Aragons (TO BE REWRITTEN SOON)

Chapter Twenty

"What are you doing?" Raia asks with a frown as she sits on the bed, which creaks beneath her weight.

The bed issues another creaking noise when Sonnet takes a seat next to her. To her disbelief, Sonnet starts brushing her hair.

"What are you doing?" Raia repeats. The woman's sudden show of affection throws her into a state of confusion.

"Raia," Sonnet utters in that soothing voice of hers, still brushing her hair. "Did you know I'm the self-professed mother of this large family?"

Raia frowns. "Mother?"

"Yes. We're a family here, as Nathan mentioned back at the hospital."

"Family," Raia mumbles in a barely audible voice.

Sonnet smiles. "I've always wanted to be a mother and have my own family since I was a child. But, knowing the state of our world and the fact that I am one of the few people who know the truth, I chose to devote myself to the Light and abandon my small dream. Azarios called me to be his disciple, so I couldn't let him down. This world needs my help."

When Raia looks at her face, she recognizes sadness as well as happiness in her face.

"However, even if I had already given up on that dream, it appears that Azarios had given me the opportunity to realize it," Sonnet continues. "He gave me this organization. The people here have become like family to me. I became their mother. My long-held desire to start a family has finally come true."

"But . . . they're not really related to you," Raia says in hushed tones, her face unreadable.

Sonnet looks at her for a few moments, her hand pausing from brushing her hair, then her mouth softens in a gentle smile. "I understand what you mean, Raia, but a family is more than just blood. Those who aren't blood relatives can sometimes feel more like family than those who are. What is important is their trust and loyalty to one another."

Raia stays silent as she mulls over what Sonnet said.

"I know you've already been adopted by Simon and thus you two are officially family, but may I steal you from him?" Sonnet says, and she chuckles when Raia regards her with a bewildered look.

"Of course, Simon is also a member of this family, so you're already one of us. There aren't many girls here, and you're currently the only female Aragon in this Branch. So, will you let me be your mother?"

Raia does not respond; instead, she simply stares at her. She's at a loss for words, to be honest. The woman in front of her does not give off the same vibes as the women from the orphanage. Sonnet looks . . . genuine.

Is she?

Raia feels the wall around her cracking slightly, but she immediately repairs it, not wanting it to crumble and expose herself as a result. Contradicting emotions and thoughts flash through her mind. Didn't the woman from the orphanage tell her the same thing? The first person who claimed to be her mother treated her like a tool. She won't fall for the same trick.

I want to trust her. I want to treat her like a mother.

No.

I can't trust her. I can't trust any of the people here. Not yet. But . . .