pull him into our hug tightly, holding him to us.

"No matter what happens in the future, you are my real family," I murmur on a sniffle as we pull apart, and the three of us wipe our faces free of the tears.

"We know, baby, and we feel the same way about you, too," mum lightly replies on a soft chuckle.

We end up making dinner together with music lightly playing from mum's phone. We made the dinner she was in the process of starting - tacos. Tacos is one of our favorite meals.