Just Breathe - Adopted by Mandy Gonzalez - COMPLETED

9 - Arguements

"WHAT THE HELL DOUGLAS MELINI!" I heard coming from where I had run away from. "How could you forget your daughters 17th birthday. She may be adopted but she's still our daughter. You have to think of some serious way of apologising to her."

"I barely know her Mandy. She's been here for half a month, I've had Maribelle her whole life. How do you expect me to remember her birthday, if this is the first time celebrating it." I broke down even more. I thought Douglas knew me well. I told him so much about me, yes, I told Mandy everything, but I still told him a lot. There was more shouting but I couldn't make it out because I was crying too much. I heard the door fumble, "she's locked herself in." Doug called. A few moments later he was then beside me. I should have locked the bathroom door as well! "Hey sweetie, I'm so sorry abo..."

"Just go away." I rolled over to face the wall.

"Becky, sweetie. I'm sorry I forgot. I've been so busy recently and..."

"Busy... look at Mandy, she's been doing 8 shows a week and been helping me settle in. She's done so much, she been working on album songs and taking Maribelle to and from school. She still remembers it's my fucking birthday. She made us incredible crepes and pancakes and you just slept, forgetting all about me. So go away I don't wanna talk anymore."

"I'm sorry. I was working on something..."

"GO AWAY DOUGLAS." I screamed, hurting my throat. He unlocks my door and walks out.

"She's being a stroppy teenager. And won't let me talk." Doug said once out the room. "I knew adopting her would be a mistake."

"Adopting Becky was not a mistake. She's wonderful, kind, loving, talented and so much more than just a fan. She's an incredible daughter and I love her to bits. She's not being stroppy, you've just really upset her. I'll go talk to her a bit." I hear the door open and feel my mattress sink a little. "Hey sweetheart. You okay?" She places her hand on my shoulder and gently rubs it.

"No," I say quietly. Tears still falling out my eyes.

"I know your dad's being a bit of a bitch and I'm really pissed off at him for not remembering your special day. If you would just talk to him please, that will help make everything better. Then you can open your presents."

"But he doesn't like me. He still wants me to go back to the orphanage."

"No he doesn't Becky. Trust me honey." I feel her wrap her arms around me, hugging me from behind. I turn back over and hug her back, tightly. My tears dripping into her shirt. "It's okay honey, Respira." I took a deep breath and calmed myself down to stop crying. She wiped my tears away and smiled at me. "I love you Becky."

"I love you too Mandy, you're the best squad mom and mom in the world." She kisses my forehead as her husband walks back in.

"Becky, please don't shout at me. I just wanted to explain that, why your birthday wasn't on my mind was because I've been working on something for you for Christmas. That's why I forgot. I have something big planned for you and Mari. After you girls have gone to bed I've been sketching until the early hours of the morning for you." He walked over and rested his hand on my shoulder and began stroking it.

"Oh." I said simply. "It's just my birthday has always been the biggest day of the year for me. When you don't have a family a birthday is bigger than Christmas because it's a day about you. Where as Christmas is about spending time with family that you don't have. When in a home it's miserable. That why it really hurt that you didn't remember. It's always been the biggest day of the year for me. I just have to get used to the fact something I've grown up with in an orphanage isn't such a big deal in the outside world." I sat upright with a parent on either side of me.

"Your Birthday is a big deal honey. And it's my fault I forgot, it really is all we've talked about and I'm genuinely so sorry. If you could just forgive me that would be great and we can continue celebrating you're birthday as a family. And I think Mandy has a special surprise for you." She nodded at me.

"Okay. You said something about presents, you didn't have to get me anything. You gave me $1000 for my room so you really didn't have to get me anything else."

"But we wanted to." Mandy said standing up. "Let's go to the couch in the living room." I stood up, followed by Doug and we headed to the living room grabbing Maribelle on the way.