"I think... I think getting adopted was a mistake."
Okay Ava, breathe! She actually did just say that!
"She's listening right now, you know that, right?" Harriet laughs and I quickly run into the living room, plop onto the sofa and turn on the TV and act as if I've been there the entire time.
"Yeah, I figured as much." They're coming out of the office now because I hear the shuffling of feet.
They greet me and I look up from the television.
"Oh fancy seeing you right here." Harriet laughs again and winks. She knows me too well.
"So you hate Debbie I see?" I cut right to the chase, no point into dancing around the elephant in the room.
She sighs and gives Harriet a look to give us some privacy so she goes upstairs then. Nat takes a seat beside me on the sofa and I suddenly feel bad, bad for making her feel like this.
"I never meant for any of this to happen." I break the silence and turn the volume on the TV down.
"I know you didn't, no one can predict this system we're in." Phew, she's not actually mad.
"But... I didn't think you'd ever agree to adoption." I closed my eyes in fear she was going to explode on me.
"Yeah...neither did I. It all happened so fast and I thought that maybe there could be a second chance at having a normal life but it took some time to realize I like my life with you and Hailey, Gar and the kids. We're not normal but that's okay, I like us." She was starting to tear up now and I could feel her emotions just sitting beside her.
"Can the adoption be undone?" I say the thing bothering me the most.
"I'm not sure." She bows her head down in regret.
"I wish I had thought about it sooner. I wish we were never 'up' for adoption, it's not like we're kids." She adds, she's got a point there. But, in the end, she did give them permission to adopt her.
"I think you need to have a discussion with the Farmington's about this." I say seriously and maturely.
"Because the adoption case is so new the court may be able to overturn it if you get Debbie and Anthony on your side, it's rare but if both parties involved can agree, it might be possible." Harriet comes out of nowhere then, speaking her wise words.
"Especially since you're sixteen Natalie and not a little girl." Harriet adds.
Hudson appears in the doorway then and so does the entire family.
"We need everyone to sit down, we need to discuss something if you are all willing." Hudson announces and everyone's eyes appear curious and they all sit down quietly, ready to hear whatever it is they want to tell us. I pull Lily onto my lap and focus my attention to Hudson and Harriet.
"What's going on? You guys are scaring me." Hailey starts fidgeting with her fingers, anxiety creeping into her. Ever since her miscarriage, she's been seeing a therapist for her increased anxiety and depression.
"Well, to start, we never quite felt the love we feel for you all." Harriet begins and I watch as she begins to choke up. Where is she going with this? She can't... can she?
I sit up a little as she grabs my attention with that. Gar looks over at me confused because I think he knows what she's getting at too.
"What Harriet is trying to say is..." Hudson stops short making us all on the ends of our seats.
"Spit it out..." Adam speaks.
"We'd like to adopt all of you." Harriet says in a shaky voice, she covers her mouth as she begins to sob.
Nat and I look at each other with pure love for one another, a sisterly love. Foster sisters.
"I... I don't get it... I'm already adopted?" Natalie is truly in shock.
"No..." In comes Debbie and Anthony with little Maggie by their sides.
What the hell is going on here? Where did they come from?
"But.. I just told you?"Nat looks over to Harriet with a confused look.
"I knew for some time now how you truly felt Natalie." Harriet admits, shaking her head.
"But just moments ago you were acting as if you had no idea?" I said.
"I had to, we wanted this to be a surprise." Harriet smiled and looked over at Hudson.
"I'm so sorry." Natalie stands up and grabs both of Maggie's hands.
"It's okay, I know you'll visit me. You love Ava, she's your best friend and best friends are suppose to stick together." Maggie speaks softly but maturely. I let out a sob, my emotions all over the place.
"Are you serious?" It's Hailey to speak.
"I mean I know I can be a lot but I've dreamed of this day for so long, truly." Hailey's eyes are filling with tears and I've never seen this soft side of her before, besides earlier.
"Yes, we're serious. And the Farmington's are willing to pass custody over to us, if that's truly what you want Natalie." The spotlight immediately goes to her and my heart rate increases.
"Of course this is what I want. I've never been more sure in my entire life!" Finally, I can breathe.
I immediately pull Nat into a hug and we sit there for a moment crying into each other's arms.
"And they lived happily ever after." Gar teases. I remember then we're not the only ones in the room and I get up and hug each and every one of my new siblings.
"I love you guys, truly. All of you. We are so blessed to be given the life that we were even if we're not with our biological parents." I say and I feel my heart exploding with so much love.
"We love you too." Lily giggles, hugging my leg.
"And we love you too Maggie. I will always love you." Nat bends down and gives her a hug and I watch them for a moment, Nat truly did want to make Maggie happy but I know her and I have been there from the start and it was us she finally chose.
"Foster sisters?" Nat comes back to me and holds out her pinky finger.
"Foster sisters forever." I agree and link my pinky finger with hers.
YOU ARE READING
Foster Sisters
Teen FictionAva and Natalie grew up in the same foster home in Cincinnati, Ohio. They came into the home both at eight years old and now sixteen. They became very close and consider themselves sisters even if it isn't by blood, they're best friends. What happe...
