Vanessa came home at three in the afternoon. I was playing with Sebastian while Lin was in the office working on something. My guess was that it was for Moana, but he had a contract not to talk about it. Vanessa came into the living room in her lawyer clothes and set down her keys on the counter.

"Where's Lin?" She asked while picking Sebastian up.

"Office," I replied simply. Vanessa nodded and sat down on the couch, exhausted.

"Bad case?" I asked.

"Stressful one," Vanessa corrected. Sebastian squirmed away from his mother and back onto the floor to play.

"Done!" exclaimed Lin from his office. Vanessa smiled and shook her head. Yup, that's who you married Vanessa Nadal.

"Hey, Lark, when's your birthday?" Vanessa asked. Not for a long time.

"January 17th, why?" I answer confused. Vanessa immediately gets excited.

"That's the day after Lin's birthday! We could have a dual birthday party!" Vanessa settled down, "I mean, if you're still here and are up to it."

I shrugged, "I guess, it's like eight months away and I've never had a real birthday party before."

"You've never had a birthday party before?" Vanessa asked in shock.

"Not really, I was born a quadruplet so everything would have to be multiplied by four and any family celebrations was made for everyone born in January and February, so I've never had a real party before," I explain. Vanessa nodded and agreed.

"What happened to your brothers, if I may ask," Vanessa inquired. I shifted nervously, this was question with a really depressing answer.

"Logan and Layton had birth complications, they lived longer than expected and got to see our eleventh birthday. Lucas got in a car accident a couple days before Thanksgiving, he died from his injuries on Thanksgiving."

"I'm so sorry, Lark," Vanessa apologized and pulled me into a hug, "I didn't know-"

"It's fine, I was eleven. It hurts, but you learn to deal with it," I explain and pull myself from her grasp.

"Is Lark sad?" little Sebastian asked, watching the older girls talk. I smile at his adorableness.

"Yeah, why don't you give me a hug," I hold my arms out and Sebastian waddles to my arms- trains in hand-where I pick him up and set him in my lap. The child then started to run his trains over my arms. Vanessa laughed at her kid's determination to play with his trains anywhere.

"I should start supper, Lin has a show at seven," Vanessa said getting to her feet.

"Lin made lunch and I made breakfast," I told her. I let go of Sebastian and went to go see Lin. I pushed open the door to see Lin staring up at the ceiling from his chair.

"You okay?" I asked, trying not to laugh at the expression on his face.

"My brain won't think, I need this song done by the end of the week and I've got a verse and the skeleton of a chorus," Lin complained. As a songwriter, I knew the struggles. I didn't have very many good pieces, but it was something I've always done. I remember Mom put my first song on her Facebook when I was six.

"Well you can't tell me it, so I can't help you. Go for a walk or something, that always helps me," I advise him.

"I thought about that," Lin looked at the time on his phone, "but I don't have enough time for that. Oh well."

Lin stood up and stretched, "I gotta keep in mind that you're a writer yourself, Lark."

I blushed, "I'm not much of a writer-"

"Have you been published in any way?" Lin cut in.

"Yes, but-"

"Then you're a writer," Lin said simply. Honestly, I really wasn't much of a writer. I had a poem published, but that was because of my eighth grade english teacher.

"V's making dinner," I purposefully change the subject.

"She's always proving my theory right," Lin said. What?

"What theory, Lin?" I inquired.

"That she's a miracle," Lin answered proudly.

I smiled brightly, "Literally ship."

Lin put his hand to his chest dramatically, "Oh no, the fangirl has corrupted my daughter!"

I laugh, but realize what he said, "What did you say Lin?"

"I-," Lin started, "I'm going to see if Nessa needs any help."

Before I could put everything together, he had left. Did he- did he see me as his daughter? I've only known him for over a week. This was crazy! My whole situation was crazy and highly improbable. This kinda stuff only happened in fanfic written by obsessed fangirls, not real life. I sighed and ran and through my hair as I exited the room.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. I unlocked the bolt and opened it to reveal a certain old lady with a particularly tight bun.

"Hi, Grace, what's going on?" I asked the woman. Did she find me another home to stay at?

"Hello Ms. Evans, may I come in?" the woman asked without answering my question. Seriously, what's going on?

"Yes, of course, come in," I open the door all the way and hold it open for my social worker, "We're making supper right now, I'm sure you can join us."

Grace waved the idea away, "No thank you, Dearie, my husband is making our dinner right now. This should only be a short visit, but I must talk to Vanessa and Lin-Manuel."

I noticed she pronounced his name wrong, but I didn't correct her.

"Okay, I'll get them," I rush past the older lady, which was probably rude, but I didn't particularly care. At the end of the hall, I turn into the kitchen. Lin and Vanessa must have been having a romantic moment as Lin had his hands on Vanessa's waist. I cough to get there attention. The couple jumped and both turned to look at me with "really" expressions.

"Mrs. Vega's here," I simply say. I turned around to meet with the older lady who had gotten herself to the couch. I sat down on the other side of the couch, away from Mrs. Vega. Lin and Vanessa soon followed.

"Hello, Mrs. Vega, how are you today?" Vanessa asked politely.

Grace waved her hand, "Oh I'm fine, but we need to talk about Ms. Evans living arrangement."

Oh crap. Was she gonna send me away. Lin must have had a similar thought, "Where are you thinking about, exactly."

Grace shook her head, "Oh, I don't get initial say, I just check backgrounds and the home and then sign the paperwork. The person with the most say in the room is Ms. Evans."

Lin and Vanessa looked over at me and the back to Grace.

"So," Grace started. She reached in her bag and pulled out a paper, "I went through the backgrounds of your closest kin and wrote down the ones that passed inspection. Let's see, there's Darrell and Sally Evans-"

"No," I say quickly.

Grace looks at me in confusion, "Why not? They're record is excellent and are probably the best ones off to handle you financially."

"They hate me," I crossed my arms, "When I told them mom committed suicide, Grandma Sally asked if I killed her, so no. I'm not staying there."

The three adults were shocked at this new information. Grace nodded grimly, "Okay, what about your other Grandmother, Katherine Quady?"

I shook my head, "She's crazy."

Grace raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions.

"Lark has older siblings. If she has to stay with family; why not them?" Lin asked.

Mrs. Vega sighed, "Because those are only half siblings. The court prefers family to care for the child, but it always gets complicated when comes to half siblings or step siblings. The giant age gap makes it difficult, too."

"And because their father was a drug dealer," I add. Grace nodded. Kids were always getting labeled because of their parents and it isn't fair.

"So where is Lark going to stay?" Vanessa asked. Grace looked over at me to answer.

I took a breath, "I'm going to stay in New York. I go to Hunter and I'm not giving that up, I don't care if I go into the system."

Grace nodded, "Okay, pack up your stuff and we'll find a foster home-."

"Wait!" Lin cutted in. Grace and I looked over at him in bewilderment.

"We like Lark here, love it in fact," Lin spouted nervously. And, in a good way, my world stopped. That one sentence gave me happiness although it was coupled with a high amount of guilt. I shouldn't be happy after my mom just died, but I was. I loved it here and I couldn't hold back my smile.

"Oh," Grace said in shock, but she quickly smiled, "That's fantastic! I'll bring over the papers in the morning, but I must get going. Alfred is probably done making dinner and I've kept you from yours long enough."

Quickly, Grace left before any thanks could be exchanged. I looked up at Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vanessa Nadal, my foster parents. I couldn't believe it and don't think they could, too.

"Well, that just-," Lin started, but I cut him off by hugging them.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I repeated.

"Hey, it's okay," Lin soothed. We stayed like that, hugging, until:

"Comida!" yelled little Sebastian. Laughing we untangle from each other and I went to go eat with my foster family.

Word count: 1592
Finished at 2:50 pm
Uploaded at 2:56 pm

Is this the longest chapter so far? This chapter was very therapeutic to write. I hoped you liked it. Thanks for reading!

Ever yours, hlwing