The Great Sacred Bird
A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers especially Erato227 and Meitora! Sorry I haven't updated in a while.
Chapter Three: Bui-doi
~~~
We owe them fathers, and a family
A loving home they never knew
That's why we know, deep in our hearts
That they are all our children too
~~~
Tam Scott was sixteen years old. Well, he was going to be seventeen in a few weeks, but who was keeping track? His parents were constantly asking what he wanted for his birthday, he kept tell them what any teenager who could drive would want...a car.
However, there was something more than just an automobile that he wanted for his birthday, but didn't dare ask for. Tam knew that he was adopted, his parents, well, adopted parents, Chris and Ellen had told him this when he was a young child.
::Flashback::
A young Tam is in his bed, waiting to be tucked in for the night.
"Honey," Ellen gently told Tam, "we have to tell you something. There is a reason why you don't look like me. You're adopted."
"What's adopted?" wondered Tam innocently.
"Adopted," explained Ellen, "is that someone else gave birth to you, but you live with us because they couldn't care for you."
"So you're not my parents?" asked Tam, clearly upset.
"We are sweetie, we will always be your parents, but we just don't look alike. We still love you very much."
"Why did the other people give me up? Didn't they love me too?"
Chris, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke. "Tam, you birth mother loved you more than anything in the world. She gave you up so that you could have a better life and grow up safe."
"Ok, mom, can you read me a story now?"
"Of course honey."
As Ellen began to read Tam his bedtime story, Chris slipped out of the room and let out a shaky breath. He would not break down, not now. Tam deserved a good life, and he would not dwell in the past. It was better this way, for explaining the truth would be complicated. A little white lie never hurt anyone. Kim would understand. God, Tam was looking more like Kim everyday; it was getting hard to not think about her, and what she'd done. He hated himself for causing her death; it was something he would never forgive.
::End Flashback::
Tam didn't remember much about his birth mother, only a vague blur of a face. He wanted to remember, wanted to know more. In his heart, he believed that whoever she was, she was still out there, and needed him. His parents had told him that she gave him up so he could have a better life, well, he was going to make her proud.
Tam was frustrated though because he couldn't talk to anyone about his feelings. His mom would shake her head and tell him that she didn't know anything. His dad, his dad would get this haunted look in his eyes, and give Tam vague answers. Sometimes, the answers wouldn't even make sense, as if Chris was making the answers up to appease Tam.
The only person Tam could talk to about his birth mother was the person who brought Tam to Chris and Ellen, a friend of the family named John. John worked at the nearby adoption agency and apparently asked Chris and Ellen if they would care for Tam. John always listened to Tam. Although John was not allowed to disclose a lot of information, Tam was able to learn from John that his birth mother was eighteen when he was born in Vietnam. This information was enough for now, but Tam secretly yearned for more. Perhaps this year would be the year of answers for him.
A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers especially Erato227 and Meitora! Sorry I haven't updated in a while.
Chapter Three: Bui-doi
~~~
We owe them fathers, and a family
A loving home they never knew
That's why we know, deep in our hearts
That they are all our children too
~~~
Tam Scott was sixteen years old. Well, he was going to be seventeen in a few weeks, but who was keeping track? His parents were constantly asking what he wanted for his birthday, he kept tell them what any teenager who could drive would want...a car.
However, there was something more than just an automobile that he wanted for his birthday, but didn't dare ask for. Tam knew that he was adopted, his parents, well, adopted parents, Chris and Ellen had told him this when he was a young child.
::Flashback::
A young Tam is in his bed, waiting to be tucked in for the night.
"Honey," Ellen gently told Tam, "we have to tell you something. There is a reason why you don't look like me. You're adopted."
"What's adopted?" wondered Tam innocently.
"Adopted," explained Ellen, "is that someone else gave birth to you, but you live with us because they couldn't care for you."
"So you're not my parents?" asked Tam, clearly upset.
"We are sweetie, we will always be your parents, but we just don't look alike. We still love you very much."
"Why did the other people give me up? Didn't they love me too?"
Chris, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke. "Tam, you birth mother loved you more than anything in the world. She gave you up so that you could have a better life and grow up safe."
"Ok, mom, can you read me a story now?"
"Of course honey."
As Ellen began to read Tam his bedtime story, Chris slipped out of the room and let out a shaky breath. He would not break down, not now. Tam deserved a good life, and he would not dwell in the past. It was better this way, for explaining the truth would be complicated. A little white lie never hurt anyone. Kim would understand. God, Tam was looking more like Kim everyday; it was getting hard to not think about her, and what she'd done. He hated himself for causing her death; it was something he would never forgive.
::End Flashback::
Tam didn't remember much about his birth mother, only a vague blur of a face. He wanted to remember, wanted to know more. In his heart, he believed that whoever she was, she was still out there, and needed him. His parents had told him that she gave him up so he could have a better life, well, he was going to make her proud.
Tam was frustrated though because he couldn't talk to anyone about his feelings. His mom would shake her head and tell him that she didn't know anything. His dad, his dad would get this haunted look in his eyes, and give Tam vague answers. Sometimes, the answers wouldn't even make sense, as if Chris was making the answers up to appease Tam.
The only person Tam could talk to about his birth mother was the person who brought Tam to Chris and Ellen, a friend of the family named John. John worked at the nearby adoption agency and apparently asked Chris and Ellen if they would care for Tam. John always listened to Tam. Although John was not allowed to disclose a lot of information, Tam was able to learn from John that his birth mother was eighteen when he was born in Vietnam. This information was enough for now, but Tam secretly yearned for more. Perhaps this year would be the year of answers for him.