The next day seemed to be exactly the same for black-haired girl as any other day. Every day she would get up early in the morning, prepare for classes, exercise in silence, and then take a quick shower to wash the sweat out of her body. For Akali, it was a ritual she had been performing practically mechanically for twelve years. More than a decade ago, her whole world collapsed and her joy was taken away. That night her entire family died in a tragic accident, which only a tiny girl at the age of five, survived by a miracle. Then what she remembered were the fragments of memories of the hospital, and then the building of a governmental organization. The events happened very quickly and she was directed to an orphanage, where she has been staying until today. The staff of the orphanage quickly found out that they were dealing with a special child. The black-haired woman never cried, never caused any problems, studied diligently and willingly, which in the case of her peers was a real peculiarity. Her systematic and conscientious approach to education resulted in numerous awards, winnings in competitions and high scores. It might seem that she could be regarded as an example of a living ideal. She did not achieve success only on the scientific path. Sport was not foreign to her, whether it was football, athletics, martial arts or other manifestations of physical activity. In every field she did better than well, driven by her innate perfectionism, she improved her performance until she was alone at the top, leaving her peers far behind. However, this did not give her happiness, perfectionism or idealism, it killed her day by day, killing both her body and her mind, but she could not stop. She couldn't relax because she knew that only by working so hard or even harder she had any chance of achieving her goal - adoption.

Isn't it strange that she, a flawless child, couldn't find a family that wanted to adopt her? For a young woman, the knife in the heart was every scene in which one of her peers found a new home, a new family. It hurt her every time. Each time she fought each other to avoid running away to some secluded place and starting to cry, but she couldn't. She didn't cry. Her eyes no longer had tears to shed, her heart couldn't break anymore. Every time she saw the situation, one of the orphanage employees approached her saying that if she tried harder, it would be time for her to find what she was looking for those long years.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Year after year, she was inexorably maturing, which further reduced her chances of adoption. Thanks to the results she achieved and the rewards she managed to win, she could afford the additional activities that the centre was actually paying for with her money. They also opened an account for her, where they put a small amount of money aside each time a prize was given to them, explaining that they needed most of the money to cover her education and additional lessons. Akali agreed to this, but looking at the meagre amount of money in her account from time to time, she blurred her eyes every time she was surprised at what happened to the hundreds of dollars she won quite regularly.

On her seventeenth birthday, she ultimately lost hope. One more year and she will be forced to leave the walls that had been her home since the loss of her family. Given the small amount of money that had been put into her account and her lack of education, she could not imagine her life when she reached the age of adulthood. She may be able to find some casual work, but she wasn't entirely sure if that would happen. Unintentionally, her heart began to despair again, and the pain caused by the mass of thoughts was unbearable. She remembered very well that she didn't even sleep for a few minutes that night, and the next day she tried with great pain to pretend as if nothing had happened. From that day on, she became an even bigger robot than ever before, no matter what she did, she knew it wouldn't do her any good, but her perfectionism kept her working at 200%. With each passing day, the vision that she would end up alone on the street without the resources to exist seemed closer and more terrifying to her. She tried to fight it, slowly looking for job offers, cheap accommodation and thinking about what else she could do. This had a great impact on her. In the next few weeks she slept only a small amount of time, working even harder. Insomnia has become an integral part of her. When everything seemed to be a foregone conclusion and only a matter of time, unexpectedly, as if someone in heaven had remembered about her, a change came.

- Akali, could I have you in my office for a moment, please? - Mrs Thomson asked.

- Of course - she said and then she walked away from the large pine table in the orphanage cafeteria.

Emilia Thomson was a middle-aged woman. If she wasn't mistaken, she was thirty-five years old. Her long, hay-coloured hair was tied up in a sloppy braid that flowed down her back. The woman was slightly obese, and the clothes she was wearing only emphasized this. Her beer eyes were probably the only element of Emilia that intrigued Akali. The younger woman had the impression that Mrs Thomson's gaze was always passing through her, as if she was looking deep into her soul. The black-haired woman followed her to a small office that had been designated for the woman. It was not impressive according to Akali. It was a room of about twenty square meters in which there was a library, a desk, two chairs, a laptop, a small table on which she could see an amber substance in a decanter. The walls were painted blue, and the floor had the color of night as well as the rest of the furniture. There was no window in the room, so even during the day the light was on. Emilia Thomson sat in front of her computer and then pointed out the second seat with her hand. The younger one of them nodded only her head, and then sat down on the indicated piece of furniture.

- What would you like to talk about? - Akali immediately asked.

- Let me put it straight - she started. You were adopted, your protector will come tomorrow to complete the formalities and take you away. You'll be picked up in the morning.

For Akali time has faded. It can't be true, it's a ridiculous joke - said her mind. This is what you were waiting for - said the heart. As you know, the heart usually wins in the fight against reason and in this situation it was no different. Black-haired woman felt one, lonely tear flowing down her cheeks. She did not rub off on her, she focused her eyes on the woman before her and whispered.

- Thank you.

- You have nothing to thank me for - she answered with a slight smile.

- Could you tell me something about my protector? - She asked.

- I don't know much - she said honestly. According to what the director told us, she is twenty-five years old, a lawyer and a teacher. Her name is Evelynn Smith and she comes from a very wealthy family. I'm a little surprised that a woman at such a young age has been granted the right to adopt, but it's none of my business. I'm glad you finally succeeded Akali. You've waited too long for this - she added.

- It does not matter now Mrs Thomson - she answered with a clear, undisguised joy in her voice. I will have a home and a family that I have dreamed of for so long - she said, feeling more and more tears gathering, which could flow down her smooth cheek any moment now.

- That's right, our little primus - she giggled. Looking back, it will be the only person who was interested in you, or at least the only one we were informed about by the director. This is strange, but as I mentioned before, I think it's none of my business.

- I understand - she replied, nodding her head. Thank you for everything. Can I go now, I would like to pack? - She asked.

- Yes, of course. Akali - she called when the girl got up. Congratulations - she added quickly.

- You don't even know how much this means to me - she whispered.

- You're right, I don't know, and I would never wish anyone to know and go through the same.

The black-haired woman smiled again at an older woman, then left the office and moved towards her room. Tomorrow I start a new life - she remembered - a new, better life. With a wide smile, the young woman let herself run. No matter what awaits her tomorrow, it will be a new chapter in her life. She will start again from scratch. She will be like a clean notebook waiting to be filled in by the writer.