A fist pounding on Pearl's door made her jerk up off of her bed. Had she really fallen asleep? How long ago did this happen? She stood up and walked to the door. When she opened it Josh threw his arms around her.
"Josh, Josh, what are you doing?" She asked. It was not like him to display his affection in this way.
Josh stepped back and looked at her for a moment, then, he spilled. He told her that he knew about everything. He knew they were brother and sister, he knew about their parents, he knew everything.
Pearl felt relief flood her body, the secrets were all gone, their family could finally come together and be a family. They ran down stairs and out side to the bench where their parents sat.
"He knows! He knows!" Pearl called as they ran from the mansion.
The new family reached for each other all giving hugs to each member.
Julia cried, Dakota laughed whole-heartedly for the first time in a long time, Pearl cried, and all Josh could do, was grin from ear to ear.
Their laughs and shouts reverberated through the park and Xander watched from his room, his arms crossed over his chest. A sort of longing gripped his heart. He longed for the joy he saw on their faces, the laughter, their excitement. But the longing grew to bitterness, the stinging he felt after being excommunicated from his own family, and he hated Dakota. Why should he have this joy and Xander be left alone, with nothing? Xander vowed again to himself that Dakota would not live to see another day.