Forget Me Not (Klance)

Chapter 26, Story

"Why?" She asked me.

"What do you mean why" I giggled.

"You saw my file, why are you still here" She rolled her eyes.

"Because I care" I said seriously, "And, frankly, I kinda want a daughter like you" I smiled.

She looked around the table and sighed, "I'm not good at bonding" She said.

"Well, I know what always opens me up" I pulled up some bags.

"What?"

"Gummy worms" I handed her a bag.

She stared a little at the bag, "This isn't a joke right?" She coughed. "Are you doing this because you feel bad for me?" She asked.

I paused, "No, I'm not, look..." I ate a red and yellow gummy worm. "I'm not here because of your past, or what happened to you, I just want to know you, what you like, your hobbies, your past shouldn't define you, you're a person beyond that-"

She stared at me, "That's not what other adopters said"

"I know it's hard to see yourself as a person when your problems are being shoved down your throat, but-" I chewed. "You should never loose sight of who you are because of something that happened to you"

"I don't even know who I am" She sighed sadly.

"Well, you like gummy worms right?" I smirked.

"Yeah, who doesn't?" She opened the bag.

"Vegans" I joked.

"Animal bones" She said, "Taste pretty good to me" She lightly sarcastically laughed.

"Don't tell that to Lance's sister Veronica" I whispered.

"Is she a vegan?"

"Yeah" I laughed.

"Could be worse" She giggled.

"What?"

"Your husband could be vegan"

"He likes pork too much to give it up" I snickered. "You know, for a 7 year old, you talk pretty old for your age"

"I watch a lot of documentaries, and older movies so... I've just learned what adults talk like" She shrugged.

"Ahh... Guessing they don't let you watch TV with the other kids"

"They don't want me exposing kids, or whatever" She scoffed, stuffing her face with gummy worms.

"That's bullshit" I said, and realized, "Crap, sorry for my language-"

"It's fine, not like I lived in a whores house before" She joked. "Where she cussed every two seconds"

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't joke like that..." I looked down.

She suddenly turned worried, "I didn't mean-" She looked away.

"What happened to you is not okay" I grabbed her hand, "It will never be okay, so please, don't joke about it like it was" I sighed.

She pulled away her hand, "Stop trying to act like you know me!" She snapped.

"I'm not" I reassured her.

"Yes you are!" She yelled, slumping when she realized her change in voice, "You don't even know what it's like to be treated the way I was-" She cried. "My mom she just- she just let them do whatever because she needed the money for her drugs-"

I paused, breathing softly, I nedded to calm down, "I have something for you" I mumbled.

"What?" She cracked.