February 1991 – 3 years old

Fate is a fickle mistress and she had been both supremely cruel and remarkably kind to three-year-old Sophia Jensen. Born to a father who denied her and a mother who adored her, her life to date had been a surprisingly sheltered one, mostly owning to her iron-fisted father, Gabriel Castoro. He, and he alone, determined the course of the lives of her and her mother, through financial control and a heavy hand. There had been no pre-school for the little girl, no playdates in the park, no days spent splashing in the ocean waters, no magical holiday trips to the mall to see Santa. Most of Sophia's life had been contained inside of the four walls of the apartment where she and her mother lived. It was all she had ever known, and therefore had never come to question why she was not a part of the world that she had so little knowledge of.

But there had been dance class… Until her father had put a stop to it as well.

It was alright though, because at the center of her universe had been her mother. Her mother with long, strawberry blonde hair that was as soft as silk. Her mother with bright green eyes that danced with merriment. Her mother who would spend hours with her coloring in coloring books, dancing in the living room, playing hide-n-go-seek, singing nursery rhyme songs, baking cookies with her and playing dress up. Her mother who would lie on her bed with her each night as they listened to Rosemary's Bedtimes Stories together. Her mother who made certain she knew each minute of every day that she, Sophie, was smart, beautiful, amazing, safe and so very, very loved. Her mother was not only her Mommy but her entire universe.

And then, in an instant, she had watched as two men had taken her universe away. There would be no more hugs when she was frightened… and she was suddenly so deeply afraid. There would be no gentle hands that played with her hair when she was sad… and she was suddenly sadder than she had ever been before. There was no more home, no more Mommy, no more best friend. Only her, all alone.

Then she had made a friend, and she wasn't so alone anymore. Still frightened, still sad, still homeless but not as alone as she had been only a few hours before. And at night, when she was her most frightened, most sad, her friend was there sleeping next to her, making her feel safe, comforting her. That little girl with the black hair, bright blue eyes and the slightest sprinkling of freckles on her forehead. Olivia. Livvie. Her Livvie.

"For me?" she asked so quietly she could be barely heard, as her large green eyes moved from the bed to the woman standing slightly behind her.

"For you, kopelia mou," Melina confirmed, laying both her hands on Sophie's shoulders.

Sophia didn't know what to think, what to say, what to do. No one except her Mommy – well, a time or two, Uncle Bernard – had ever given her anything before. It was a pretty bed, just like Olivia's right next to it: white coverlet with tiny embroidered rosebuds, lace trimmed pillow shams. Fit for a princess, that bed was. It was a wonderful present and that someone wanted to give it to her?

She knew it should make her happy. And it did. But it also made her feel… sad… uncertain… frightened.

Her emotions… so many questions… whirled around her. If the bed was hers, would it go with her when she wasn't here anymore? Where would she go? To the father who didn't like her? The man who didn't talk to her, but did yell at her. The man that sometimes hurt her? He man who scared her Mommy, hurt her Mommy, made her Mommy cry? She didn't want to go there. She was afraid to go there. Would they make her go there? As she brought her thumb up to her mouth, her chest started to heave.

She tried to speak, she really did. She tried to say thank you, as her Mommy had always taught her to. But she couldn't. All she could think was that if her Mommy was there, she would know what to do. She wanted her Mommy, so bad that it hurt. Her chin began to tremble.

Then suddenly her Livvie was there, hugging her.

"It's okay, Sophie. Don't be sad."

And suddenly she wasn't so frightened.

"Have you ever jumped-id on a bed, Sophie?" Sophie shook her head in answer, only discover her hand in Livvie's as she was being dragged towards her new bed. "C'mon, I'll show you!" Olivia promised.

Soon, the laughter of two little girls filled the room as they jumped on a brand new bed, all the losses suffered, all the uncertainties, all the confusion forgotten for now.

Melina watched over it all, blinking her eyes rapidly, and in that moment decided if Xenos and Laura would not adopt Sophie…

She would.