The Star Goddess (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter Six: EDITED

We finished looking around the house about an hour later. Cole and I headed out towards the car when Cole spoke again.

"So, how was the tour?" Cole asked.

"It was amazing. The house is incredible but even more so, you feel like family already," I said sheepishly, hoping he would take my bluntness well.

"I'm glad. I already feel as if you're my daughter, as well," Cole said with a smile as he opened the car door for me. "How does ice cream sound before we head back to the group home?"

"Hell, yeah!" I shouted excitedly, as I wrapped my seatbelt around my body as quickly as possible. Cole laughed at my eagerness and he got in the car.

The drive back into town seemed much quicker than the drive to Cole's house. I was so excited that Cole felt about me the same way I felt about him. It's so rare that teenagers get adopted so for him to fill in the role of a father for me after only one day, it meant so much to me. More than he could ever really know. As we pulled into the Dairy Queen that was right around the corner from the orphanage, my mind drifted back off to the conversation I had overheard earlier.

I was so curious and I was dying to ask Cole, but I did know he was planning on telling me whatever it was on Saturday so I tried to shut my mind off and just relax, but the thoughts wouldn't stop coming so I reached over and turned the radio on, The Sound of Silence by Disturbed coming on. I sang along to the soft music, losing myself in the music instead of my thoughts. However, Cole's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Wow, Stella. You have one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard," Cole said, staring at me with wide eyes. I just shrugged lightly in response.

"You heard me sing earlier, Cole," I giggled a little.

"Yea but we were messing around earlier. When you're trying, your voice is angelic. Have you ever thought about pursuing a career in music?" Cole asked me.

"Not really. I don't really think I'm anything special. The most I do is sing some of the little ones to sleep at the orphanage," I brushed off the compliment gently.

"That's a noble thing for you to do, but don't you ever doubt how special you are," Cole said with a stern but loving look. I nodded and hummed in response as he pulled up to the order screen. "Now, what would you like, sweetpea?"

We ordered our ice cream and sat in the parking lot as we ate. I got a mint blizzard and Cole got a snickers blizzard. We finished our snack all too soon and we were back on the road in hardly any time at all. I could see the group home right around the corner and I shrunk down in my seat, hating the idea of having to go back. Cole chuckled at my reaction to seeing the orphanage.

'Look, the week will go by fast. I promise," Cole said earnestly as he laced my fingers with his own, holding my hand in such a loving, fatherly manner and I relished in the sensation.

"Alright, if you say so," I respond with a small smile. Cole parked the car in the lot and as if on cue, Tara and Ms. Jean both came out of the front door of the group home, waving excitedly. Tara looked so happy to see me but her face melted when she saw Cole, as her eyes lit up even more, shining as bright as stars.

The overwhelming, pure love they had for each other made my own heart melt. They are seriously goals for relationships, I thought to myself with a small smile as I watched them together. Tara rushed over to Cole and jumped slightly as she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. Cole easily caught her and spun her around, while her knees were bent and it sent her feet flying around. It looked like it was a scene straight out of a romance movie. I giggled softly and sighed at their cuteness, excited for the day I found someone to love as much as Cole and Tara loved each other.

"How long have you two been together?" I asked as I approached the adorable couple.

"We started dating when we were eighteen and got married at twenty-two," Tara answered me with a big smile.

Wow, that's amazing. I thought to myself. They were thirty-eight now so that was twenty years. Twenty years and there was still so much love. They were so cute and their love was so beautiful, I didn't even realize that a couple of tears started streaming down my face. Tara looked at me with great concern, and rushed over to me. She hugged me tightly and I wrapped my arms back around her as well.

"Awww, sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Tara asked as she pulled away, wiping some of the tears from my face for me. I sniffled and scrubbed the rest of my tears away and giggled. Tara and Cole shared an equally concerned look with each other when I laughed.

"No, I'm ok. You guys are just so cute and your love is so beautiful. It just melted my heart a lot and made me cry a little," I said again with a giggle. Tara and Cole looked at me with shocked faces, then shared a glance with each other and broke out laughing.

We all just stood there, laughing like idiots while hugging each other because of my overly emotional self. Tara hugged me tightly and Cole ruffled my hair, just like a father would. After a few minutes, Ms. Jean announced that it was near curfew. I didn't want to say goodbye, but we had to. Tara grabbed my hands in a dramatic gesture before speaking.

"Gahhhh, I wish we didn't have to wait until Friday. I wish you could just move in with us now!" Tara exclaimed. I giggled as I hugged her again.

"The feeling is mutual. Stupid formalities," I laughed with Tara.

Cole came up to me next and wrapped me up in a big warm hug. I buried my face in his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist as he held one hand on the back of my head, petting my hair, and the other hand on my back. I felt like I had already gotten so close to Cole, even though in reality it had only been a few hours. I also thought I bonded with him easier because I have only ever really known a father's love. Having a mother would be a completely foreign experience. I've never really had a woman in my life to fill any sort of parental role except for Ms. Jean, and even that was only relatively recently. Cole pulled away from the hug, still holding one hand on my head, petting my hair still.

"I promise we will come visit you, sweetpea. Every day from now until Friday when we get to bring you home," Cole said with a big smile as he kissed my forehead. Cole then looked at Tara with a sullen look. "I guess we gotta get going, babe."

Tara nodded and let Cole guide her to the car and they both hollered out one last goodbye, which I returned before they took off out of the parking lot. I waved at their car until they were no longer in sight. Ms. Jean came up behind me and gave me a huge hug.

"I'm so happy for you sweetheart. You finally get to have a forever family," Ms. Jean says with tears in her eyes.

"I know. I thought for sure I'd end up alone once I turned eighteen," I said as I recall my prior way of thinking.

"Although, I am a little jealous. Who's gonna sing the rest of my babies to sleep? They'll have nightmares if I sing," Ms. Jean barked out a laugh and I joined her.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely come back and visit. I can't just leave all my foster brothers and sisters behind. We are family," I said softly as Ms. Jean and I headed back inside the building.