Page 86 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

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Wednesday, we went to get Kayla from her foster parents. Tristan wanted to give them some money to show our appreciation for everything, but they rejected it.

We went to visit Mrs. Rodriguez. She was so happy to see Kayla and cried so much. We went to the zoo afterward and had a picnic in a nice park.

Kayla was warming up to us bit by bit. She still hadn’t uttered a word to us. A part of me was worried. It wasn’t normal to see her this quiet. She was very clingy, especially when it came to Tristan and her little dog she loved playing with.

We prepared for our flight back home after we got our pass from the immigration office. Kayla slept the whole flight since we had woken her up very early. The ride from the airport to the Sanchesters’ estate made me sigh in relief.

I sucked in a breath as we walked up the steps to the estate. I held Kayla’s dog in one hand while Tristan carried her in his arms. I pressed the doorbell, and a maid opened the door in a second. She gave us a broad smile as she welcomed us in.

“Welcome home, Kayla!” we heard as soon as we entered the living room.

The decorations were stunning. Pink balloon letters spelledWelcome home, Kayla, taking up the space in the room. It was like a birthday party with customized T-shirts and hats, which I believed was Mrs. Sanchester’s handiwork. A cupcake stand, filled with colorful cupcakes, made my mouth water.

I looked around at the people in the room—Tristan’s family, Adrian and Vina, who were holding colorful balloons with different Disney princesses drawn on them, and my family.

Was that Ciara?

“She is so adorable,” Nana said.

Kayla clung to Tristan as all eyes were on her.

“New faces, huh?” Tristan whispered to her.

Nora walked in with Kayden, who wriggled out of her arms immediately he saw us.

“Mommy!” he screamed, running toward us. He saw Tristan holding Kayla.

“Hey, baby.” I kissed his cheek when I picked him up from the ground, and he giggled and put his small arms around my neck.

“She needs a little time to adjust to the new faces, and it was a long flight,” Tristan explained to everyone.

I turned to look at Kayden and found him staring at his sister. I smiled when I noticed she was staring back at him.

“Say hi to your sister.”

“Hi,” he said and giggled.

For the first time since we had gotten Kayla back, I saw her smile.

We spoke with everyone for a short time before Tristan went upstairs with Kayla and Kayden in each of his arms. It was a beautiful sight. Ciara walked up to me with tears glistening in her eyes. I pulled her into a hug before she could say anything.

“I’m so sorry for everything, Chloe.”

“Shh, it’s okay,” I whispered.

***

It’d been a week since we had returned. Kayla was still getting familiar with everyone. She was very noisy around Kayden. They bonded so quickly. The way she laughed and played with him changed my mind about her being quiet. I spent a lot of time with her when I had the chance, and so far, it’d been good.

It was Wednesday night and almost ten. I finished my conversation with Ciara on the phone about our parents’ divorce. My dad wasn’t ready to come back, no matter how my mom tried to convince him she had changed.

I yawned as I climbed the stairs. I could hear the twins’ noise from Tristan’s room. I’d thought they were already sleeping.

I opened the door and found them jumping on the bed and screaming. Tristan was asleep next to them. I guessed he had dozed off. He’d been very busy lately, house-hunting. I’d told him not to get a glass house, as Grey had shot the last one into pieces, leaving a terrifying image in my head.

I walked in and closed the door behind me. “Okay, it’s time for bed.”

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