“You’re adopted, Heloise. You and Bradley are not cousins."
No, no, no, hell to the no. It couldn’t be true, that was just impossible! I mean, my mom could be kinda crazy sometimes but she wouldn’t hide something so big from me. She wouldn’t, would she?
Oh, God.
“What?!” I squealed, surprised.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Lynn frowned, taking my hands in hers.
“Yeah, I heard you, but I heard you saying rubbish! That cannot be true!”
“Heloise, it is true, whether you like it or not!”
“Can you explain me something then?” I untangled my hands from hers and started walking around, needing to move. “Why would my mom react like that to me and Bradley if we’re not even related?”
“Honey, you have to understand that if she didn’t tell you about this yet, it clearly means that she doesn’t want you to know. She was scared you would end up finding out if you stayed back in England.” Lynn talked slowly. Probably afraid of me, which she should be.
“No, I refuse to believe it. That’s just freaking insane!”
“You prefer to think of Brad as your cousin then.”
I stopped in my tracks, turning on my feet to face Lynn.
“Are you seriously asking me that?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Of course I don’t prefer to think of Brad as my cousin! But that doesn’t mean you’re right!”
“Heloise! Do you want me to call Norah? Cause I can call her right now!” Lynn started to go through her purse and I felt panic hitting the pit of my stomach.
“NO! I don’t… I don’t want to talk to her… quite a lot.” my voice was barely audible and I sat down.
“You realize that you have to do it sooner or later.”
“Yes, I do. But I’m scared! I’m 17, and I was stupid enough to let this happen. And now you come and say that I’m freaking adopted!”
“I’m sorry, I thought I’d make you feel better.” Lynn played with her fingers and I smiled.
“If it’s actually true, you did, auntie. It means I’m not a sinner or whatever the hell everyone considered me to be.”
She laughed and squeezed my hand.
“But… Just one more thing. Who else knows about the whole adopted situation?”
“Only me and Megan.”
“Wow. Mom really did hide it, huh? Not even grands?”
“No, not even her. Your mom didn’t talk to her for a good amount of time so it was easy to fake a pregnancy and everything.”
“It really is real what you’re saying, isn’t it?” my heart was sinking in with the sad realization.
“Heloise, why would I be lying?”
*
2 weeks later
“Andy, will you stop bothering me?” I whined, pushing him away.
“C’mon, Heloise, you have call your mom! She will find out about this one way or another!” he rolled his eyes, sighing as I shook my head.
I had told him about everything a week earlier, and he was surprisingly supportive. I was more than happy that he wasn’t freaked out, cause even though I went to school and talked to other people there, Andy was my “best friend”. He’d been trying to get me talking to my mom, but I wasn’t too keen on the idea.
