Chapter 3
They came and brought me to Kingsford.
As I stood in front of the enormous mansion, a strange unease crept over me.
Mom noticed how stiff I was and took my hand, leading me inside.
Her hand was soft and warm.
Like I'd imagined.
I looked down at our joined hands, tears glittering at the corners of my eyes.
How I wanted to show my old classmates. "Look, I have a mom and dad too.
"I'm not an orphan anymore.
"I'm like you. I have parents of my own."
Three people were sitting in the spacious living room.
They all stood up the moment they saw me.
Mom introduced them one by one.
That was how I learned I had two older brothers and an older sister.
I greeted them, beaming.
But none of them seemed particularly happy to see me.
The room went quiet.
Mom broke the silence first. "Willow is the youngest in this family, and she's had a hard time out there. From now on, I expect all of you to look out for your little sister. Understood?"
Caleb, the eldest, was the first to respond. "Got it, Mom. Something came up at the office. I need to run."
Right after, Carter stood up too. He gave me a careless glance, grabbed his car keys, and turned to Mom. "Mom, I've got a shoot to get to. I have to head out as well."
The huge living room was left with the three of us.
Mom held my hand and talked to me for a long time.
It only ended when my sister, who hadn't said a word the whole time, offered to show me to my room.
After a month in that house, I couldn't shake the feeling that no one but Mom actually liked me.
That weekend.
I went shopping with Mom. She must have picked up on my mood, because she gently pulled me aside. "Willow, sweetheart, is something bothering you? You don't seem like yourself."
Her words cracked open everything I'd been holding in.
My nose stung, and tears spilled out before I could stop them. "Mom... Caleb and the others, they don't like me, do they?"
Mom comforted me gently. "They probably need time to adjust. A stranger showing up out of nowhere is a lot to take in. Give it time. Once they see how wonderful you are, they'll love you too."
Her words made me feel a little better. But that one word, stranger, sat heavy in my chest.
I buried the feeling and told myself if I kept trying, my brothers and sister would come around.
Back at the house.
Laughter drifted out from the living room.
It cut off the second they saw me.
Yvette ran over and clung to Mom's arm, sweet and pouty. "Mommy, did you bring me a present?"
Mom smiled and quickly pulled out a bracelet. "Of course I did. I could forget anyone in this world, but never you."
Yvette was thrilled. She pulled Mom over to the couch and started rubbing her shoulders.
I stood frozen, Mom's words looping in my head: "I could forget anyone in this world, but never you."
Caleb and Carter started complaining that Mom was playing favorites.
The four of them bickered on the couch.
Watching the four of them, so warm and easy together.
Something inside me deflated.
I felt like an outsider, like I'd never belong with them no matter how hard I tried.
And this wasn't the first time that feeling had hit me in the past month.
By my second month in the Lawson house, I'd learned a lot.
Table manners. Where to keep my left hand, how to hold a knife and fork, how to eat soup without making a sound.
Social etiquette. How to smile when meeting someone, how to carry a conversation, when to keep my mouth shut.
How to dress. What to wear for what occasion, what colors went with what, how to make sure anyone could tell at a glance I was a Lawson.
I took it all seriously.
I wanted them to like me.
But aside from Mom's occasional attention, my two brothers and my sister never so much as looked me in the eye.
Once, I ran into Caleb in the hallway and worked up the nerve to call out to him. "Caleb."
His steps slowed. He turned and looked at me, and his eyes said it plain as day. Who are you?
Then he gave me a half-hearted grunt and kept walking.
Just a grunt.
Like I was a stranger.
Another time, Carter actually came home for dinner, which almost never happened.
I ladled him a bowl of soup and set it carefully in front of him.
He glanced at it, didn't touch it, and got up and left.
The housekeeper cleared the bowl away later. He hadn't taken a single sip.
Yvette was the one who actually spoke to me.
She'd say my skin was so nice and ask what skincare I used.
She'd say I was such a good student,the top scorer in the state,and that it was incredible.
She'd say it must be hard, settling in. She'd take me out on the weekend so I could meet some friends.
I was over the moon. It was the first time she'd ever invited me anywhere.
I thought she was reaching out.
I told myself this had to mean she was starting to accept me.
Only later did I find out it was the first trap she'd set for me.