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Chapter 4:

Kiana froze and her heart got heavy.. she hadn't heard anyone call her Hope before.. she couldn't figure out if she was happy to hear it or scared.
She turned around slowly and faced Stella for the first time since birth, she was right in front of her mother, just the two of them..

"Hey, don't run. It's fine, I know who you are. You look just like him" Stella said cautiously.
"Wh-why did you leave me?" Kiana responded while trying to hold back her tears.. "..I didn't have a good life, not like the letter wished for me".
"Wait, what do you mean? Your parents? They were the best out of every profile I looked.."
Kiana stopped Stella mid sentence.. "I didn't get adopted, I have to go. Sorry.."
"Please, come back sometime, there's so much I want to know and talk about with you" Stella pleaded, "I'm sorry, Hope".
Stella stood and watched her walk down the street overwhelmed with emotions she walked back to the firehouse and tried to put on a brave face.

"Who was that?" Brett asked curiously.
"Tha- she is my daughter, it's been 16 years.. I..I-I have to go see Kelly." She panicked.

All Stella could think about what how hell Kelly would take it. She never told anyone about her daughter because she was scared of judgement.

Shift was over and Stella walked up to the door, took a deep breath and opened it to be greeted by her favourite boys!
"Hey boys!"
"Hey, sweetie."
"Mommy!"
Her favourite words to hear when she walked in from shift.
"Kelly, I need to speak to you... urgently."
Kelly told Lucas to go play and they both went and sat down at the kitchen table.
"What's wrong" he said grabbing her hand..
"Today, at the firehouse a teen girl came in looking for me..." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and continued ".. she had my name and figured out where I worked going off a name I gave her in a letter 16 years ago, when I was a scared 16 year old myself."
Kelly stopped her "Wait? A daughter? What.."
".. I never thought I would have to tell you, not yet anyway.. her parents.. weren't supposed to let her see the letter yet but judging by what she said she was never adopted like planned. I'm sorry I should of told you.. I just.. I didn't want you to be disappointed"
"Disappointed.. in you? Stella.. please, that would never happen. I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could tell me. I love you Stella, I love your past, I love our future"
Kelly got up walked over the the fridge grabbed two beers "let's talk about this the right way" he passes her a beer and kisses her on her forehead.
They both sit together and speak about it for hours, starting right at the start.