Page 4 of Tech

Shadow….

Ten minutes later, I walk into my daddy's two-story farmhouse, which he shares with my stepmom, Sadie. She doesn't work. After meeting my daddy when I was three,andthey married, she quit her law firm job and became a stay-at-home momma to me, which means I know she'll be home.

My birth momma, Jasmine, died when she gave birth to me. I know my daddy misses her, and momma understands his feelings and his love for my birth momma; she was his high school sweetheart. But momma, she’s his heart, and momma knows she is his forever love, but sometimes looks at daddy with a weird look, like she’s hurting.

I don't understand how people can love when it can hurt; it doesn't make sense to me.

"What do you mean you can't find my daughter?"My daddy shouts, and I cringe, a small growl coming from my bag at the noise.

Uh oh….

I slowly walk through the living area and into the kitchen to see my daddy in his coveralls, on the phone, pacing back and forth, his hand tugging at his dark brown hair while momma sits at the counter, tears in her blue eyes.

Double uh oh….

I clear my throat, and both their heads snap toward me. Momma's tears fall in relief while my daddy takes in my appearance, his eyes lingering on my wrist.

He snaps, "She's here, and Ms. Holloway, I want a meeting tomorrow morning about why my daughter ran from the school and why she's returned home with her wrist double the size that it should be, and her clothes covered in fucking food!"

He hangs up, and I sniffle, whispering, "I'm sorry I scared you, Daddy."

He sighs and shakes his head, coming my way, then gently grabs my wrist. Momma steps over with him, furrowing her brows, seeing the size of it, and states, "Baby, you're going to need an X-ray." Anger shines in her eyes as she looks at me and asks, "What happened?"

I sniffle, and whisper, "Marco Jacobs wanted a kiss, but I told him no." My daddy's face goes red the more I talk. "When I went to walk past him, he grabbed my arm, and shoved me on the floor with my food tray."

Daddy growls in anger like a dog, causing a little bark from within my bag, and making me freeze, my eyes widening.

Momma tilts her head at me while daddy furrows in brows in confusion, and I look up at the ceiling like it came from there.

"Petal…" Daddysays in warning, and Momma smirks, raising a brow at me. I give them an innocent smile.

Well, he called me his nickname for me, so I can't be in that much trouble, right?

I clear my throat, ready to plead for my life to keep this puppy, when said puppy's head pops out of my side bag, and I smile innocently at my parents, batting my eye lids. Momma instantly starts gushing over Shadow, while my dad groans, dropping his head.

"Daddy…" I whisper, and he shakes his head, pointing at me.

"No, Brook. We already have cows, pigs, goats, and horses on the farm. We can't have a puppy, too, not with a baby on the way. If no one claims it, we'll just have to take it to the pound."

My head whips his way in shock while Momma sighs. "Darling…."

Daddy cuts in, oblivious, while my eyes fill with tears, "No, sweetheart, we can't have a puppy around a newborn."

They're having a baby?

"Peter!"Momma snaps, making my dad look at her, only to freeze with whatever he sees on her face.

He quickly looks my way, muttering, "Shit…"before clearing his throat and rasping,"We were going to tell you tonight at dinner, Petal…."

My bottom lip trembles.

I'm being replaced….She'snot my real momma; she adopted me, yes, but now she'll have her own baby, and Daddy won't want me anymore because I have my birth momma's features, with her button nose and full lips.

The puppy whines, and I slowly pick it up out of the bag, holding it close as its nose goes to my neck. My tears fall.

"Petal?" my daddy whispers.

I shake my head and croak, "You're replacing me?"

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