The dragonflies tattoist - Freenbecky ☆𝆬

Chapter 4

"Are you and Freen going to a party today?" Milika asked Eve while spooning cereal into little Kraam's mouth and rushing to flip the pancakes for her other kids.

The dining room was small, with only six chairs for thirteen people, but that didn't bother Freen. Eating while standing didn't trouble her, nor did constantly moving so her adoptive mother could navigate around the table. She had a family, and that was all that really mattered to her.

"Yes," Eve nodded, taking out one of her earbuds. Malee, sitting beside her, was using the other earbud, likely listening to a Beyoncé song. "Jan and Malee decided to stay and watch Father Jack's service."

"Father Jack is amazing," Jan murmured from her spot on the floor, finishing her prayer before finally taking a huge bite of pancakes. It was incredible how much that small body could consume.

"I suppose you're going with Nela," Milika guessed.

"That's right," Eve confirmed with a smile. The boy might not be the most handsome, but he made Eve happy, and that was all that mattered. "And who are you going with, Freen?"

"I'm going with Austin," Freen answered after swallowing a huge bite of pancakes. "...which terrifies me because he's so flamboyantly gay he might just show up in a pink dress."

"I thought you were going with that girl from the restaurant," Somchai murmured from behind his newspaper.

Freen felt her cheeks burn as all ten of her siblings and Milika turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

"How... how do you know about that?" she stammered.

"I was having a meeting with my boss at the back table. I'm pretty sure you didn't see me... You were too busy staring at that panda painting... and that girl."

"Why didn't you tell me, Freen?!" Eve shouted.

"It was just lunch," Freen responded quickly. "It wasn't anything important."

The truth was, it had been important, but telling her sisters would mean they'd force her to call Rebecca Armstrong.

"It didn't seem like 'just lunch,' Freen. You looked pretty entertained." 

"Thanks, Somchai."

"Is she pretty?" Milika asked, trying not to sound too nosy.

Did they support her sexuality? Absolutely. They loved her. They loved everything about her, from the way she ate quickly to her soft snores at night. They loved her more than her biological parents ever had.

"A little," she admitted. She couldn't lie. "You should see her eyes. They're incredible."

"Maybe you should introduce her to us," May suggested sweetly. There was no curiosity like in her adoptive parents and siblings, nor anger like in Eve, just a deep desire to see Freen happy.

And that was her little biological sister, always making her smile. If there was one thing she was grateful to Milika and Somchai for, more than adopting her, it was not separating her from her little sister, the only good thing her biological parents, Sinuhe and Anan, had given her.

"We just had sushi! It's not a big deal!"

"Of course, it is! She even paid for you!"

"How come my dad knows more about your date than I do, Freen? Don't you love me?" Eve, always so dramatic.

"Fine. I'll tell everyone so Malee won't blackmail me with that baby photo of my butt and Jan won't make me talk to her in secret confession," Freen relented, frustrated.

"That's not fair! Then they'll know too!"

"Take it or leave it."

"Fine," Eve huffed.