Growing Up

Chapter 17

Mariska laid beside her daughter and caressed her hair as she slept. She didn't see her baby anymore. She saw a very confused teenager who just wanted her life to be simple for once. Mariska didn't know that Sophia had wanted siblings until tonight, but Sophia also didn't know that Mariska had wanted at least one more kid. Someone who can be close to Sophia like she had been with her siblings.

"Mom, have you been watching me this whole time?" Sophia asked, and Mariska sighed and nodded a bit.

"Yeah, I have. I realized you don't really like a baby anymore." Mariska breathed.

"Is it because I am almost 16?" Sophia replied.

"It's because you are a confused teenager now. Honey, I'm going to get you a sibling."

"Don't kidnap one, fake detective."

"Hey, I could totally be a real detective if I had wanted to." Mariska smiled softly. She reached out and brushed her daughter's bangs out of her face.

"I love you, Mom. I'm sorry that I said I hate you."

"I can't blame you. You were pretty upset when you got home."

"I just don't want to witness my baby brother or sister be put up for adoption."

"They both may change their minds. Hopefully for the baby's sake and yours."

===

6 Months Later

"It's so... how can I describe it, Koda?" Sophia asked as she stood during her dress fitting for her sweet sixteen birthday party.

"Pink. Very pink and sparkly." Koda replied, from where she sat next to Mariska.

"Did you not want it to be pink?" The seamstress asked, and Sophia shook her head.

"I wanted it to be seafoam..." Sophia replied, and Mariska looked at her and smiled.

"You look pretty in pink though, Soph."

"Luke? Missie? What do you two think?" Sophia asked, smiling at the twins Mariska had adopted. Sophia had gone to all the meetings with the agency, and her mother and Sophia had fallen in love with the little red hair 3-year-olds.

"I think you look pwetty, sissy." Missie smiled, as Luke kinda just stared at Sophia.

"Lukey?" Sophia asked.

"You are so shiny." He spoke, and everyone laughed. Mariska pulled Luke onto her lap and kissed the back of his head.

"Do you happen to have this dress in a color closer to the one she asked for?" Mariska questioned, as Missie climbed off the bench and walked over to Sophia. 

She ran her small hand gently over the fluffy skirt of her big sister's dress.

"Can I have one like this when I'm older?" Missie asked, and Sophia leaned down and kissed the top of Missie's head and smiled.

"I bet Mommy will get you one exactly like this if you wanted. You are going to get a party one day, just like I am." Sophia spoke.

During the interviews to get the twins, there were different people who explained adoption and what was important when adopting. Sophia and Mariska listened intently because they wanted the twins to feel just as important as Sophia is. They wanted them to know that even if they were adopted, they were so loved and incredibly important to their mother and big sister.

"Soph," Mariska spoke, and Sophia looked up and away from her little sister to look at her mother.

"Yes, mother?"