Page 43 of Little Dove

I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I guess it kind of makes sense as we watch them. “I’ve never been around people like everyone here,” I admit. “It’s going to take some time, I think, before I get used to it.”

“I don’t think anyone can get used to a lot of the dynamics around here. But just know that the group of us girls, and Sofia, we’re solid and we stick together. You’re part of that now, so if you need one of us, you’ll have someone in your corner no matter what.”

That surprises me. “Why would you do that? You don’t know me.”

“Because you’re family,” Gia says simply. “Our cousin.”

“But that doesn’t mean anything,” I argue with a shake of my head. “Family doesn’t always mean trust. Just because we’re family doesn’t mean you have to like me, or that I like you. Though I do,” I rush to add when Gia’s face falls. Damn it. I’mnot trying to hurt her feelings. “I do like you, Gia, but this, this is a lot, and just because we share a blood relation doesn’t mean that everything will be great and easy, like it is with you and Sienna.”

“It can be if you give us a chance,” Sienna suddenly says, turning to look at me with a serious expression. “I know saying that isn’t easy, especially considering the circumstances, but you deciding that you can’t like us is your own choice.”

I stiffen at her words. Rori eyes us curiously, but doesn’t say anything. Not that I really expect her to, I guess. “I’ve barely known you for what, an hour?” I remind her tightly. “What? Are all my problems solved, now that I’m stuck with a bunch of strangers who act like everything will be fine? Well, it’s not fine. None of this is fuckingfine. Not one single part of my life has beenfine. And just when I’m about to start building something for myself, it’s ripped away from me, like most things in my life, and I’m supposed to suck it up and be happy about it?”

“No, you’re not,” Sienna returns, her voice even but direct. I can see the worry on Gia’s face out of the corner of my eye, though I’m not sure if that’s because of the tension or because I’ve offended her. “And you know what, I would be a fucking hypocrite if I didn’t say that I understand. I ran for weeks. I fought Alessio tooth and nail before he finally brought me back to their family home in Sicily, and finally here. None of this situation is anything short of fucked up, but there is one thing that I’ve figured out. We have a choice about how we deal with it. I chose to put my relationships with my sister and Alessio ahead of my own reservations, because my parents taught me how important family is, no matter what that family might look like. And you are our family.”

“I’m sure your adoptive parents said the same thing, right?” Gia asks softly.

Well, that answers the question of if they know my background. I give them both a brittle smile. “No, actually, they didn’t because I’ve never had one,” I inform them, stepping away, letting the motion speak for itself. “I was raised in the foster care system, and I was abused through the majority of it. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not all that certain about what I’m doing right now, because this whole ‘unconditional family’ concept is new to me.”

The tension in the room is thick, and I see horror in Gia’s eyes, while Sienna looks stunned. I glance at Rori, who doesn’t look surprised at all, and she gives me an encouraging smile. “Welp, you stuck your foot in your mouth once again, didn’t you ’enna?” she tsks. Sienna winces. “How about we take it down a notch and focus on a couple of things before we turn this whole mess into something that will have Lazaro, Alessio, and Nico all charging in here to find out why you’re either fighting or crying? Because that seems to be where we’re heading.”

“I’m so sorry, Amara,” Gia whispers sadly. “I didn’t know. The men have kept that information from us. We figured that, like Sienna, you were adopted out with a loving family and just upset to be yanked away.”

“People have been making assumptions about me my entire life. I’m used to it.” My voice is bitter, but I keep my expression empty. I don’t need to give them any ammunition against me.

I’ve never fit in with women, and it looks like this isn’t going to be any different.

“You’re right, we shouldn’t have assumed.” Sienna sighs, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, Amara. Sometimes I can’t see the darker parts of the world until I’m confronted with them. And you’re right, I have gotten along easier with Gia, but that is probably because we’ve spent so much time together and I like to make friends. I forget that not everyone is ready for that, and clearly, you’re not at that point yet. I want us to be friends,and I really do think that we can get there sooner than later, but if you’re not ready, we can tone it down.” Gia bobs her head quickly in agreement.

Well, now I feel like a bitch. Shit. Parts of me still want to keep the space between us, but the other parts, the ones that have been buried so deep inside me, are craving the connection; craving finally having some kind of family in my life, even if we’re completely different.

“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to cause problems,” I finally say stiffly. “I just…this whole situation is overwhelming.”

“Of course it is,” Rori agrees briskly. “I mean, an hour ago you were meeting everyone downstairs, and before that you had to deal with your man being all growly and overprotective. That’s a lot for one day, not to mention running from those fuckers in Arizona. I’d say you’ve earned yourself a bit of a break and some time to get yourself oriented.”

“Wait, what?” Sienna asks, eyes widening. “You were running from someone in Arizona? Who?”

“Girl, we need to work on your spying skills,” Rori huffs. Sienna glares at her. “Amara, you better tell them, or they’re just going to annoy you with questions.”

I hesitate, but finally recount the entire story of the last couple of days. Their eyes widen comically, but neither of them interrupt. Finally, when I finish, Sienna breathes, “Holy shit. That is so cool. Well, not the being chased part, but the underground bunker and stuff. And you found all that on your own?”

I shrug. “I like solving puzzles, and I’m pretty good at it. When I was little, one of my first foster homes that I can remember was a family that was big on puzzles for their kids, and then by extension, me. They would give us different kinds to do, and if we excelled at one, they would give us another one thatwas slightly harder. I got pretty good at them before I was moved to the next home.”

“Why were you moved?” Gia asks.

I pause, trying to think back. God, it’s been so long since I’ve really thought about my earlier homes. “Ah, I think they were moving,” I finally reply. “I’m pretty sure the father got a new job and it was taking them to a new state. That meant I couldn’t go with them unless they adopted me, and they didn’t want to.”

“That must have been so hard,” Gia cries sympathetically. “How could they do that? Just leave you behind? No other explanation?”

“That’s the way of the world in the foster system,” I tell her matter-of-factly. “They weren’t the first or last home I was in, and after awhile, you learn to expect it. Sure, I was sad, but eventually, you just forget. As a kid, school and other kids quickly take over some of that sadness.”

“But they did give you the ability to learn puzzles and work on problems, right, so that’s something,” Sienna reminds me. “So they left their mark on you. And they treated you okay?”

“I don’t remember them being terrible, but I don’t remember much from that age, in general. I do know that the house after that wasn’t like them. I had to stay quiet and out of the way, and there was no eating unless it was at meal time. So, no snacks, and if you tried to sneak food, you were locked in a closet for awhile.” That was one of my first experiences with being afraid of the dark, but I don’t share that detail. I’m definitely not letting that weakness slip.

Gia gasps, and Sienna’s mouth hardens. “That’s terrible,” Gia whispers. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I got used to it. The majority of the homes I was in, I was either abused, or only there so they could get a paycheck.”

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