Adopted

Chapter 15

The next morning was the first day of school. Stephanie woke up just on time and full of energy and ready to start the day.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs with her school bag and saw Alexander making breakfast. Then she realised something – she got used to see him in his normal outfit at home, it didn't feel weird for anymore.

She just smiled, sat at the table and put her bag beside her.

"Oh, hey, good morning, Steph!" he greeted her with his usual big smile.

"Good morning. What are you making?" she asked him.

"Omelettes and salad."

"Mmm, sounds great!" she said as he served the plates and pour orange juice to both of them. She noticed that there were just two plates.

"Wait, Vale isn't joining us?" she asked and sounded a little worried.

"No, she's still asleep. But I'm going to make her a big breakfast later." He smiled.

"Her and the baby." Stephanie corrected and laughed.

"Why do you think I said "big"?" he laughed too.

They ate together and laughed, and it was time for Stephanie to go to school.

"Bye, have fun!"

"I will. Bye!"

*****

When Stephanie arrived to her class, just 5 minutes before the bell rang, she met her friends who were already there.

"Pinky, over here! I saved you a seat." Trixie called her. Stephanie just smiled at went to sit next to her best friend.

The gang began to chat until the bell rang and their teacher came into the classroom.

"Good morning class. I'm Mrs. Charles and I will be your teacher for this year." Mrs. Charles greeted her class nicely.

"Good morning, Mrs. Charles." The children said in unison.

"Alright, then. Now, I will read your names to check that everyone is here, so you may talk but silently so you can hear your name being called."

And so they did, they talked as quiet as they could, until the teacher made it to the letter S.

"Stephanie Scheving?"

"Here." Stephanie said and continued talking. Her friends and her got used to that name, but the other children didn't yet.

Everybody looked at her and began to ask her uncomfortable questions. Pixel was right.

"Everybody, silence! It's Stephanie's private issue, and if she doesn't want to answer your question she doesn't have to." The teacher told her class and continued reading the names.

*****

It was the end of the first school day, and Stephanie was glad it was over. Since the first break, everyone were bugging her with questions about her new family! She hated it. Fortunately, she had her friends to defend and help her out.

Alexander was running around the town at the time, when he heard the school's bell ringing. He went to meet Stephanie and walk home with her, and he did met her – but he met an angry and upset Stephanie.

"Hey, Steph! How was the first day of the fifth grade?" he smiled at her.

"It was ok." She replied dryly.

"Is everything ok? What happened?" he asked but all he got is silence.

They arrived home and Stephanie just went angrily to her room upstairs and closed the door.

"Is everything ok with her?" Valeria asked from the kitchen.

Alexander came from behind and hugged her.

"She won't tell me." He said and kissed her cheek.

"Ok, you know what? I'll go to talk to her. Just watch the spaghetti." She told him, released herself from his hug and went to her daughter upstairs. She slowly opened her door and saw that Stephanie was lying on her bed, facing to the pillow. But she wasn't crying as she expected she would be.

"Stephanie, mi amor, are you alright?" Valeria asked gently, sitting next to her.

"Yes." She barely heard from her.

"Can't you tell me what's wrong? I am your mother, after all."

Those words made Stephanie to roll over on her back and sit.

"That's the problem! Everybody annoyed me with questions about... us. Pixel was right back then." Stephanie began to cry.

"Sweety, you don't need to pay attention to those question! It's your private life and they don't have the right to mind in it. Did they say anything offensive or insulted you?" Vale asked worried.

"Well... There are these few kids... When I moved with uncle Milford, they made a joke out of it and said that I'm having favouritism because I'm the mayor's niece, and now they're at it again, except now it's because I'm Sportacus's daughter!" she explained and Valeria pulled her into a big motherly hug and rubbed her back.

"So what if they're saying that? As long as everybody else knows it isn't true, you shouldn't mind. Now, let's go have lunch, the baby is getting pretty hungry." Vale told her and laughed.

Stephanie laughed a little and then said "I'll be down in a few minutes." And hugged her.

Valeria left and went downstairs, and she saw that Alex had already served the plates to the table.

"Well, did she tell you what was going on?" he asked.

"Yes," she walked to him and leaned on the table "she said that everyone in school were asking her questions all day long about us and that Pixel was right. Anyway, she'll be down in a few minutes."

"Ok. And how are you feeling? Were you all right during the day?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, I guess. Nothing out of order." She smiled.

"And how about this little guy, huh?" he bent down and began to kiss her stomach, and she began to laugh until Stephanie interrupted.

"Ehem... Should I come later?" she asked, making them feel uncomfortable. Alex stood up and Vale looked away, not wanting them to see her smiling.

"Uh, no, no. Everything is fine. Uh, lunch is ready!" he announced as he tried to switch the subject. Stephanie just shook her head and laughed.

*****

Later that day, Stephanie decided to stay at home with her mother instead of going outside with her father and playing outside with her friends.

Alexander came home around 7:30pm to see Stephanie sleeping on Valeria's laps in the living room.

"Hey," he whispered and came closer, "how were you two doing?"

"Pretty great." She whispered back, "We were talking all day and watched some TV, then she went to shower around 6:00pm, then we ate dinner together, and then she was talking again to the baby until she fell asleep." She told her husband. He smiled.

"You know, I think it's just a matter of time until she calls us 'mom' and 'dad'."

"I hope so."

"Well, I think it's time that both of you will go to bed." He said and picked sleeping Stephanie up in bridal-style to her bedroom as Valeria followed him and fell asleep almost immediately.