Acceptance | ✓

Chapter 30

[ANDREW]

"Devien are you ready?" Ethan called out as he settled on the sofa beside me. We heard a loud agonizing snob before the banging of a door. I looked out to the entrance of the hallway with worried eyes, wondering if she was okay.

Devien had a feeling we were heading out to round up things for a movement to the orphanage home. Frankly, she wasn't pleased.

"Can we just tell her the truth? I don't think a surprise is worth her feeling like this," I said, looking over at Ethan who was now busy on his phone. Ethan looked up at me, giving me a small smile. His eyes were glimmering with a feeling I was only getting used to.

"The surprise will be worth it, I promise," Ethan assured me, placing his free hand on my knee in comfort. My mind was soothed reasonably. I wasn't still sure I was going to make a good parent. Somehow, Ethan and my mother conspired against me and pushed me into a corner where I agreed to adopt Devien. Apparently, it was obvious to them that I'd wanted to but just felt and still felt paranoid about my parenting skills.

So after a week of making inquiries, we figured things out and were now on our way to meet a private practicing lawyer to finalize things. I was actually surprised about the amount of hassle I had to go through to adopt someone I was already caring for. The people at the station and Ethel helped and I was finalizing things rather early according to statistics.

Devien eventually came out the hallway in a casual blue top and denim jeans. Her eyes were red and her brows were set in a deep frown. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she wasn't happy about what she thought was about to happen.

The room stayed silent for a while before Devien sniffled, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her of her hand. "I'm ready," she muttered, looking down at her white converses. Roxanne came out the hallway just then, barking happily in oblivion at the tense atmosphere.

Ethan scoffed at Roxanne when she headed to the door; clawing at it when she couldn't push it open with her weight.

We headed out soon after, Devien taking the back seat along with Roxanne. I took the passenger seat while Ethan took the driver's seat. He started the engine, driving out of the compound and out into the road. I watched Devien from the driver's mirror. Roxanne was resting her head on Devien's lap and Devien was running her hand through Roxanne's fur absentmindedly. Devien seemed to be thinking deeply, probably about the situation she thought was at hand.

I looked away in guilt, picking at the loose threads on my jeans as Ethan continued driving.

We stopped at a drive-in to get the breakfast we couldn't eat since we were trying to meet the appointment on time. I looked worriedly towards Devien, watching as she picked at the breakfast sausage with the plastic fork. I turned away, picking at my own food.

It was either Ethan wasn't fazed at Devien's behavior or he wasn't taking notice at all. I just wanted to admit where we were going so I could see Devien smile happily instead of being all gloomy and depressed over nothing.

We got to the small stone house Ethan and I had visited privately together a hand full of times last week. The white SUV of the lawyer was parked in the yard. I looked at Devien through the driver's mirror to find her clenching her hands into fists, so much so that her knuckles because unnaturally white.

"We should be going in," Ethan said, breaking the silence. Devien nodded curtly before undoing her seat belt. We all got down soon after. Roxanne ran around the yard barking as she pounced from place to place. I looked over at Devien who was standing by the door of the back seat and hugging herself.

I looked away, feeling Ethan's hand take mine in a comforting manner.

"Come on," I said, speaking to Devien for the first time since we got into the car. "Let's go in."