Lovenapped

Surprises

Raj

This is just bullshit. Why are her parents acting like they suddenly care about her? She's been officially missing for two months and yet they didn't seem to notice. There were no phone calls from university, no posts on social media, no sporadically trips back home to let them know she was okay. Leyla literally got wiped off the face of the Earth yet they didn't seem to notice. So how can they stand here on the street judging us, judging me-someone who has done nothing but try to reconcile my mistakes and love Leyla the way she should be loved.

"Are you being serious?" I repeat my question trying to keep my voice even, trying my hardest not to let my overprotection appear through aggression like it always does. I just don't know what it is about Leyla but I've never felt more complete, more loved, more appreciative than when she told me she loves me. It's like I was supposed to kidnap her for the wrong reason, because maybe if I had left her roaming the streets then Amaan would have kidnapped her and then who knows where she would be now... Dead?

"I'm sorry but I'm Leyla's father," her 'pa' says puffing his chest out like a teenage boy trying to act harder than they actually are, "come on Leyla let's go home." He reaches his hand out to grab hers but she stumbles backwards. I look back keeping my fingers gripped with hers. She has silent tears slowly tracing her cheeks as she looks bewildered by what is coming out of her 'pa's' mouth. He doesn't see her for two months then instructs her to go 'home'. Her home is with me now, someone who would do anything to find her if she went missing, someone who would kill for her, has killed for her. Leyla deserves parents who are much better than these idiots standing in front of us.

"She's not going anywhere with you people," I spit feeling rage bubbling in my stomach. If I'm not careful I might do something stupid like actually attack this man. The funny thing is the only reason Leyla is crying is because she thinks her parents don't love her, but they aren't even her real parents. This is probably why they don't give a fuck that she was missing. They were probably glad to have their hands washed of her.

"And you are?" Her ma says exasperated, "we're her parents and she is coming with us." Her 'ma' steps forward using her arm to create a barricade between me and Leyla, pushing her forearm against my chest hoping to break mine and Leyla's entwined fingers.

"Her parents?" I snort regretting it. Her 'ma' stops trying to force us apart and looks at me complete hatred in her eyes. I just stare back wanting so much to pop her fantasy bubble she is living in. Does she really think that just because you feed a child, give them water, give them shelter that that makes you a good parent? It's all about the little things. The little treats like taking them to the sweetshop on a Friday afterschool, taking them to the cinema to see the film they've been on about for months, making their favourite meal on their birthday, holding them when they cry.

"What are you insinuating?" Her 'ma' whispers through gritted teeth. I can tell from her eyes that she knows about the adoption. It's not my place to tell Leyla though, it should come straight from the horse's mouth.

"I think you know exactly what I'm insinuating," I smirk, "you haven't heard from Leyla in two months and you don't think anything of it. You don't call her, don't try to see her, don't care about her. She could have been dead for all you knew yet you didn't even call the police to report her as missing because that's what she was... Missing. But you would know that if you cared, if you loved her, if you were anything like a parent." The words hit Leyla's 'parents' like bullets, each word causing as much damage as the next. I can't stand to see them pretending to be something they're clearly not. It may hurt Leyla to know that they aren't her real parents but it would hurt her more to continue the lie that they are. Nobodies biological parents would treat their child like this. I know that kids get put up for adoption and foster care but that's because it's the best thing for the child, and because their parents love them enough not to fuck them up. You just don't expect those people who look after broken children to be the ones to fuck them up.