Her Five Brothers

Chapter 2 - Blood test

Aspen: TW

I've been sat in the waiting room for about four hours now. My blood was taken as soon as we arrived and I was told to just sit and wait for my social worker. I'm nervous. There's nobody in my family left and, no matter what, I will be living with strangers. People who don't know me, people who could find out all my secrets. But no, I can't let them. I can't trust anyone. My trust was with Adam and he broke it. He tore it from my heart and used it to his advantage. Don't you trust me, Penny? He would sneer in my face.

He was a monster, anyone could see if only they looked a little closer. If only I made friends and told them. I was always closed off but, as a child, I did have friends. However, after my mum's death, it felt like it was me against the world. I believed that they would call me weak for not fighting back, for still trusting Adam after the first hit. So, I ignored them. Completely blocked them from my life. Now, I realise that that was a mistake. They could've helped, done something, told someone. And I wouldn't have had to suffer for so long.

I snapped out of my trace by a tall man walking through the doors, a gentle smile on his face. He wears a crisp suit at six am. Wow, what an idiot. He actually looks happy to be awake and ready to do whatever he needs to. What that is? I'm not sure.

The receptionist seems to glance at me once in a while before gesturing towards me. I frown confusedly before I see the cleanly-shaven man walk towards me.

"Hello, Aspen." He greets gently, crouching down in front of my chair. I snap the rubber band on my wrist, hitting one of the newer cuts.

"Hi?" I say confused, before realising he must be my new social worker.

"I'm your social worker, Josh Jackson. You can call me Josh, if you'd like. I'm here to talk to you about what's going to happen next." He gives up his crouch and crosses his legs on the floor.

"Would you like to sit next to me? You know, on a chair?" I ask, wondering if this man had lost his mind, sitting on a dirty police station floor in a clean suit. It would feel uncomfortable with him so close but at least he wouldn't be uncomfortable on the floor.

"Oh no, I'm much comfier down here." He reassures me, putting his hands on his knees. "Okay, I know you must be a little confused and possibly scared right now but I will make sure that you are safe and happy from now on."

I nod, having no energy to actually make sense of his words.

"Okay so in about five minutes, I'm going to get the results of your blood test." My head lifts from my scared hands. "If someone is found on the database, they will be called and informed of your circumstances, if not then I have a lovely foster home for you to stay at for the time being. Either way, I will do regular check ups on you."

"What happens if I have family, not that I know of any, and they say no?" Despite knowing it is impossible to have any family, I was curious.

"I'm going to be honest, that can happen." My head goes down. "But whenever it does, I tell my kid to keep their head up because it is their families loss, not their own. You will be loved, Aspen, I promise."

I nod thoughtfully before glancing into his blue eyes. "Your kid?"

"All the children I've met through my job as a social worker." He clarifies patiently. "I treat them as my own, take them out for meals every once in a while. You will be no different." He grins at me excitedly and I can't help but smile back.

"Thank you." I tell him gratefully.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Now, I'm going to go get your results. Stay right here." He stands up and walks away, sending me a thumbs up as he goes through security.

Josh is nice, I really like him. He has a very comforting and safe vibe to him as well as playful and energetic. Kind of like a golden retriever. Of course, I'm not going to tell him about Adam or place trust in him or my new foster family but it's nice to see somebody so happy in this life.

After five minutes of picking at my already sore nail beds, Josh comes out of the doors with a huge smile on his face and a bounce in his step.

"Hello, little lady." He greets with a silly bow. I laugh, too tired to even think about his mental state.

"kind Sir." I nod back, he grins.

"So," he begins professionally, "we've found your family."

My heart stops. Not literally, but it feels like it. Blood rushes to my head and I feel like I'm going to pass out. My biological dad? An auntie on his side? Grandparents?

"What?" I gasp out, my green eyes widen in shock as Josh nods profusely.

"Brothers."

I give him a deadpan look. "Okay, now I know you're bullshitting me." I roll my eyes. "My mother has never said anything about brothers and we told each other everything."

He gives me a sympathetic look. "Maybe your mum hid this from you, it's not that rare. After a divorce, parents sometimes separate siblings too."

"So, I'm going to live with my dad and brothers I've never met?" I question, trying to sort through the information in my head.

"Unfortunately, your father passed away ten years ago. You oldest brother will be your new guardian." He sits down next to me, lightly shoving his shoulder against mine. He frowns when he sees my worried look. "Everything is going to be okay, Kid."

I nod, but I don't believe that. It's not realistic according to life. Life doesn't do 'okay'. It doesn't let me be happy and safe and cared for. My mother protected me from these harsh realities and now, I face them in my own.

"How many?" I ask, wondering if I have two or three.

"Five."