Family

16: Broken Girl

Author

Ashley and Damon came in the house laughing they stopped in their tracks when this wonderful smell comes an enters their nostrils. They looked at each other and then followed the smell the two entered the kitchen to see Sharon and Veronica giggling together.

"Uh." Damon started.

Veronica and the woman jumped looking at Ashley and Damon with wide eyes. Ashley looked to Damon and back at their adopted mom and sister, "What's going on here?"

"Veronica agreed to make blueberry muffins with me." Sharon told them smiling at Veronica who smiled back. Ashley gave them a weird look and went to sit at the table, Damon stood by the counter awkwardly. "How was your day at the Walkings home?" Sharon asked them cheerfully hoping to get rid of some of the tension in the air.

The thirteen-year-old boy eyes lit up, "Amazing, they have a son the same age as me that Jonah introduced me to. We became quick friends, he showed me this cool train set that he got two years ago for his birthday."

Sharon grinned, "Samuel is a nice boy, I'm happy you two became friends." She looked over to Ashley who is looking down at her hands playing with her fingers with a blank face. "How about you Ashley, did you have fun?" 

"I have a question?" The girl said looking up at her with a serious face. 

"Ashley?" Damon warned.

"No, Damon I need answers, no, actually I want answers." 

Sharon chuckled nervously, "And what are you asking, dear?" 

Ashley turns her full attention to the red head who hasn't said a word. Ashley tilts her head slightly, "Why Veronica?"

Veronica eyes shot up and stared at the eleven-year-old, "Why what?" She asked even though she already has a clear idea of what she's asking.

Ashley stands up and walked closer to Veronica making the taller girl step back. Ashley eyes squint a little looking up at her, "I know red heads are stereo typed as hot headed, but you don't need to prove it true and I'm not trying mean or rude. The amount of disrespect you've given to Robert, the nice man who adopted us was unacceptable."

Everyone in the kitchen was shocked, Sharon was shocked because Ashley looked like a pretty shy and quiet girl, Damon was shocked because he never seen her like this before even when she was really upset, Veronica known Ashley to be a follower most of the time she only spoke out if the situation super serious. 

Veronica searched Ashley eyes to see if she regretted any of what she said and she saw none. Tears started to build up in her eyes, "H-he didn't want me Ashley, he only wanted you and Damon. He only agreed to adopt me too because Sharon wanted him to." Everyone watched tears spilt out her eyes.

"Maybe there's a reason for that." Ashley shrugged the serious look not leaving her face. "I'm sorry, Ashley you don't really give off a welcoming feeling. Robert must have felt how closed off you are, and you were going to be trouble. How do you expect him to want you when you were giving him that feeling, and you ended up proving him right?" She continued when she got no answer.

"Just like how Robert felt something, Sharon also felt something about you and wanted to give you a chance and what did you do? You were being difficult and in a fight with him!" 

At least point Veronica was completely sobbing and full of sniffles. Sharon gave Ashley a disapproving look when she raised her voice at the already broken girl. Sharon went to give Veronica a hug and said, "I think you made your point, Ashley."

All Ashley did was stared at the woman and then said, "I think so too." She turned around and makes her way out of the kitchen. Damon watched Sharon comfort Veronica and he slowly back his way out the kitchen ran after Ashley who is like a real sister to him.

He walks out the house and sees her sitting on the grass looking at the sky. He sits down next to her and nudges her shoulder, "You good?"

"I might be eleven, but I know if I see something that isn't right." The dark skin girl turns to look at him, "And what she did wasn't right. I know she hasn't had it easy, none of us had it easy. All we ever wanted was a nice family... and we have that, so why is she treating the man who adopted us terribly?"

"I don't know Ash but do want to know what I do know?" Ashley looked at him waiting for him to continue, "I know that Veronica's in a dark time at this stage of her life and what you did probably didn't help." Ashley took in what he said causing her eyes to widen, "I-I shouldn't have said all that to her." She frowned, Ashley realized she shouldn't have said all that to Veronica the way she did.

Damon hugged her and the two pulled away when they heard footsteps. Looking up they see Robert smiling down at them holding two boxes of pizza. "Hey, anyone want pizza?"

The two grinned and stood up running back in the house they heard Robert laughing while following behind them. Sharon puts the muffins on the kitchen counter with a mittens on, she smiled when her husband entered the kitchen.

"Pizza, anyone?" 

She skipped over giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Great, now I don't need to make dinner." She giggled and grabbed the boxes putting them on the table. She goes to grab some paper plates and sets the plates on the counter. Robert opens the box and picks up a slice peperoni pizza and takes a bite. Sharon laughed, "Here you go sweetie." She puts a slice on the girl's plate. Everyone sits at the table eating and Robert engage Damon in a conversation.

Ashley is sitting across from Veronica glancing up at her she whispered, "Veronica, I'm sorry."

Veronica looked at Ashley, "Don't apologize." 

The eleven-year-old looked at her confused.

"You were right, I realized how ungrateful I have been. I should be the one to apologize to everyone for my actions." The others were listening to what Veronica said and the twelve-year-old girl looked at Robert, "Robert, I'm sorry for the way I acted." She sincerely apologized surprising the everyone.

Robert smiled, glancing at his wife and looked back at the girl and nodded, "Thank you, Veronica, I hope we'll get along in the future."

Veronica smiled nodding her head agreeing and continued to eat her slice of pizza. Sharon stared at her husband and oldest adopted daughter lovingly. Damon and Ashley looked at each other and Damon made a silly face making the younger girl shake her head in amusement.

Ashley takes another bite out of her now cold pizza thinking to herself.

'I pray that Veronica gets healed internally.'

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Thoughts?

NKJV

Proverbs 3 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
                        Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
                        It will be health to your flesh,
                        And strength to your bones.