Page 33 of Innocent Princess

He pulls up to a clearly marked parking area, room enough for four or five cars, and he shuts off the car. He turns to me, and I look at him, not bothering to mask my emotions.

"You ready for this, Blondie?" Concern pours from his body, and he visibly lets most of it go when I nod furiously.

"Yes, I'm ready. Thank you so much for this, Ryker." I lean in and kiss his cheek.

Just then, the door creaks. I jerk my attention to the front porch. The thin wooden door bounces closed behind the couple that just came out.

Ryker and I get out of the car, and I have to stop myself from running to them. Ryker must feel it too. As soon as I'm by his side, he grabs my hand. I smile, giving him a silent thank you with my eyes. He winks.

As we approach, Fred and Anna Corners descend the two steps from the porch. Fred is tall and has a strong build. He's got thick, bushy, brown eyebrows, but his nose reminds me of my own. Anna, though, my steps falter. She's tiny, like me, and her green eyes are full of tears, but it doesn't dull the brightness of the color. Her face, as I get closer, has the same smattering of freckles, paired with slight wrinkles and laugh lines. She's stunning. Her hair is the same yellowish blonde as mine, and even though it's cut to her chin, it's thick and has the same natural wave.

Coming to a stop only feet from her, we take each other in. It's as if I'm looking at myself in a mirror.

Her smile is warm, tears falling down her cheeks. Neither of us can speak. Ryker comes to the rescue.

"Mr. and Mrs. Corners? I'm Ryker Stone, and this is Zella Raps."

It's clear we've found my parents, we've arrived at the correct place, but we all seem to appreciate the introduction, anyway.

I offer a slightly hesitant smile, tears threatening to flow, but still, no words. Fred clears his throat and offers his hand to Ryker. Anna and I continue to stare, taking each other in.

"It's nice to meet you both. Zella, we've been waiting a very long time to meet you." His voice is deep and full of emotion.

I pry my eyes away from Anna and smile up at him. A lone tear runs down his cheek; he makes no move to wipe it away. I look back down at my... at Anna. She can't seem to stand still in this moment of intense emotional joy.

"My baby," she whispers and engulfs me in a hug.

My arms tighten around her, memorizing everything about this embrace. Then my father is there, towering over us, pulling us both into him.

Moments later, my mother pulls away, holding my face between her hands. "I've thought of you every day for nearly twenty-one years. My dream of holding you in my arms has finally come true. I can't believe you are finally here."

Guilt slams into my heart. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I would have fought to find you sooner… I didn't know."

"Oh, baby girl, no, no. Don't you for one minute be sorry for any of this." She hugs me again.

Fred chuckles beside us. "Let's take this inside, get some tea, and some of those cookies you made, Anna."

She pulls away and nods her agreement. Looping her arm through mine, she leads us into the house. As my feet hit the porch step, I look over my shoulder in search of Ryker. That had to have been awkward for him.

But he's there, not far behind me, and when I glance over my shoulder, he grins and winks at me.

If it weren't for the emotional overload of meeting my birth parents, I would have swooned right there on the front step.

* * *

We've been sittingaround the wooden farmhouse table drinking lemonade and eating cookies. Their house is all wood floors and clean, but there is an outdoorsy smell within the walls. The layout is roomy and comfortable. Antiques and older looking furniture outnumber newer and fancy stuff, but I catch Ryker admiring the big-screen television, brown leather couch, and recliner set in the living room, which can be seen from the kitchen table.

After sharing basic information, they know all about my hobbies and school. I've told them about Cameron and about the karaoke at the biker bar. In turn, I've learned Fred is a soil and water conservationist, and Anna is an artist. She specializes in ceramics. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I found that out. Our faces nearly identical when I told her I was an art major.

There is a quiet lull in the conversation, the first since we sat down over an hour ago. I want to ask more personal questions—ones that might be difficult for them to answer—but I don't want to ruin the reunion.

Ryker, who's sitting next to me with his arm slung over my chair, leans into me. "We are here for a reason, Blondie. Don't hold back."

I gaze up from my lemonade into his supportive smile. I know they heard him, he wasn't all that quiet, but I refuse to be embarrassed. I hear a deep sigh from across the table, and my eyes snap up to Fred.

"He's right. Please ask us whatever you want. We will tell you everything you want to know." Fred stands from his chair, moves to the center island in the kitchen, and leans against it.

Anna’s expression has turned sad, yet she nods, urging me to ask.

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