Hi! My name is Rose. I'm your average 17 year old girl,

but I have a big secret. Let me tell you the story of how I discovered my secret and the ups and downs, and not to mention the awesome adventures I face.

So to begin, my dad is in the Army, so we move a lot

and I mean A LOT. We had just arrived at our new house. We used to live in Colorado but now we live in California. Yea I know, "wow that must be cool" and yea it can be, but it's hard to move for me because I'm an only child, never had any real friends, and my parents are going through a divorce. So my life is just great.

Here we are unpacking boxes of my dad's new house

I'm in my room listening to mom and dad fight about who gets to keep me. In my opinion I should choose because it's my life not theirs.

"Rose come here please" I hear my dad yell

"coming dad." I think they're about to tell me who gets me or make me choose. To be honest, I would choose dad because he has always been there for me, and, well, my mom smokes a lot and has told me before that I'm a mistake(that's why they're in the divorce). I'm in the kitchen, I don't even remember leaving my room.

"Yes sir" my dad looks up at me and his normally happy face is drained and tired, his light brown hair is even lighter but he still looks like dad to me. He smiles and gets up to hug me, which I gladly return. When the hug ends he looks at me again and frowns,

"sweetheart we need to talk, sit down please," It's when I sit that I notice mom isn't here,

"where's mom?" He just sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Rose, I don't know how to tell you this," and then I see his pale skin go paler. I was about to ask him if he was ok, but before I could open my mouth, he cut me off

"mom left for LA and said she won't come back but she will send you money and cards for your birthday," I have a hard time believing that because I never got so much as a birthday hug from her, maybe a "happy birthday" or "have a good day" but nothing else.

"But I have something else to tell you. Something very important," I look at him wondering what could be so important. He sighs again and mumbles something. "Dad what on earth did you say? You mumbled." He looks right into my eyes and almost looks sorry.

"I wanted to tell you this before, but your mother wouldn't let me, now she doesn't care," what on earth is going on?

"Rose, you're adopted," um… what just happened, did he say I'm adopted, what the he…

"Rose I know it's hard to process but please say something, anything" is he pleading? HE NEVER PLEADS!

"Dad I have no clue what to say," because I'm speechless and confused.

I'm back in my room. How did I get here? Better yet,

how and why am I adopted? I'm so confused, hurt, and so many other things I can not describe. I look at my alarm clock and see that's it's only 9:32 AM. What am I going to do today? Question dad? No he doesn't need to be questioned, but at the same time I need answers.

"Arg" oops I said that out loud.

Then I hear my door open to reveal dad.

"do you wanna talk? I know you have questions, I will do my very best to answer them," I love my dad, but really? NOW? Let me think about this.

"Yes please. I would love to talk and get some answers,"

He looks at me and waits then after about 30 seconds or so he finally speaks up. "okay ask whatever you want," he says kindly.

Where do I even think to begin?

"Um… where did you adopt me? Who are my real parents? Why wait till now to tell me? Lastly, where are my real parents?" He looks at the ground and I can tell he's thinking.

"We got you in Texas actually, you arrived at our doorstep with a note," he smiles at what looks like a memory "we don't know who your real parents are or where they may be, we couldn't tell you until you're turned 17 because that's what your real parents told us in the note," he then frowns and says "but I knew that this should not have been kept from you. Do you have any other questions?" Wow, that's a lot. Wait, did he say note? Yes he did, I bet if I could see the note I may get more answers. Yes I'm genius.

"What exactly did the note say?"

Dad gets up and leaves my room. Really dad you said ask anything and then you just get up and leave? He then comes back into my room holding a perfectly folded note. Never assume, Rose.

"Here this is the note that arrived with you. Plus a note for your seventeenth birthday" I straighten out the creases in the old, but carefully taken care of note, to see two sheets of paper, the first one says "sorry" and the other one says "happy 17th birthday my beautiful Rose" I read the one that says "sorry" first.

--Sir or madam, I am so sorry for putting our daughter on your doorstep. But I had too, she's in grave danger and this was the best way of protecting her. I can't tell you exactly, but it's horrible. They won't come after you, but they will me. My daughters name is Rose, and she's very special. Please shower her with the love, care and protection she deserves. Give her the next sheet of paper on her seventeenth birthday. Please don't tell her until then. Forever in your debt, Unknown.--

"Wow," I say softly. I look over at dad to see him tearing up. I walk over to him and give him a huge bear hug, realizing that I am crying as well. I can't believe my real parents put me with dad to protect me, it's very curious. Why was or am I in danger? When will I get to meet them (again?)? What do they mean by I'm special?

Well me and dad had a blast for the rest of the day. We

looked at old pictures of me, dad and sometimes mom, we went to the end of summer fair. Then we finished unpacking boxes. Lastly, we went school shopping. We did have lots of fun, but I'm still curious about my real parents. Oh man I start school tomorrow; better get some sleep.