Adopted

Chapter 9

                Vanitas had managed to fix Ven’s nose or at least make it look like it was fixed. It still felt very sore every time he scrunched his face. He was almost home anyway.

                “NO! I SAID HE’S OURS! WE CARED FOR HIM AND YOU THINK YOU CAN COME HERE AND DEMAND THINGS LIKE THAT?” an undoubtedly fuming Aqua yelled.

                Ven crouched underneath the window, careful not to trample on his mom’s freshly planted roses. He heard another voice inside, quieter but sounded like it was losing patience.

                “WE DON’T CARE ABOUT WHO YOU ARE!”

                The front door suddenly opened and Ven retreated into the shadows trying hard not to be seen. A woman, dressed in green with blonde hair that went down to her shoulders stared at the home, “Aqua I know it seems sudden but please at least let us explain to him. Give us a chance to meet him just for a little closure; please.” A boy, who seemed to be older than Ven but had remarkable similar features stood beside her.

                Aqua stepped outside and stared the woman straight in the eye, “You stay away from my son.”

                Ventus gasped softly, who would want to take him away from Aqua and Terra? Was it Ms. Kiki back at the orphanage? Or were these more friends of his horrible dad’s? That thought made him shudder.

                “Mrs. Hikari we’re not taking Ventus away from you,” the blonde boy finally spoke, “We just want a chance to see him.”

                “Yes…Aqua you’ve raised the boy into whatever good young man he is today! I can’t change that, he is yours. Just please…let me meet him. I’m desperate.” She suddenly did something surprising, she kneeled in front of Aqua and clasped her hands.

                His mom sighed, she kneeled down and helped the blonde lady up, “Fine, but Terra and I want to be the ones to do it. We’ve cared for him since they took him away from that horrible home; the least you can do is let us end our relationship with him in our own time.”

                “I promise you that won’t happen. Thank you Aqua, this is all I could ask for.”

                “Whatever, but please don’t tell that boy of yours about any of this. He probably will blurt something out to Ven.”

                “We trust our son, you have to trust yours. Although we will honor your request and not mention a word to Roxas.”

                Ven gasped, this was Roxas’s mom. What did she want with him and his family.

                The two walked back to their car as Aqua sighed and sat on the front steps, her head in her hands. She wasn’t crying, just tired; tired of the fighting. Ven quietly snuck to the end of the street before walking back home pretending like he didn’t hear a thing, “Hey Aqua! Err- what’s wrong?”

                The blue haired woman suddenly looked up, she flashed an obvious fake smile, “Hey Ven! Oh nothing I’m fine. Come on let’s get inside.”

                “So… did you have guests?” he asked nonchalantly, glancing at the plates and glasses.

                Aqua smiled, “Yeah I did. An old college friend of mine,” she was lying, “But sit…I think there’s some cake left over.”

                Ventus complied as he was brought a slice of red velvet cake layered with white icing, he reluctantly took the fork and slowly began eating the delectable dessert, “This is good…I didn’t think you could bake like this, Aqua.”

                Aqua sat next to him and began thumping on the table quietly with her fingers, “What? Oh yeah I didn’t make it,” she chuckled awkwardly, “The friend brought it over.”

                “Oh…what was this friend’s name?”

                “Umm you wouldn’t know her…I’m going to do some laundry so yeah go ahead with your homework!” She excused herself and made a quick escape out of the room. As soon as her footsteps faded he left his dessert and began searching for anything that would tell him who this mystery lady was.

                He felt a hand on his shoulder, “What are you looking for buddy?”

                He turned, “Oh hey Terra I just dropped a pencil. Don’t worry.”

                His surrogate father nodded, “Okay…forget the pencil I brought pizza and a movie! We haven’t had a family movie night in a long time!”

                Ventus opened his mouth to refuse but quickly changed his mind, this might work to his favor, “Alright I’ll head over, let me just finish this worksheet.”

                “Let me.”

                “I just don’t know that if I do you’ll ever come back!”

                “Mom…I want to fight for our country. I can’t promise I’ll come back, it makes me sick to my stomach that I can’t promise that, but I need to be there when it all comes down.”

                Terra had fallen asleep halfway though and he was quietly snoring leaning slightly on a sobbing Aqua. Ven was sitting on the floor between her legs snacking on a bowl of popcorn, and though his eyes were fixated on the screen his mind was countries away. In a way he could relate to the character’s problem. He was in the same situation as he was in right now.

                Suddenly the main character hugged his mother tightly to him before departing for war…Ven felt needed to say something.

                “Hey Mom.”

                “Ye-yeah?”

                “You know I’ll always love you and dad, right?”

                No answer.

                “Mom I-”

                Aqua suddenly hugged her boy to her, “Ven…Ven…you’ll always be our little boy right? No matter what?”

                Ventus nodded.

                “Well…I guess me and Terra have to tell you something.”