A/N: hey everyone! the song in this chapter is A Whole New World from Aladdin. Also, please review and comment! like i've said in my other stories, i love hearing your thoughts! they help me out a lot and help me figure out if i'm going in the right direction! thanks and enjoy! R&R!
I stayed crouched down by Kaylee for another minute, before standing. My parents slowly walked out of the living room and stopped when they saw me. The lump was back in my throat again, but I swallowed past it. "I'm sorry. I should... I should go. I didn't mean to cause any trouble," I babbled, numbly hoisting the two bags onto my shoulder.
"No," my mother said quietly, her eyes darting to the front door as if hoping her son would walk back through it. "We have extra bedrooms, you're welcome to stay in one. And dinner should be ready soon."
I hated when people pitied me, and that was exactly what my parents were doing. Pity that I had shown up, when clearly they didn't want me. "I really didn't mean to cause any trouble," I said.
My father gave me a tight smile. "Of course you didn't." It was probably my imagination, but a little voice in my head added but you did to the end of his sentence. "Go on upstairs and choose a room, and be back down in half an hour for dinner."
That was my dismissal. I nodded, scooped Kaylee up in my arms, and scurried up the stairs. Away from the family that had given me up and moved on to raise my brother. I found a room four doors down the hall from the stairs and claimed it. It was a nice room, with a queen sized bed covered with soft, dark purple bedding, a window overlooking the beautiful backyard, and a mahogany dresser, as well as a closet. I set Kaylee up on the bed with her coloring book and crayons, and quickly went in search of the bathroom. After trying a couple door (apparently I had chosen the room without a private bathroom), I stumbled into what must be the shared bathroom. It was nice, with granite tiles, a large tiled shower, jacuzzi bathtub, and granite sink, along with a white porcelain toilet. The best bathroom I'd ever seen. I returned to the bedroom to find Kaylee just as I'd left her. I sat down beside her and smiled as I watched her concentrating on the coloring book. Even if we were in the house of a family that hadn't wanted me, at least I had gotten her out of the house of a family who could hurt her.
Dinner was awkwardly quiet, and I busied myself with helping my daughter with her food even though she insisted on feeding herself on her own. After eating, I silently helped my mother clean up, briefly leaving Kaylee with her grandfather, and then I took her back up to the bedroom. I didn't feel bad about hiding out in the room, because my parents weren't really talking to me, either because they didn't know what to say or because they just didn't want to talk. So Kaylee and I spent the following hours reading and coloring. When she began yawning, I brought her to the bathroom to wash up and then settled her in the bed, laying beside her to wait until she fell asleep.
"I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide. I can open your eyes. Take you wonder by wonder, over, sideways and under, on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view. No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming." Kaylee's eyes fluttered closed as I sang softly, and I gently ran my hand along the top of her head, and then let it fall at my side. "A whole new world. A dazzling place I never knew. But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear, that now I'm in a whole new world with you. Now I'm in a whole new world with you! Unbelievable sights. Indescribable feeling. Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling, through an endless diamond sky. A whole new world, don't you dare close your eyes! A hundred thousand things to see. Hold your breath, it gets better. I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be. A whole new world. Every turn a surprise. With new horizons to pursue. Every moment red-letter. I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare. Let me share this whole new world with you. A whole new world; that's where we'll be. A thrilling chase; a wondrous place. For you and me."
Careful not to wake my peaceful-looking daughter, I slid off the bed and quietly rummaged through the duffel bag for my night shorts and large T-shirt, and changed out of my current clothes and into my nightclothes. It was amazing how exhausting traveling on buses all day and then listening to a fight could be. I crawled under the covers beside Kaylee and tried to forget about everything as sleep slowly stole over me.
When I opened my eyes, it took me a few minutes to remember where I was. To remember everything that had happened since I'd decided to run away from my adoptive parents. I rolled over, and my eyes met a pair of bright, wide awake, sparkling blue orbs.
Kaylee grinned widely and jumped up. "Wake up!" she said loudly, and then giggled.
I grinned and sat up, stretched, and then scooped her into my arms and pulled the covers over both of us. "Nope. Bedtime."
"No, up!" Kaylee said happily, clapping her hands. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"No, sleep, sleep, sleep!" I laughed.
"Mommy!" Kaylee screeched, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Wake up!"
I sighed dramatically and flipped the covers off of us. "Okay, I'm up." She clapped and giggled, making me laugh. I helped her walk to the bathroom, and then brought her back to the bedroom so we could change out of our nightclothes. After, we headed to the kitchen to find something for breakfast. I was expecting to see my parents, but the kitchen was empty. Someone had placed a folded piece of paper on the counter with my name on it, so I unfolded it to find a note.
Anya, we've gone out to do some errands. Help yourself to anything. Be back later.
Mom
My chest constricted. Not even a love, mom. Just mom. My chest constricted a tiny, painful bit. I took a deep breath and began rummaging through the fridge and cupboards, pulling out milk, bowls, and corn flakes. Kaylee moved around the kitchen, exploring the new surroundings. I poured corn flakes into two bowls, and added milk to one of them.
"Come on, hunny, time to eat," I said, and helped her up into a chair in the dining room. I sat down beside her with a spoon and scooped some cereal into my mouth. I watched her pluck one corn flake at a time from the bowl and pop each into her mouth, chewing and swallowing before taking another. After eating, I quickly cleaned up our dishes. A clock somewhere chimed eleven times, signaling that it was eleven o'clock in the morning. I had forgotten how nice it was to sleep late in the morning, considering ever since I turned twelve my adoptive parents had me getting up at the crack of dawn to do stupid shit before school.
Sunlight fell through the windows, and to my surprise there was no fog outside. It looked like a beautiful day. "Kaylee, do you want to go play outside?"
"No!" Kaylee cried, but smiled widely and clapped her hands.
I chuckled and, with her following closely, went in search of the back door. When we found it, I pulled it open and stepped aside to let my excited daughter rush through as fast as her little legs would carry her. I caught her just before she reached the steps leading down from the back porch and helped her down to the lawn, then let her go.
Instead of running off like I thought she would, she turned and grabbed my shirt in her little fist. "Got you!"
I laughed when she let go and started to scurry away. In three steps, I was able to scoop her up in my arms and spin her around. "I got you!" When I set her back on her feet, she tried to grab me, but I jumped out of her reach. She giggled loudly and hurried after me. I hopped backwards, letting her get just close enough to touch me and then jumping back. At one point when I jumped back, I stumbled and tripped backwards, flailing as I tried to catch myself. Almost as soon as I was flat on my back, Kaylee jumped on top of me.
"Got you!" she yelled happily, and then screeched when I began tickling her.
I slid her off my stomach and rolled over, and my eyes caught a figure on the back steps. My heart leapt into my throat, and for a moment everything froze as a wave of panic washed through me. But it subsided quickly when I realized that the person watching us wasn't my adoptive father who had come to take me back, but was actually the brother I had never known about. Behind him was his blond friend.