Unopened Letters//Adopted by Lin-Manuel Miranda//Book One

11_Foster Home Number Six

April25, 2016

I'm cold. My head hurts. I haven eaten in six days. Somebody smiles at me. I just nod. A coughing fit starts. Blood comes out and onto my hand. I turn to the person who has now stopped. After coughing a bit more, I black out.

~~~

I wake up in the hospital. A woman sits next to me. I recognize her. "Melanie Rodriguez?" I ask. She nods.

"Naomi. You poor thing. Do you need anything?"

"A home." I answer.

A week later, I'm discharged and move in with Melanie. For a while, everything goes well. Then, I hear she and her husband talking.

July 1, 2016

"Honey, I know you love Naomi, but I just lost my job. I love her too. You know that. But we can't afford a child right now. Let alone a teenager. We just can't. She needs parents who can afford clothes and food. She deserves it." He says.

"I know! But I love Naomi more than I've loved anyone else, Jim! I don't want to give her up! You'll find another job, we'll get by. Please!" Melanie was crying. I could tell.

"Okay. We'll give it a month." Jim tells her. I wipe away a tear of my own. "If I haven't got a job by then, she has to go...I just want the best for her." I know he was telling the truth. But I am not gonna go back to the orphanage. Not with Darla. No. Jim has to get a job. He just has to.

"Okay. Do we tell her?"

"Yeah." Jim says and I feel tears coming. I run back to my room. Soon after, I hear a knock. I look up and see Melanie. She is crying, causing me to cry as well.

"I heard everything Melanie." I tell her and she sits with me.

"I am so sorry, Naomi. I really do love you. In my heart, you will always be my daughter." She hugs me as we both cry, our bodies shaking. "I love you baby girl."

"Will you help me write a letter to Lin?"

"Do you want to ask him to help you again?" I nod. "I hope he will. You need it. Okay? I want you to be happy. I love you and I want the best for you. Okay?"

"Thank you Melanie. I love you too." We both continue to cry and hug each other. "I don't want to go anywhere!"

"I don't want you to go either." The only way I know that I don't want to go is the way Jim and Melanie make me feel. They treat me like I'm their daughter. And as if I am their flesh and blood.

"Hey, I heard crying." Jim said, his voice wavering. "We love you baby girl. You are my child no matter what Naomi. Even if you have to leave us, we'll always love you."

"I know."

August 7, 2016

"Still no job?" I ask Jim and he shakes his head. "Does that mean I have to leave?"

"I'm sorry. Yeah." I let tears fall. "Why don't you send that letter to Lin? I love you pumpkin."

"Okay."

I go to my room and look at the letter. "You gonna send that letter?" Melanie asks. "It's okay love. You don't have to be afraid. But you also don't have to be brave."

"I'm gonna send it."

"I have something for you." Melanie hands me an iPhone. "No matter what, I will pay for this phone. Because I see you as my daughter and always will."

"Thank you Melanie."