I feel a crease grow in my brows and walk up the stairs. He disappears before I make it to him, and I look into two bedrooms before I find him. I walk into the room to find him sitting on the floor. There are two bunk beds in this room, like the other two. I glance around, confused, before I notice a little girl on the bottom bunk.
I stand next to Sire to get a better look at her. She’s already in her pajamas, unlike the more formal clothes the other kids are still in. My eyes fall on her shirt and do a double take when I notice it’s an under-the-sea shirt. It’s sea blue with a few different marine animals, but my eyes draw into the stingray. I don’t think much of it and give her a smile.
“Hi.”
She only smiles in return, and I turn to Sire in question, but he keeps his eyes on her.
“How old are you?” I ask, trying to get her to say something.
“Nine.” I give her another smile. She’s the oldest we’ve seen, so maybe this is why Sire was so excited for me to meet her.
“This is my wife, Vidia,” Sire introduces me. “Can you tell her your name?” Sire turns to me and keeps his eye on me excitedly.What is going on?
“Sapphire.”
I look over at her with a smile, but then it clicks, and my head snaps back to Sire. He nods like he’s also in shock. I turn backto Sapphire, and she moves her hair from her face, revealing a small scar across her eye. “Sapphire Majena.”
I stare at her, and I can’t bring myself to look away. When I was pregnant with the twins, this random lady came up to me and touched my belly. She didn’t ask, which was the first weird thing, but I also wasn’t even showing at the time. She told me I would have a blue baby, and I was worried she was foreshadowing one of my kids choking or giving us mal ojo, but… hernameis blue.
I study the little girl in front of us for a minute. Her hair is pin straight compared to our other kids, and it’s light brown, like my dyed parts. Her eyes meet mine for half a second, but I notice how dark they are.
I look over at Sire, still in disbelief. “This is a bit weird, right?” I whisper to him and steal a quick glance at Sapphire again.
“I mean, a little, yeah, but Lisette’s spiritual ass would say it’s a sign.”
“Who’s Lisette?” We both turn back to the bed and give her a smile.
“My sister,” Sire explains.
She nods a few times, and when she moves her hair again, I lean forward. “Would you like me to help you tie it?” I gesture to her hair, and she nods, turning around so I can tie half of her hair up. I’m not sure how long we sat on the floor and talked to her, but our kids find us soon after.
“I have a painting like that in my room.” Mari points at the stingray on Sapphire’s shirt.
“You like to paint? Me too.”
I smile, and Sire pulls me into him.
“I didn’t paint it by myself. Titi Lis helped me. My cousin, Isa, and my brothers helped us too, so some parts are messy, and Mami won’t let us fix it because the twins will be sad, but it’s my room.” I can’t help but laugh at Mari as she goes on. I keep myeyes on them as they keep talking, watching Sapphire come out of her shell.
“What are you thinking?” Sire whispers into my ear, and I turn to him.
“I think this is just a coincidence…” I steal a glance at Sapphire before looking back at Sire, and he’s still watching her. “But I also know this is the third orphanage we’ve visited, and we keep saying we need a sign. Her name aside, thisfeelsright.”
Sire smiles softly and kisses the top of my head. “Sapphire?” Her laugh is cut short from something the twins did, and she turns to us. “How would you like to come home with us?” Her face lights up, and when the twins and Mariana practically tackle her with excitement, the room is filled with all of our laughter, and I know this is the right thing.
Whether this is just a coincidence or a huge sign, this feels right. I know it because when the four kids get up from the bed and rush over to hug my husband and me, we feel complete.
