Naia's POV
"Look, I think we owe you an apology." Victor, no, Dad, said. "Let us explain."
I nodded and without really realizing, I had grabbed onto Gabby's hand.
"We had already had a boy, Nolan. When he was four, I found out that I was going to have another child, which was you." Kristen, or Mom I guess, said. I nodded again, knowing that I probably looked stupid.
"We thought you were a boy. We were thrilled to have another bundle of energy running through the house." Kristen said, rather wistfully. My brain was already turning though and I started putting the pieces together before anybody said anything.
"It turned out that the doctors had made a mistake and when you were born, we were shocked that you were a girl." Victor said and I stood up. I pushed the chair back underneath the table and walked away and out of the cafe. I could hear Matt and Gabby calling my name but nothing was registering in my brain to stop. Instead, I slumped down against the brick wall of the cafe and buried my head into my knees. I heard the door open from beside me and felt two people sit down on either side of me.
Nobody spoke for a moment. It was Gabby who broke the silence.
"You ready to go home?" She asked and I nodded and got up. We walked to the car and got in, Matt in the driver's seat like before. The whole ride home was silent. When we got to the apartment, as soon as Gabby unlocked the door, I hung up my coat and went to my room. I closed the door and climbed into bed and under the covers. Pulling the covers over my head, I felt tears threaten to escape.
They didn't want me because I was a girl.
Because I was a girl, they left me at the Samuals place. Because I was a girl, I was beaten everyday. Because I was a girl, I nearly died in a fire. Because I was a girl, I'm picked on at school for being a foster child.
Because I was a girl, they didn't want me.
I stopped trying to stop the flow of tears and let them roll down my cheeks. Letting out a sob, I closed my eyes and slowly fell asleep.
When I woke up, my head hurt, my hair was partially wet from the tears that had fallen onto them, and I didn't want to get up. There was a knock on my door but I didn't feel like answering. The door didn't open though so I rolled over so I was facing away from the door. I never wanted to talk to my parents again. I didn't want anything to do with my biological parents.
"Naia? You okay in there?" I heard Gabby's voice ask from outside my room. When I didn't reply, the door opened slowly and I heard Gabby come over to my bed and the side of the bed dip from her weight.
"Naia?" She repeated my name and I rolled over to face her. When I saw her, I broke down, sobbing.
Gabby pulled me close to her and stroked my back, gently shushing me. "It's okay sweetie." She said as I continued to cry.
"They didn't want me because I was a girl." I whispered. "They didn't want me."
Gabby didn't say anything but kept comforting me. Eventually, I settled down and sat up in bed.
"I don't want anything to do with them." I said. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"Sweetie, give them some time. I know you're angry, I would be too but maybe-"
I cut her off and shook my head, "No. They didn't want me. I don't need them."
Gabby nodded slowly, "Alright, how about this. Wait at least two days before you call them again." I thought about it before nodding back in agreement. That was fair and very reasonable.
"Come on, let's get a snack." Gabby said and followed her out of my bedroom and to the kitchen.