Birth Rights ((BH6 fanfic))

Chapter 3: Meet You

Tadashi's POV

I looked around at the familiar orphanage. When I walked in, I didn't see anyone at first.
"Hello?" I called. I looked around again, only to see a young woman and a young man enjoying a kiss by the window. When she heard my voice she immediately pulled back from the kiss and ran over to the front desk.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, sir! How can I help you today? Are you here to pick up, drop off, looking for an adoptee candidate?"
"Actually, I'm looking for the girl in this photo. Her name....well I don't know her name."

She seemed stunned when I showed her the photo. Her breathing became shorter and quicker. She looked up at me with big, auburn puppy eyes.
"I-is it y-you?" She spoke softly and looked like she was about to cry. "A-are you T-Tadashi Hamada?"

How did she know my name? I looked at her again. Her pale skin, cheeks covered in freckles, eyes like treasure, wavy, dirty blonde hair. It all came rushing back to me. "B.B.?"

She stood quickly and ran around the desk. When she got around the desk she pulled me into a tight hug. "TADASHI HAMADA!!! Is it really you?"
"Yea, it's me." I hugged her back.

"It's been so long!! You've really grown." she looked up at me, holding my shoulders like I was a long lost son meeting his mother for the first time. It was true, I had grown quite a bit in the past eleven years, but so had she. She was prettier than ever. I was at least a head taller than her. The man walked over to B.B. and put his arm around her.

"Who's this?" The man asked to B.B.
"Oh! Michael, Tadashi. Tadashi, Michael. Tadashi was my best friend from birth. Our parents knew each other well....before the accident. Tadashi, I heard about your entrance into SFIT! And Hiro's as well! Congrats!"
We shook hands, but you could tell that there was a slight amount of tension between us. I wanted to be friends with this guy. What was up here?
"Hello, Michael. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."

B.B. looked out the window. Then she turned to us. "Well, I've gotta go check on the kids, you know them. Always pushing each other around." With that, she left the two of us in the front office, alone. Michael stormed up to me and grabbed my shirt, looking me in the eyes, his sea-green eyes piercing my brown ones.
"Woah, dude, let me go!" I tried to get him off of me.
"Look pal, I want you to know something straight off the bat: she's mine."
"What?"
"Basil's my girl. We started dating in eighth grade."
"Do you really think that I took a plane all the way from San Fransokyo just to find B.B. and get her to date me? I didn't know she was going to be here!"
"Yea sure you didn't."
"I'm not kidding."
"And neither am I. Stay away from her."
With that, he followed her outside, acting like nothing ever happened.

I sat waiting at the front desk when an older woman walked up. Her once black hair was greying and her cream colored skin had smile wrinkles. She had warm, dark blue eyes that seemed motherly and welcoming.
"Hello, sir. Are you waiting for someone to help you?"
"No, no. I was just here to find someone."
"Which child are you looking for?"
"She's not a child anymore." I looked out the window at B.B.
"Oh. You were looking for B.B. She works here now. You seem familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Then I realized who this was.
"Mrs.Stephens, it's me, Tadashi Hamada."
A look of recognition came across her face as she walked up to hug me.
"Tadashi! Oh it's been so long and you've grown so much.... How's Hiro?"
"He goes to SFIT now."
"Well, good for him! Oh, Tadashi, I meant to give this to you." She handed me a letter. "It was supposed to be given to you before you left but I forgot."
"Thanks, Mrs.Stephens."
"Judy. Just call me Judy."

I smiled and hugged her one last time. Then I sat down to open the envelope as she walked away to cook what smelled like lasagna for the children.