𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐨𝐦𝐛/𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧

thirty four.

OLIVIA BAKER POV

NEXT DAY

Jordan and I have been avoiding our parents ever since we got home yesterday. We're not mad at mom, but dad? That's a whole different story.

How could he never tell us that we had a brother? An adopted one at that? And Grace didn't tell us the whole story of how Latrelle ended up in her care. She just said that dad should be the one to tell us, and he should, but I honestly can't even look at him right now.

Mom sensed that something was wrong because she came into my room and said, "Hey honey. Uh, I'm assuming that you and your brother have some things that you need to confront your father about because Jordan's downstairs lashing out on him as we speak."

I dashed downstairs after that. I ran into the living room and heard Jordan shout, "WHEN WERE YOU GONNA TELL US?!"

Dad's sitting on the couch all confused. "Tell you what?!"

"THAT YOU ADOPTED LATRELLE!"

Dad froze up while mom defended him. "Woah! Don't come in here with that nonsense, Jordan!"

Now I defended Jordan. "It's not nonsense! Grace told us everything!"

"Grace?" Dad repeated angrily. "You went to visit Grace by yourselves?"

"Well, Jordan dragged me there."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Dad raged at Jordan, getting in his face and everything.

I stepped in between them. "Okay I never defend Jordan, but don't try to blame this on him because this is on YOU, dad! We really have an adoptive brother that we didn't know about?!"

Jordan looked at mom. "Mom, did you know?"

"Of course I knew."

"Then why keep it a secret?!"

Mom sighed and took her time to respond. "Because the reason why Latrelle is no longer under our care is partly because of me."

"And me," Dad quickly said as he stood beside her. "I should've been man enough to take care of him."

I placed my hands on my head. "I am so utterly confused! Can someone PLEASE explain everything?!"

Dad nodded. "I will but not right now."

Jordan objected. "NO! Enough with the secrets and the stalling!"