The moment I laid my eyes on her. The brown haired little girl who's eyes were identical to my own. The cigarette between her fingers as she stared at me and my sons.
I took note of her small height, far too small compared to myself and her brothers; even her mother had quite a bit of height. The curls of her brown hair and the golden tan skin she had. I noticed the sticker tattoos on her left forearm, all of them no doubt having their own meaning. Her figure was almost exactly like her mothers, curvy and femininely petite, but the muscles in her arms obviously showed she exercised. I also saw the scars.
Starting from the top of her left eye, slitting through her eyebrow, down to the middle of her high left cheekbone. I saw the scars littering the back of her right hand, and her right bicep. A long knife scar starting at her collar bone and disappearing beneath her navy prison uniform.
When we saw her file, we decided to only see the medical so we could keep her safe, but didn't see the criminal, deciding she should get to tell us herself. Her medical file only held her birth certificate and her required infant and toddler injections; nothing more, nothing less.
There was no explanation for the scars or the loneliness in those pale blue eyes.
She walked with confidence and pride, as if anyone could try and tare her down, but would fail miserably. I saw straight through her fake smiles, and false displays of happiness. I have no doubt Antonio and Mateo did so too.
"Kalina, what do you want to order?" The man with tattoos asked me.
"A twenty box of chicken nuggets with extra large chips and a cheese burger with a black coffee..." I listed off, waiting for him to tell me his name.
"Mateo, I'm the oldest brother." The tattooed guy -Mateo- answered.
"And I'm Antonio, the second oldest." The other man filled in.
Mateo ordered my food for me, and came back inside the limousine and gave me my meal. As I munched away I noticed we were driving closer and closer to the airport.
"Where are we going?" I asked, glancing out the window to see another plane landing on the runway.
"Home." My father answered.
"And where is your home?" I continued, getting uneasy around these technical strangers.
"L.A, our jet is ready to take off as soon as we get there." My father, said giving me small smile.
"What's your name?" I asked him, not comfortable calling him my father.
"Christopher; you can call me that if you wish." He said, a bit of disappointment in his tone.
I just looked at him before continuing to eat my McDonald's. The drive remained in silence, the three of them giving me occasional looks while I just ate. Eventually we arrived at the airport and all four of us piled out of the car.
The private jet was completely black, with white walls I could see through the windows and open aeroplane door. There was a boy stood there wearing a white button up shirt and vest with slacks, greeting Christopher as he was the first to climb up the steps.
"Good morning Miss.Montessori." The boy said.
He had light blonde hair and fair brown eyes, his accent from Amsterdam as he spoke in slightly broken English.
"Goedemorgen." I said, my Dutch a little rusty with my accent but understandable all the same. (Good morning)
"jij spreekt Nederlands?" He asked, a small blush forming on his cheeks. (You speak Dutch?)
I just nodded my head, and made my way past a gobsmacked Christopher and took a seat in the corner of the plane.
Antonio started chuckling once he saw what seat I was in while Mateo just grumbled under his breath. I'm taking this to assume the chair is Mateo's and I've stole it.
Not the only thing I've stole.
I ate the remainder of my meal, and put the rubbish in a bin before leaning back in my seat. I started tapping my feet, boredom taking over me.
It seems Antonio saw this, as he asked "Do you have any games on your phone?"
"I don't have a phone." I chuckled, man spreading on the fine leather seat.
"What? Your mother never gave you one?" Christopher said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Please." I laughed. "With her addiction to drugs and me being juvie there was no room for a phone."
The three of them exchanged an odd look, before Mateo took out his phone and handed it to me. "Download whatever you want, it's a long flight." I gave him an appreciative smile, and started downloading games to play.
After a few hours, Antonio and Mateo went inside the 'bedrooms' while the sun began to lower beneath the fluffy white clouds. Later, when Antonio returned, Christopher took his bedroom and went to sleep as I assume.
Antonio sat beside me reading, while I just stared out the window to the clouds below. Some time had passed until he closed the book he was reading with a title I couldn't understand, and faced me with a curious look.
"Have you ever flown before?" Antonio asked as he leaned back in the cushioned leather sofa.
"No, only ever travelled by motorcycle, car and boat." I answered, picking up the glass of orange juice the blushing Dutch boy brought me earlier.
"And where have you travelled to?" Antonio continued, smiling a little as I began listing off the places.
"The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, China, Monaco, especially Ireland and Scotland."
"So you've had your fair share of travels." Antonio chuckled, folding his large arms across his broad chest. "How did you get there if Angelica was hooked on drugs?"
"I have certain friends, who have certain friends who loved me to bits and convinced them to bring me with them." I smiled, remembering the wonderful times I had with my real family.
"Do you still see them?" My eyes snapped to the door, where Mateo's voice came from.
He had changed suits, and his hair was slightly messier. There was a dangerous look on his face, but he looked even more curious.
"Most of them got arrested with me, since they weren't blood related, and known criminals, they weren't allowed to visit." I sighed, wishing I could see their faces again.
Mateo nodded his head silently, while Antonio was clearly biting his tongue. Instead I leant back and relaxed for the remainder of the flight.
Christopher returned after some time, and didn't ask about the tense silence between the three of us. He did however give the brothers a look to say we'll discuss it later.