Beneath the Surface (On Hold)

Chapter 5

I'm going to be honest, I couldn't breath for a few seconds after I heard the news. I could barely get any words out.

"R-really?" I managed to choke out.

"Yes, really," Donald said with a smile, "we checked your records and while they're not great, your grades are amazing. We've also seen your standardized test scores and talked to the administrators for the tests. They've told us that your scores are the highest that they've seen in eyes. Olivia also told us that you're great with children which is good because we have a five year old and a two year old at home. But we think you'll fit in well." He said.

Olivia had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, "Alright, well I'll take you into my office and we can fill out the paperwork and decide on the details." She said standing up, Donald and Claudia following Olivia's lead.

"Lexi, you don't have to come. This could Take a while. Will you start dinner?" She asked me as they headed towards her office.

"Yeah I will." I said nodding and getting up from my chair.

I walked into the kitchen to fun Jacob sitting at the table with Alisha in his lap and Mark and Dennis sitting in the chairs next to him, all three of the little kids eating apple slices.

"Hey what happened?" Jacob asked me as I sat down in a chair. Dennis climbed into my lap.

"They said they want to adopt me." I said taking and apple slice off of the plate and biting into it.

"Lexi that's amazing!" Jacob said with a smile, "I would hug you but we're both a little occupied at the moment." He said and I laughed.

"You're leaving?" Alisha asked from he spot on Jacobs lap. She looked close to tears.

"Oh Alisha don't cry." I said taking Dennis off my lap and picking up Alisha.

"I don't want you to go." Alisha said, a year trickling down her cheek.

"I know. But I promise i'll cone and visit whenever I get the chance." I said to her.

"You make me think of mommy and I you go, I won't remember her." Alisha said.

That was when I thought that was going to start crying.

"You know what," I said looking her in the eye, "I'm not gone yet. So why don't you help me make dinner tonight?" I asked her.

"Okay." She said sniffling and wiping away her tears.

So we started making dinner. Alisha and Jacob helped me make chicken and vegetable stir-fry.

Just as I finished making dinner, Olivia came into the kitchen. She looked happy, but also heartbroken.

"The Connolly's said that they'll come to pick you up in a week. They also told me that you won't have to transfer schools since they live in the house on Jefferson Ave." Olivia said.

I merely nodded, sad, knowing that I only had a week left in in the place that I had grown up in. The place I called home.

So for the rest of the week I spent as much time as possible with everyone in the orphanage. I babysat the twins for a combined time of six hours (the longest of my life), I played board games with Mark for about three hours, and Olivia insisted on taking me shopping on last time since in a week I would be, as she out it, leaving her forever. Jacob and I agreed that we would find more information on Reginald Pierce another day since u had to start preparing for the move.

Before I member it, the week was up and the Connolly's were here to pick me up.

"Alright, you behave okay?" Olivia told me, her voice cracking.