Moonlit Awakening

Chapter 19

Alice

A few days afterwards, Alice, Ember, and Liam are on their way to Alexander's foster family's house. "Alice," he whispers, "are you okay?"

"Y...yes," she mumbles, "I'm scared."

"Shh, I'll be right there beside you, okay?"

"So will I," Ember encourages her.

Eventually they arrive at the house. Liam helps her out of the car and into the house. Inside, there's a middle aged couple, Alexander is hidden behind them.

Alice's expression falters when she sees the judgemental stares of Alexander's foster parents. "H...hello," she whispers.

"Hello," the middle aged woman answers, "you must be Alexander's birth mother. I am Susan and this is my husband Robert."

"Y...yes, I am." Her eyes linger on Alexander, uncertainty. "I...I'm sorry."

Robert and Susan look surprised. "For what?"

"I know you think it's strange of me to s...suddenly appear in Alexander's life five years after he was born. It...it wasn't my decision to give him up."

"Then whose decision was it?"

"It was our parents," Ember replies, "they ripped him away from her before she could even meet him."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ember, Alice's older sister."

"You named him though, didn't you?" Robert asks.

"Yes, a very kind doctor helped me fill out his birth certificate before my parents took him away from me."

"What are you hoping to achieve with this meeting?"

Alice looks flustered. "W...well, I was hoping...maybe I could get custody of him again."

Susan and Robert look at each other worriedly before kneeling down and speaking to Alexander. "Alexander," Susan asks, "do you want to meet someone new?"

He looks warily at the strangers in the room. "Who are they?" he whispers.

"Do you remember when we told you that mommies and daddies make babies?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Alice is your mommy and she loves you very much."

His eyes widen with curiosity and confusion, his little brows furrow slightly as he tries to understand what this means. "I have two mommies?" he asks, tilting his head, trying to understand this new concept.

"Yes," Susan responds, "you have two mommies."

"Does my other mommy like cotton candy ice cream too?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask her?"

Alexander walks over to Alice, still a bit wary of her. "Do you like cotton candy ice cream too?" he asks.

Alice seems puzzled by his question. "I've...I've never had ice cream before," she whispers.

His eyes widen again and he runs back to Susan. "Mommy! Mommy! Can we have ice cream now, so my other mommy can try it?"

Susan laughs. "Alright, you stay here. I'll be right back with ice cream." She leaves the room.

Alexander wanders back over to Alice. "Mommy? Will I live with you now?"

Alice becomes flustered. "W...well, um...do...do you want to live with me?"

"Yeah, I want to live with mommy!" She looks anxiously at his foster father, unable to answer him fully. Susan comes back into the room with ice cream. Alexander brings a bowl over to Alice. "Mommy, try it!"