Multi-verse: hopefully a love story

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"Aela, who do you want to live with? Mom or Dad?" the lady asked me.

My young mind froze. What does she mean? First of all, I do not know why I am here at the courtroom, mom said I needed to be here because this girl in front of me needs my answer.

"Mom" I called mommy. I want to cry. I felt like my tears are now about to burst -I can't hold it anymore.

"Aela, she's asking you" my dad said with his calm voice. I looked at him and I saw him almost crying. I look at my mom and she was looking at me directly with sharp eyes.

"Aela?" the lady called me.

"I am scared"

"It's okay. I am just asking you" she said with a smile. "Who do you want to go with?"

I looked at my parents, first my mom, she's looking at me intently, it seems like she was not even blinking. I looked at my dad, his hands were shaking and wasn't looking at me.

"Daddy, are you crying?" I asked innocently.

"No, Aela." And then he stood up and went to me. The man beside him even stood up to stop him but the lady who asked me made a gesture. "Listen to Daddy okay? I want to be with you. Trust me, Daddy loves you, Aela." When I heard him say that my tears began falling. My innocent mind can't understand what is happening. "Go with Mommy, Aela. This is hard for me but with me I am not sure if I can take care of you well. You'll probably wish one day you choose your mom, and I am afraid that will happen. I can be your dad no matter what. Just call me when you need a dad, okay?"

"Dad, I can't understand. This is scaring me" I said while my tears were continuously flowing down my cheeks.

"Enough" the lady said.

"Everything's gonna be okay" my dad said before planting a kiss on my temple and then turned his back at me. He sat next to the man in black suit.

"Aela, do you have answer now?" the lady asked again.

"Mommy?" I called her; she was not looking at me anymore. She is now looking behind her -smiling.

"You want to go with your mom?" I shake my head a little. I want to go with both of them.

The lady sighed. "Aela, you have to go outside to play okay? We have some adult stuff to talk about" I smiled at her. I understand that. I walk towards the door and push it with my little hands. The man beside mom helped me with the door. Outside was a hallway. And I saw a girl, she's wearing a pencil skirt and a black suit over her white shirt.

"Hello" I greeted her.

"Oh hi, little miss. What is your name?"

"I'm Aela Cosette Villanueva Matsuyama"

"Why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"

"They're inside that door" I said pointing towards the black door.

"Poor child" I heard her whispered while looking at the door. I looked at her innocently but she just smiled. "I'm Atty. Alix. You wanna go with me?"

I looked at her innocently again. "Why does everyone keep on asking me that?"

"What that?" she asked, still bending so I could see her face.

"The question. In there, the lady asked me if I want to go with mommy or daddy" I replied. She stood up and grabbed my hand. I looked up to her and saw her wipe her tears. When we started walking, I just talk and talk and talk. I told her how scared I was when the lady asked me. That no one explained to me what was happening that's why I cried – and she listened.

We went to her office and it was beautiful. I liked how organize everything was.

"Attorney, what is you work?" I asked again.

She giggled and pinched my cheeks before settling me down on the sofa. "You already said it, Aela. I am an attorney"

"Really? What do you do?"

"I defend other people. I become the voice of the voiceless and I make sure that justice is being serve"

"Oh, like dinner?"

She giggled again. "You remind me so much of Meteor."

"Who is Meteor?"

"My child"

"Really? Where is she?"

"With her mom"

"I thought she is your child?"

"A child doesn't need to come from you so you could be their mom. You just need to act like one, kiddo"

"What do you do to her?"

"I defend her"

"Like an Attorney?" I asked with sparkling eyes.

"Like an attorney, because I am one"

"I want to be like you"

"You will be. So, study well okay? We will meet again"

I stayed with her until she received a call. She brought me back to the same door but only my mom was there.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He's not coming home with us" my mom simply answered.

"Why?"

"Too many questions, Aela. Just accept it okay? He will never come home to us anymore. End of discussion." She almost yelled.

"Ma'am, that's not the only way to make her understand the situation, try to be gentler she's still young" Atty. Alix said.

"I am her mother"

"Got no question with that, but---"

"Who are you to meddle with our family affairs?"

"Ma'am, I know I am---"

"Attorney Valencia!" someone called her and whispered. She just sighed and looked at me with pity.

She walked towards me and pat my head. "See you soon, kiddo"