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Third Person
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
(Mention of rape in this chapter.)
3 years later.
She still remembered the day like it was yesterday.
She ran, of course, she ran, it was all she had ever known.
When her biological mother was raped, her sperm donor ran.
When her foster sister was fed up, she ran.
When her mum had beat her until she couldn't anymore so she wasn't reminded of that night, she ran.
That's all anyone ever did around her so how was she supposed to face her problems and troubles head-on when all she had known was how to run.
Iris was a neglected child she was never loved, never cared for but how could she expect love from a mother that didn't even want her.
Mention of rape.
16 years ago
It was 1:45 am and Sofia had left the house to get pads, mother flow decided to greet her a week early. Sofia was originally from Greece but recently moved to America in hope of finding a better life. As she got into the shop she collected some pads and some bars of chocolate and waited outside for her Uber.
As she was stood facing forwards with her earphones plugged in she couldn't hear nor see the man coming from the alleyway. All of a sudden she was grabbed from behind, she began thrashing around in his grasp, but he soon overpowered her and dragged her into the alleyway.
Right as his hand left her mouth she began to shout but her cries were silenced as his hands enclosed her throat suppressing her screams.
Tears covered her face as she begged the man to let her go but he just laughed before pulling her tracksuit bottoms down.
As her Uber approached he began calling her phone, when no one came to the car he was about to leave but his eyes caught sight of the phone on the floor
He left the car and picked it up, seeing all the missed calls he went into the shop and handed it in. It was as if the shopkeeper had a feeling something was wrong so he pulled up the security footage and saw her being dragged into the alleyway.
They called the police immediately, but it was too late.
By the time they had got there her clothes were in shreds, she was battered and bruised with blood leaking onto the floor and the man was gone.
Mention of rape over.
Sofia gave birth to Iris hoping she could love her but she couldn't, whenever she looked at her she remembered that night. It was so bad she couldn't even name her one of the nurses did.
That night had changed her, embittered her, she was once a woman full of love but that love had been lost. It was now replaced by hatred and anger for the man, for that night and her baby girl, Iris.
* * *
"Donatello I've found her she's in California," Nazaire spoke and Donatello just looked at him waiting for him to continue " she's lived in five different foster homes since she's been there but has now been staying in Brown Oak foster care for the past year."
"She's sixteen right,"
Nazaire nodded.
"So how the hell did she get from New York to California at the age of thirteen,"
"I don't know, but you can ask her when we get there,"
"You've already booked the plane tickets,"
"Well Marco's not her to fly us in the net so yes I've booked the plane tickets, I've also organised all the adoption papers so they should be expecting us,"
"How long have you known where she is?"
"Don't worry, all you need to do is tell the others, a lady called Mrs Wood should be telling her in the next 30 minutes," Nazaire said as he glanced down at his watch.
Donatello was a no-nonsense man, and ever since the night his mother died he'd been the rock for his family and had denied himself the right to grieve and breakdown.
Nazaire knew his brother wouldn't have wanted to be bothered with the long process of all the assessments and the whole legal process so while he was away on business Nazaire had sorted it all out.
"Well then I'm going to tell your brothers," he straightened his suit and called everyone into the family room.
"Is this going to take long, I was busy," Dante started but on glare from Emiliano shut him up.
"Do you remember when mamma died," they all nodded,
The mood had changed and the pain had become more apparent, it was there they could all feel it.
"And the girl,"
"The pretty one mamma worked with," Nario called out, happy he remembered something.
"Yeah, little man that one,"
"Before mamma died she asked one thing of us," he started, "she asked us to adopt her and to bring her into the family,"
The room was silent.
"So I'm going to have a big sister," Nario questioned with a smile on his face.
"No, she's not coming here," Dante spat.
The three eldest turned their heads towards him, before their mother's death his temper had been bad but bearable but their mother's death was like a catalyst to his anger.
And he was fuming, next to him sat Valerius and though he hadn't exploded yet he was bound to at any moment. His knee was shaking and he was cracking his knuckles, this wasn't going to end well.
"Excuse me," Donatello said through his gritted teeth.
'Here we go again' Lorenzo thought to himself.
He was probably most excited to have Iris come as he had always wanted a sister to bond with, though clearly not all his brothers felt the same way.
"She can't stay," Valerius muttered
It was now two against three.
"And why not?" Emiliano countered.
"She doesn't belong here, she's not even blood,"
"Family doesn't always mean blood," The three boys muttered remembering their mothers words.
"How sweet, did you hear that in one of your fucking motivational podcasts," Valerius spat.
By now the three boys were fuming, Emiliano took Nario out if the room whilst Leonardo and Valentino just sat back and waited to see how this would turn out.
"Actually our mother said that to us before she died,"
A flash of guilt passed through Valerius's eyes but he quickly covered it up, he knew he was in the wrong but his pride would never let him admit that.
"She was dying, she didn't mean it," he said in a low tone, even he had difficulty believing what he said.
"It's one thing to disrespect me but you will not invalidate your dead mother's feelings," Donatello spoke deathly calm. "You're grounded until I see fit, is that understood,"
Valerius just stormed out the room slamming the door behind him. Donatello left through the order door muttering a string of profanities on his way out.
"Well, that went, well," Valentino commented.
* * *
"Come in," Iris called out as she heard the knocks on her door.
"Iris dear, I have some news," Mrs Wood started,
At hearing this Iris sat up closing her book as she waited for Mrs Wood to continue.
"There's someone that would like to -,"
"No thank you," she quickly declined.
Mrs Wood gave her a sharp look "There's a man that would like to adopt you," and at hearing those words Iris froze.
We can only make predictions
She remembered like it was yesterday.
She won't be able to respond to anything you say
The pain was a prominent feeling in her chest, though it had never left some days were just easier than others.
Iris, she's dying.
And it was the pain that reminded her why she couldn't get attached.
"I can't, I don't want to be adopted,"
Mrs Wood looked at the girl with sadness on her face "At least meet them, they're coming from New York to meet you,"
Iris scrunched her eyebrows together, "New York?"
"Yes, New York," Mrs Wood repeated before making her way towards the door.
"Wait," Mrs Wood turned to face the girl. " What's the name of the person that wants to adopt me?" She questioned.
"Donatello Moretti."
- x -
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. 💞
Random Question: Do you like ducks?