Adoption

The prosecution attorney continues to attack the young man, puncturing him with words. Her client, the young woman sits quietly and listens.

"Cold-hearted.", "ruthless", "killer"…

These words bring her satisfaction. Her past is affecting the present—her past is materializing.

And even better, someone is paying for what she lost.

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"The orphanage is blessed to have you." Granny said that to you when I appeared at the door with you hiding behind me. She said that to everyone who entered the orphanage, even me. Except with you, her words had a truth in them.

When I told you to come with me, you asked if everyone in the orphanage would like you. I told you not to worry about it, and I thought to myself that everyone would probably like you.

I was wrong.

They loved you.

You became the center of attention. Granny always chose you to read the bedtime stories to everyone else, and all the kids wanted to play with you. You could've chosen to be friends with the other happy-go-lucky girls.

But for some reason that I still cannot understand even to today, you chose me.

And-I was too embarrassed to tell you this back then, but-I was happy for that. Because somehow, I had started to like you as well. It was probably that smile. With that smile on, you made it seem like there was no such thing as sadness, jealousy…all those things that make people cry these days. You were innocent. And…

I wanted you to stay that way.

With that in my mind, somewhere along the way as we grew up together, I made to myself a promise. I wanted to protect you, so that you could stay carefree.

That was before I realized how impossible it would be to keep that promise.

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The day our lives changed forever started as a normal morning.

As the memory of that day envelopes me in its smells, scenes, and noises—as if I am twelve years old again—I wonder if there was anything I could've done back then to change today

The day began with me trying to sleep in as long as I could; I thought back then that the more I slept the taller I would grow. Maybe I was right, but if I was, then I probably won't be growing any taller; I became an insomniac since the day we separated.

But you were sent by Granny to wake me up. And as always, for the past years we've spent together at the orphanage, you did so by getting close to my face and giggling: "Rise and shine Shiro-chan!" And even after two years of telling you so, you never seemed to understand that I was faking sleep (I wasn't that sound of a sleeper).

I opened my eyes and gave that same pissed look (I actually thought you would stop doing that). I was unfazed by how close your face was. It was something I grew used to. "I'm already awake."

And you, as always and unlike the others, were unfazed by my scowl. You understood that it wasn't that I didn't like you-I was just like that. So you just smiled that bright smile that reminded me of the sun, and chirped: "Good."

You got up from the ground and threw some clothes you got from my drawer by my straw mat. Then you skipped out the door and called out as you bounded down the stairs: "Breakfast will be ready soon!"

I didn't take long to dress. I threw on a simple T-shirts and shorts, but not the ones you gave me. I always made a point in doing that. You were always the motherly type, but I hated being babied. Especially by you, since you were the same age as me, taller, and a girl. I was such a kid back then, wasn't I?

I would do anything to even be babied by you now.

I went downstairs and found all the other orphans already seated at the table. Although it was never officially announced, each one of us had our own place at the table. Mine was always next to you, since you were the only person who wasn't scared of me.

It was when I was scarfing down my tenth blueberry pancake when a knock came from the door.

All of us stopped slurping, fighting for food, and doing all the other immature stuff we did back then to listen for who it could be. But both Granny's and the visitor's voices were too hushed to be heard from the dining room. We did hear the rustle of papers, and the scratch of a pen though. So we knew one thing: someone was moving out.

Maybe I was a weird orphan (I was different from all the other kids, after all), but I hoped it wasn't me. One of the many things I never admitted was that I liked the orphanage. All those complaints about the room being too small, the others being too noisy…they were all true. But still, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

As I am writing this, I realize how blind I was back then: I was so scornful of the kids with "perfect" lives and families that I failed to see that I already had a home of my own.

It was ten minutes later when Granny finally said something to us- that was to call you into the room.

When I heard "Momo-chan", I stopped reaching for my eleventh pancake. Suddenly, I didn't care if that extra pancake could've given me an inch.

You always handled situations differently than I did back then. Where I would've objected, you endured. And so, you obediently followed. But like I said before, you handled situations differently than I did.

So naturally, where I would've looked ahead, you looked back. And the person you looked to was me.

And the second I saw your eyes…I swear, I had never seen you as frightened as you were back then than any other time you looked to me. But I had already made my decision before I saw that look on your face; I made my decision the moment Granny called your name.

I wasn't going to let you go.

Thinking about it now, everyone must have been even more frightened of me when I scowled at the table. I didn't notice, or care, at that time. I was too busy trying to think of how to keep you here.

I hated feeling useless. I still do, but not as much as I did back then, or even at that time. I hated, and still hate, feeling useless in front of you. There was this aura you had about you that made me want to do my best.

And because I could see no other way at that time (and I still don't now), I got up, stormed into the room, and interrupted.

"Hinamori can't go!"

I don't know what the expression on Granny or the man's face was, since I was looking at the wooden floor that time. I probably seemed pathetic to them, and I must have known that back then too since I remember how hot with embarrassment my face felt.

I remember how hopeless I felt, and all the possible ways this could turn out wrong. I was on the fiftieth way of how the man could've rejected me when by some kind of miracle, he said:

"I can take him in too."

We both looked up in surprise. And we saw the man, our new father, smile.

Granny's voice seemed far away when she said. "Are you sure? Don't let Hitsugaya-kun intimidate you. He is quite the trouble-maker."

Granny was right, but even so, he only said. "Well, it would only make me feel guilty if I separate them. And besides," His brown eyes met mine, "this young man already seems to be close to Momo-chan anyway."

That was how we first met Aizen Sousuke.

A/N: I really don't have much to say, but as always: leave a review! I love those things! It makes me feel as if people actually read the pointless things I write.