She woke up to the sound of chirping birds, and the soft wind caressing the window blinds and curtains. It’s 2:45!, she thought to herself. She groaned, trying to stand, without knocking over her lamp like she did the last time. Time after time again.  Rubbing her eyes, she walked down the stairs, then realizing that she heard her parents whispering in the kitchen. What could they be whispering about? It must be about my birthday, after all it is in a couple of weeks., she thought, until she heard her mom say, “We have to tell her at some point! She has to know where she belongs!” Hearing the words made her feel woozy, and the thought of being adopted made her collapse.

Once again, she woke up, this time her head hurting tremendously.  “Honey, are you alright?!”, her mom asked half hysterical. Rose sat upright, faster than she anticipated too, making her head throb. “Oww!”, she cried. Her dad sighed, then scratched his head. “Did you happen to be eavesdropping on us?”, her dad questioned. She was going to lie, but it was no use. Why else would she pass out? She took a deep breath, and confessed. “Yes.”  Both her parents gave her a disapproving glare. “Why would you do that?!” “Did you hear anything?!” “Is that why you passed out?!” Her mom kept pressing questions she didn’t want to answer right now. She just wanted to go back to her room, and try to process what exactly she heard. “Don’t ask too many questions! You’re gonna overwhelm her!”, her dad stated.

“ I think I’m just gonna go up in my room and do my homework”, she said, trying to convince her parents to let her go, but she knew her parents weren’t going to let her go that easily. They were stubborn, hardheaded people. “You are NOT leaving without telling us why you were listening!”, her dad said. Rose let out a groan so loud, she stunned her parents and herself. “Sorry, that was unintended", she murmured. Her mom sighed shakily. “So, why?”, her mom asked curiously. Rose thought about how to gather  her words, then spoke. “I heard you saying that I need to be where I belong, so hearing that… I automatically thought that I'm adopted." Her parents gaped at her like fish. Silence filled the room for a long moment, until her mom said, “You being adopted is true. Sort of”, she said, gloomily. “What is that supposed to mean?”, she questioned, frustrated. Her parents exchanged a hesitant look. “Lay down first, before you pass out again.”, her father said. “Now, you might not believe us, but we are going to explain this to you the best way we can, alright?” “Okay... go ahead.”, Rose said slowly. Whatever they were about to say, she knew it wasn’t anything good.

“Um… we aren’t your real parents.” Rose’s mouth hung open. “So, I am adopted…”, she said in shock. Her mom, hesitated, before saying, “Well… you won’t understand the entire, uh... truth of it. Not yet. It’s just too complicated. This is a different scenario." So many thoughts rushed into her head. She didn’t even know it was possible. Are they alive? Where are my real parents? Was I in a foster home as a baby? What does she mean different scenario? And the list was never ending, but, she began with the most important question: “Are they still alive?”, she asked, with tears welling in her eyes. “Yes”. Rose gulped hard. “OK, this isn’t making sense, you have to tell me everything, why is this different?”

Her mom looked pale. “We can’t tell you yet, it’s too soon." Rose sat in shock, her hands shaking.  “I’m going to my room. I-I can’t do this right now, please." Her parents got up from the couch and chased after her. “ It will all make sense when you come to them. I promise!”, her mom yelled. Rose turned on her heels. “When I come to them?!?", she wailed. “I’m sorry, you can’t know the entire truth of it yet.”, her dad whispered. Rose huffed, and ran up the stairs, trying to process all that she heard from them. She thought that this was a joke. But why would they play such a cruel joke? This all felt like a nightmare.

“We have always known this was going to be hard.” her dad whispered, frustrated. “I don’t want to lie to our daughter”- then he cut her off, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Rose couldn’t believe what she had learned. Everything she thought she knew, was all a lie. She enclosed herself in the corner of her room, and sobbed. Then she screamed in frustration, feeling her heart break into pieces.

                                                  🌹

The sound of the ticking clock was more evident that ever before, the ghostly silence filled the whole house, except for the sound of Rose crying. The pillow was not enough to cover her cries, evidently. “You shouldn’t have said anything about it.”, Mr. Linton said softly. “I know, I’m sorry.” "Sorry isn’t enough! You broke her heart- no, I’m sorry, we, broke her heart, not you.", he corrected. He went to the couch where she was sitting, and hugged her. She knew how much this would impact everything. She knows that they messed everything up about Rose’s life, and ruined it in a 10 minute range. She then let out a loud cry, and they both began to cry.