Real Love

Revealing Secrets

I go to the bathroom and throw up from the shock
I change my shirt into a button down plaid shirt.
"You have a sister Maya"
"Holy shit"
Carina says
"She's only 1.
"That Christmas! My mother left for a week she must've gave birth"
"you share a mother but your father forces your mother to give her to a centre."
"She was abused in a foster home so now she's in a state home in California"
"What's her name?"
"Her name is Maeve."
"I'm adopting her. Carina can we-"
"Of course let's adopt her"
We wrote a letter to social services and they got back to us in three days.
"You can have her but you'll have to come and pick her up."
"Of course."
We told them about the accident so I'll be in hospital for another five days.
The five days pass and we make the journey to California.
"I just can't believe she's gone."
"I know baby"
"She's been cremated and I put the ashes on the shelf at home in an urn."
Carina says
"That's okay"
We pull up at the address and there's kids playing in the yard.
They all stare at us as we walk up the lane.
We go in and they call Maeve down.
She looks exactly like me.
She instantly reached for me and falls into my arms.
"Aw"
She has a pacifier in her mouth and it falls and she starts crying.
I hand her to Carina and she's a natural with her.
"Hi Bella"
She smiles.
I pick to the pacifier and clean it since we are in a special room with a sink.
A social worker comes in.
"Hello I'm Lindsey and I'm Maeve's social worker but when she gets crossed over state lines , Diane will be her social worker"
"Okay hi I'm maya and this is my girlfriend Carina"
Maeve reaches for me and Carina hands her back.
"She's late on her milestones , she can't speak she only babbles , she still wears diapers and it's expected that she'll wear them until she's five, she cries quiet a lot but she seems to love you already"
"She eats baby food and some solids, she drinks from a bottle because it's soothing for her."
We nod.
We sign forms.
"She's officially ours"
carina exclaims as we put her into her car seat that they gave us.
"I want to raise her as a daughter not a sister"
I say as I put the pacifier in her mouth in the back seat.
She giggles and smiles.
"That's fine , me too."
We drive back home.
I fall asleep in the back with Maeve.
When we get home , I wake up.
I hold Maeve.
I bounce her a little as she gets fussy.
I put my finger up and she starts to suck on it
"She's hungry."
I make her a bottle
She gratefully accepts it.
I hold it for her and she drinks the whole bottle.
I burp her and then I change her diaper.
"We need to get her stuff."
Carina comments.
"Yes we need to go to target"
I put Maeve in her car seat and I sit in the back.
I put her in the baby wrap and keep her close to my chest.
I want the world to swallow her and keep her safe.
A lady comes up to us
"What a cute baby"
"Thank you"
We move and put some stuff into our cart such as clothes , diapers , pacifiers , wipes and bath supplies.
She starts crying so I take her out of the wrap.
I look down to see that her diaper has leaked and I'm wet.
"Um baby..."
I say as I hold Maeve on my hip.
She looks at me and then looks down.
"I'll pay for these , you go to the bathroom , get her cleaned up and I'll bring you a fresh shirt"
"Thanks honey"
I rush to the bathroom before it leaks even more.
I change her on the baby changing table.
Carina knocks on the stall.
"Are you in here baby?"
I unlock the door
"Hi baby"
"Can I come in?"
She questions since it's a bigger stall.
"Of course."
I open the door and then she locks it
I change my shirt
"I actually love this shirt , thank you baby"
"No problem"
She picks Maeve up and puts a new pair of clothes on her since her top and jeans got wet.
She's literally the size of a six month old.
We go and go back home.
Carina sets up a nursery last minute.
"This room still smells like my mommy"
I say as I walk by the room she stayed in when we initially rescued her from my dad.
"I'm sorry baby"
She hugs me and then Maya giggles
"You're a silly little baby aren't you"
I tease which makes her giggle even more.
We settle her after we give her food and then she goes to sleep at 5pm.
We go straight after because we're so tired.