⌈ 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴, 𝘛𝘟 ⌉ 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 17, 2020 ⌊ 6:00 𝘈𝘔 ⌋



"Saris." Mrs Hernandez shook Saris awake.

She sleepily sat up rubbing the crust out of her eyes.

"Hm?"

"Wake up, I just got the call. You're the little girl, you can meet your parents today."

Saris internally rolled her eyes.

What little girl is everyone talking about and why won't anyone sit down and explain the situation to me?

Saris got out of bed anyway and prepared for the day. Less than 24 hours ago she was in her bed bored out of her mind and now her mom had been arrested and she was sleeping over at a social worker's house.

Mrs. Hernandez called her name and she ran down the stairs. Getting into the car, she quietly sat and looked out the window the entire ride to the airport. Mrs. Hernandez would be accompanying Saris until she reached her home since she was still a minor.

Once they boarded the flight Saris played with her fingers and closed her eyes as they took off. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry since she had never been on a plane before and for her first time she was confused about everything and was accompanied by a stranger.

"Saris, it's ok." Mrs. Hernandez grabbed her hand seeing how jittery she was, "Let's talk to get your mind off the plane."

Saris nodded, looking over to Mrs. Hernandez. Saris was never the one to talk about herself to others so this was out of her comfort zone, but she was going to do whatever it took to get the nerves gone.

"I read on your file that you're from Louisiana. Do you miss it?"

"Yeah sometimes, things were better there. We moved when my dad moved out."

Mrs. Hernandez was a little stuck as Saris waited for another question. They continued this basic back and forth conversation until the plane was smoothly in the sky and Saris was asleep once again.

The flight was fairly short and soon they were in a rental car on their way to the Brooks household. The flight landed in New Orleans so the hour drive to BR was filled with soft music playing in the background.

"Mrs. Hernandez, can I ask you something?" Saris asked, causing Mrs. Hernandez to lower the volume of the music.

"Of course Saris."

"What is going on?" she finally spoke.

"We're going to your parents house." Mrs. Hernandez said like it was the most obvious thing ever.

"My parents are in Dallas." Saris looked at her confused.

Mrs. Hernandez took a deep breath and cautiously asked. "Saris, do you have any idea what's going on right now?"

"No ma'am."

"Would you like me to explain now or wait?"

"Explain now please." Saris smiled a bit, happy she was finally going to understand everything.

Mrs. Hernandez was shocked and made sure to take a note on this and focus later. She explained everything to Saris, making sure she didn't lose her along the way.

The DNA results came back and Saris Stephenson shared DNA with the missing baby Saris Brooks. Clara had been arrested and would be in jail until she was sentenced and charged. Saris was now being moved to live with her biological parents along with her four brothers.

Saris was silent for the rest of the ride, getting lost in her thoughts. By the time they reached the Brooks neighborhood she was internally panicking and tears brimmed the bottom of her eyes.

"Saris, deep breaths come on." Mrs. Hernandez started breathing with her when she noticed Saris was hyperventilating.

Once Saris's breath returned back to normal they approached the door and Mrs. Hernandez gave the door a good knock. Meanwhile inside the house everyone's attention snapped towards the door. They all stood up awaiting what was behind the door.

They all were jittering with nerves, especially Tylear. He felt like this was the moment he was waiting for, but didn't feel ready. He shed some tears when they got confirmation this morning that Saris was alive and coming home. His emotions were all over the place, something he was used to but never to this extent.

Kourtney noticed his mom was shaking a bit and he decided to stand by her, holding her hand. Jayceon walked to the entryway which was also like a mudroom, blocking any kind of view from the living room.

As he opened the door he paused and his mouth went dry as he looked at the girl before him. She resembled the other Brooks children in their skin tones and eyes, but her and Tylear resembled the most. It was almost like looking at the shorter and female version of him.

"Um hi I'm Sarah Hernandez I called you guys yesterday." Mrs. Hernandez spoke up, bringing Jayceon back to realization.

He cleared his throat, "Yes come in."

Jayceon let Saris and Mrs. Hernandez in, taking in a deep breath as he closed the door behind them.

Saris's eyes darted everywhere as she soaked in everything. The photos on the wall, quality of the house, the sense of home that radiated everywhere. She was soon guided to the living room where everyone stood.

Saris looked at everyone standing and staring at her. Her eyes met Serena's as she felt like she was looking at a more matured version of herself. Serena was slightly shorter, but looking at her she could tell that she was her mother. Her eyes darted to the four boys standing nearby as they all were tall and towered over the shorter woman and Saris.

Jayceon moved to stand by Serena and held her hand providing a small squeeze to show her that this was real.

"Introduce yourselves." Jayceon told the boys since everyone appeared to be frozen.

"Kourtney."

"D'aire."

"Nehemiah."

"Tylear."

Saris' face had a perplexed expression as she stared at Tylear. She recognized the name from the note that started it all.

How could he write to me and not know me personally?

She also took note of how he was the male version of herself and found it odd. She never met anyone, let alone family who looked like her.

Tylear stared at Saris, noticing how they resembled each other. His emotions felt like they came to a halt as he felt almost numb. He didn't know what to feel at that point.

"So you're my parents?" Saris finally spoke in an almost whisper.

Jayceon blinked harshly trying to push back tears as Serena was letting the tears fall. They both nodded with nervous expressions on their faces waiting for what was next.

Saris cautiously approached them giving a tight hug full of emotion. She was never one to hug and she hadn't done it in a while, but it just felt right at that time. She felt an unfamiliar warmth in her chest instead of the constant ache that usually resided there.

Saris slowly pulled away from the hug with an unreadable look. Her glossy eyes held sadness but her face was a mix of different emotions. Both Jayceon and Serena noticed this, but they both also realized the marks on her face.

"What happened to your face?" Serena lowly gasped, as she saw Saris's busted lip and slightly swollen cheek.

Saris nervously bit the inside of her cheek and looked towards Mrs. Hernandez almost asking for help. Mrs Hernandez decided this was a good time to inform Serena and Jayceon of everything.

"I hate to break this up, but I have a few things to share with you two then I'll be on my way back to Dallas."

Serena and Jayceon looked at each other before nodding. As they walked to escort Mrs. Hernandez out they both looked back and peeked glances at their daughter. With worry, anxiety, and nerves flowing through their body they prepared to hear everything.

"So a few things to know about the abduction. The woman who did this is in holding right now. She is awaiting trial and she has also confessed about the entire situation. Her ex-husband who also served as a father to Saris had nothing to do with this. As far as I know Saris hasn't seen him since she was 7 but talks to him regularly." she pulled a stack of papers out of her purse, "This is his contact info in case y'all wanted it, along there is everything Saris has done. She's really smart and does well in school. You should have zero problems with that."

"And her face?" Jayceon questioned.

"When we went to get her things from the house she was living in, the abductor slapped her. Previously Saris had not even a scratch to her face so I'm not sure how often this would happen. But I want to make it very clear that you should look into some form of therapy for her. She has signs of emotional and mental abuse that are slightly concerning."

"Like what?" Serena asked worried, as she suddenly felt the urge to cry.

"I believe she knows that the lady was doing wrong things, but she is very confused. She's very anxious, scared, and has trouble picking up on things people normally would. Just be patient with her and see a therapist to see what your next step is."

Serena and Jayceon listened very carefully while Saris sat on the couch with the boys. They tried to get her to talk but after noticing she didn't feel comfortable yet they resorted to yes and no questions. Saris shook her head either yes or no to answer, feeling comfortable with that at the moment.

All the boys were slightly concerned, but tried to stay optimistic. None of them were aware of what Saris had been through and that's what scared everyone. Serena and Jayceon shortly returned as Jayceon held Saris's bag that she bought full of everything she owned.

"Tylear take this bag and show Saris her room please." Serena told Tylear.

"That's all of them?" he asked, causing Saris and their parents to nod.

Tylear nodded and took the bags up the stairs as Saris followed. They walked down the hall until they reached a door and behind it revealed grey walls with a queen bed against the wall.

"It's not much but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to decorate how you want soon." Tylear explained, "If you need anything my room is right across the hall."

"Ok thank you." she whispered, causing Tylear to smile.

As Tylear turned to leave she called his name.

"Yeah?" he asked.

She went over to him and surprised him with a hug. He quickly returned it and they both felt the same feeling in their heart. Almost like they finally felt a moment of completion for the first time ever.

"Happy birthday." Saris spoke.

"Happy birthday."

—

"There you go." Serena mumbled as she finished cleaning Saris's lip.

She added neosporin to the damage and Saris thanked her. Saris looked over to Jayceon and noticed that he had a mug on his face. Saris thought he was angry with her, but she couldn't find a reason why he would be.

"Are you mad?" she asked.

Since being here Saris hasn't been able to speak above a whisper. She didn't know the reason why but she did know her heart was beating fast and her palms were sweating.

"Yes and no." he answered. "I'm mad about many things, but none of them are you."

"Really? Are you going to take my phone?"

"Wha- no. Saris, you don't have to worry about us taking your phone." Jayceon was stuck.

He had so much to say and didn't know how to go about it at all. He obviously wasn't doing so good so far for Saris to think he was mad at her.

"Ok I'm going to go upstairs." Saris quietly said before slightly running out the room.

She was starting to get angry at herself. Once again she felt stupid at her inability to understand what was going on.

The woman who she thought was her mom isn't her mom, her dad left her but he wasn't really her dad, she was once a lonely person living with an abusive mother, now she has 4 brothers and two loving parents.

She got into her room and closed the door behind her. She pulled the bag she had from under the bed and took out all the pictures she had. A headache began to form, causing her to release her curls from the sloppy bun they were in letting her hair fall over her face. She sighed as a little pressure was released but the headache was still prevalent.

She dug in the bag taking out every picture inside and spread them out on the bed. She began sorting them in stacks.

One had her "mom" in them and the other had her "dad". The thing was Saris still loved the people who she once thought were her parents, and although her love for Clara was always rocky, she never stopped loving Shawn.

She put a rubber band around the stack of pictures she had with Shawn and saved them in her nightstand. She had no resentment towards him so she wasn't going to do anything to their photos together.

Saris got up from the bed and went to the desk along the wall in the room. Inside one of the drawers was a pair of craft scissors, so she took them out.

She went back to the bed and crossed her legs and began cutting the photos. She cut Clara out of every one she was in. Her mind finally had a moment to process with having the full story and she couldn't seem to focus on one thought at a time.

Why would she do this to me? Why me? What would my life be like if this never happened?

Saris felt the heat in her face and ears, but the burning of her eyes and nose went unnoticed. She didn't even realize she was crying until one of the tears dropped onto Clara's face, wetting that spot of the photo.

That realization hit her hard and she began to sob. It wasn't loud or ear piercing, but the tears turned into streams and she was faintly heard on the other side of the wall. Tylear who stood outside the door heard the cries and hurried into the room.

The sight of her breaking down with the red eyes, face, and nose along with the tears running down her face made his eyes sting. Seeing his sister cry evoked a different feeling, and he felt like he was the one who was hurt.

He instantly went by her side and offered her a hug. She took it, hiding her face in the shoulder of his hoodie, finally letting everything out. The muffled sobs broke his heart as he tried to console her.

"Saris, it's gonna be ok." he spoke even though he didn't know the truth.

He truly wanted her to stop crying and hurting since seeing her like this made him feel so helpless. Why her and not him?

With the door now being opened everyone heard her cries especially Serena and Jayceon. They stood outside the door as Saris finally let it all out.

"I missed out on everything. I don't truly know my real parents. I know their names, not their favorite food, hobby, or anything. Why me?" her voice cracked and she began to cry harder, "I have all these fake memories, photos of a life that isn't mine."

Serena got an idea as she rushed downstairs into the hall closet. She searched and searched until she found what she was looking for and headed back upstairs. By the time she got back everyone had gone into the room to console Saris hoping to cheer her up.

"Give us a second." Serena spoke, causing them to look at her.

"Momma-" all the boys began before she shook her head.

"Y'all c'mon. Y'all can come back later." Jayceon spoke, urging the boys out of the room.

When the door closed behind them Serena placed her item on the nightstand before taking Saris's hands into hers.

"Baby listen to me ok?" Saris nodded looking into her eyes.

She had never done that with Clara, but Serena's eyes held sympathy and love.

"I am so so so sorry about all this. There are so many things I regret like not questioning further or having your dad follow to keep an eye on you. The fact that I can't go back and prevent it haunts me, and I can't help to feel like this is all my fault. My sweet girl getting taken right out of my arms and not living how she should've been." Serena's voice cracked as she reached up to touch Saris's face, "Speak and don't hold back. I need to hear how you're feeling and take your time."

"Betrayed and stupid." Saris spoke without hesitating, "I wish I didn't love her anymore. What in me won't let me forget her?"

"Baby, that's a part of growing. Everything is used to shape who you are today. You learn and never repeat the things in the past that are negative. And I don't ever want to hear you calling yourself stupid again. You are very smart and we will all work together to move along. The important thing is never forgetting because you aren't growing if you do."

A soft and slight smile graced Saris's face as she held onto these words.

Serena got the item from the nightstand and placed it in Saris's lap.

"What's this?" She looked up from the book and observed it.

It was a brown book that's cover was decorated with different shades of brown butterflies, flowers, and hearts. At the top was Saris's name in an elegant cursive along with a picture centered in the middle. Saris looked closer observing the photo of her and Serena in the hospital. Serena was in the hospital bed smiling with her baby girl in her arms.

"This is your baby book." Saris looked towards her confused and opened it. Nothing, it was empty inside.

"We never got to finish but I did put the picture on the cover. The only photo we had of you."

"I have more." Saris spoke, picking up the stack.

She handed them to Serena and Serena began going through them. Her eyes watered as she saw the progression of Saris. The pictures became scarce as the years progressed, but she was pleased with the large amounts within the first 10 years.

"Thank you." she whispered.

☼ ☼ ☼ Vote and Comment

Remember italicized sentences are the character's inner thoughts

I split the original chapter up since I added more details and overall made it better (in my opinion)

The second half is going to be the next chapter

3158 Words