Nectar.

Prologue.

Children are always told to honor their parents and parents should do the same with their children but also raise them into responsible adults. But for Rowan, she wouldn't be raised by the two people who she loved and valued the most. She only got to see a couple of their milestones and for some, she was just a baby. But unfortunately, she won't be able to see anymore. It confused her, even after an hour of watching her father's brand new Mercedes Benz melt in flames while her parents were still in the driver's and passenger's side.

Rowan was given a lollipop, a stale cherry flavored lollipop. She sat in the paramedics as the sound of her mother crying and screaming filled her head. She stared in deep thought as the paramedics gently cleaned the blood that dripped from Rowan's nose. "Sweetheart," One of the paramedics, Sharon had called Rowan out of her daze and the little girl with pigtails with bows in her hair looked at the young blonde white woman as she cleaned her nose. "Exhale for me," Sharon said gently and Rowan exhaled through her nose. Sharon nodded, and she smiled at Rowan, "There, you're all better. You just had a nosebleed," Sharon said as she forced a smile at the little girl.

It was hard to fake a smile to a little girl who just watched her parents die in front of her.

"Someone is going to come and get you okay?" Sharon told Rowan.

Rowan recalled that her parents didn't have a family for Rowan to go to since they were orphans themselves. Rowan never imagined herself being one but things do change.

An older black woman came onto the paramedic truck and she wore a black suit, she had a dandelion flower pin on her chest. She had brown skin, and long braids that were styled in a ponytail. She had slender round eyes and sharp but soft features. She smiled gently at Rowan as she came and she crouched in front of Rowan.

"Are you enjoying your candy?" The lady asked and she had a southern drawl.

Rowan looked at the lollipop and she slowly leaned forward to the lady, "I think it's expired," Rowan whispered and the lady let out a chuckle, her laugh reminded Rowan of birds chirping. Very airy and sweet.

"I can get you fresh and new ones," The lady said.

The lady cleared her throat and she smiled at Rowan, "I'm Dana Andrew, I'm a social worker," Dana said. "I'm going to have to find you a place to go and see if we can find you a family... whenever you are ready," Dana added.

Rowan didn't want a new family, in fact, the thought of getting a new one terrified her.

"What if I don't want a new family?" Rowan asked Dana.

Dana stared at the young girl and she frowned a little. There had been many cases that she was involved with kids who lost a parent and they would always tell her the same. They would stay in orphanages until they age out and most likely don't live stable adult lives.

It was a more common thing for black children that are Rowan's age. She's already a little older and is not really in the baby stage anymore so she will have a hard time getting adopted but also most black children don't get adopted from orphanages and cases of black children being abused by their foster parents on the rise. Dana didn't want to see another black child let alone another black girl get failed by society.

Dana reached out her hand and Rowan looked at Dana's hand, she put her hand with hers and Dana gave Rowan a gentle squeeze, "How about... you come live with me? I have a sweet husband, and two beautiful girls at home who I think you would like," Dana suggested. Rowan honestly had nowhere else to go but also something about Dana seemed so calm and enduring. Dana reminded Rowan of her mother a lot. A sweet southern belle with a soft-spoken voice and pretty brown skin.