"I'm what?"
Ben's parents called him to the living room one day because they had something very important to tell him…
"Ben, we have something to tell you…" said his mother Sandra with a serious voice
"What's that?" asked the 15-year-old boy.
"You remember when you were little you once asked us if you were adopted?" asked Sandra
"Yeah"
'Well, how seriously did you believe you were adopted?" asked Sandra
"I don't know. I mean I was just a little kid. I heard it some movie so I just wanted to mimic it. Why?"
"Because… I'm sorry to say to you Ben… that you are adopted…' said Sandra and looked at the floor.
'What do you mean?" asked Ben as if he didn't understand what she meant.
"Well as you know you have sensitivity to Gluten (an ingredient in flower) and before it was discovered you threw up everything you ate. And your real parents didn't know that at the time. So the government took you away from them because they thought they were neglecting you. But by the time the truth was found out, it was too late. So we couldn't give you back to them…" said Sandra
There was an eerie silence, which was eventually broken when Ben asked
"Then who are my real parents?…"
"We don't know. No once knows where they are…" said Carl speaking for the first time in this discussion.
"Listen Ben if there anything we can do for you…" began Sandra
"No! Stay away from me! I don't even know who you are anymore. I don't even know who I am anymore…" yelled Ben and he ran up to his room with a slight sob…
His parents felt very sad and guilty. They were sad for their foster son because he just found out he's adopted and they felt guilty they didn't bring him back to his real parents even though it was too late and because they didn't tell him sooner…
Days pass…
Ben has locked himself in his room for several days now and still hasn't come out…
In the meantime Gwen has heard about what happened and she decided to come over and help her cousin in the time of need.
She knocked gently on his bedroom door…
"Ben?" she asked softly
"Ben it's me. Can I come in?"
No one answered but she knew Ben was in there so she gently opened the door.
Ben looked terrible. His eyes were soaked with tears, he looked exhausted and his hair was wild…
"Oh Ben…" said Gwen softy and sadly as she embraced her cousin in a warm loving yet comforting hug…
"I'm sorry Ben…"
Ben still didn't answer even after Gwen released him and looked at him. His face looked frozen yet sad in a way. It looks like something was missing. It looked cold in a way. This was not her cousin she remembered. She remembered Ben as a kid who would smile a lot and would be jumping all over the place. But now she was looking into a person with a cold face and a frozen one. Something must have broken inside him. And Gwen thinks it was several things. Like his heart, his soul, his self-confidence and his trust in other people… and Gwen felt terrible about it…
"Ben, please say something to me. Anything. Just to let me be sure that you are all right, and the same Ben I know. The same Ben I fell in love with…"
Ben moved his face towards her and looked at her.
"You fell in love with me? But I thought you just loved me as a cousin…"
'At first I did. But then I realized I started to develop other feelings for you. Deeper ones. I eventually realized I was in love with you. I'm sorry if this grosses you out But…" Gwen was cut off by Ben hugging her lovingly and with very much emotion. She is the person he wanted to hug most. The only dear person left to him in the world… he too loved her. And he wanted to tell her that…
But Ben was crying like a little child… he couldn't stop crying and weeping and sobbing. It was clear that the news that his parents gave him were really devastating for him… and Gwen was the only one who could help him…
Gwen hugged him lovingly comfortingly and sympatheticingly … she kissed his head and patted him on it, trying to calm him and comfort him in the time of need. Ben just kept sobbing and put his arm around Gwen's shoulder as she put hers around his. She kissed his cheek and said to him
"shh… its okay Ben… it's okay…" and kissed him on his head again. Ben opened his mouth and spoke with a shaking voice choked with tears and said
"I'm glad to hear that you love me… you have no idea how much it means to me… I love you to Gwen… I love you toohhooo…" he sobbed the last word.
"Thanks for coming here to cheer up Gwen. You have no idea how much that means to me…"
"It was my pleasure Ben… I love you. I was glad to help you…
'Thanks Gwen…" said Ben as he was still sobbing as Gwen kissed his hair again and tightened the embrace around him…
To be continued…