Chapter 1

Mr. and Mrs. Carter took me out of the orphanage.

Throughout the process, Mrs. Carter kept mentioning that she actually preferred another girl.

The girl's name was Lily. She was outgoing and gifted.

"Honey, I just can't get that kid's smile out of my head. Why don't we just go with Lily?" Mrs. Carter said.

Mrs. Carter, feeling lost, looked to Mr. Carter for what to do.

Mr. Carter smiled and said, "A kid that lively will get adopted in no time. Plus, someone that hyper would tire you out. This one's much more mellow."

"Alright then," Mrs. Carter sighed.

With a hesitant sigh from Mrs. Carter, they took me to their home.

I stayed with the Carter family for six months, but Mrs. Carter just couldn't stop thinking about Lily. She talked it over with Mr. Carter and decided to send me back to the orphanage.

"Sophie, I just can't forget the look of disappointment in Lily's eyes when she looked at me. You're such a good girl, you'll understand, won't you?" Mrs. Carter said, her voice soft and pleading.

Yeah, I'd always been the good kid.

So, the Carter family sent me back to the orphanage.

Lily was all smiles, clinging to Mrs. Carter like she never wanted to let go. Her sweet smile could make anyone feel better.

She gave me a smug look, and when no one was paying attention, she made a face at me.

"Nobody wants a clown like you. Looks like you lost again," she whispered.

*****

Mrs. Carter promised she'd make time to come see me.

I sat there waiting at the orphanage, like a good kid, but for three whole months, she never showed up.

Three months later, Mr. Carter showed up and asked if I wanted to go stay with his friend.

Mr. Carter's friend was Mr. Bennett. He and his wife had a good life together, but Mrs. Bennett wasn't able to have children, and they'd always dreamed of having a daughter.

Mr. Bennett had seen me at the Carter family's place, and when he got home, he showed Mrs. Bennett my photo.

He said I looked a lot like Mrs. Bennett, especially in the way our eyes and brows matched.

The orphanage had a rule: if a kid was sent back within a year of being adopted, they couldn't be adopted again for three months.

So the Bennett family kept counting down the days, and as soon as the time was up, they urged Mr. Carter to come along and ask me directly if I wanted to join their family.

"Your name is Sophie, right?" Mrs. Bennett asked, her voice gentle.

She looked at me with such tenderness, her eyes full of compassion.

She said, "Would you like to come home with me and be my only daughter?"

Of course I did.

For someone like me, always drifting with nowhere to call home, even the tiniest bit of warmth was enough to make me want to stay. So how could I say no to a real family?

I placed my hand in Mrs. Bennett's gentle palm and whispered, "I do."

"Sophie, I'm so happy!" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed.

She hugged me tight, as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

I could tell she really liked me.

As we were leaving the orphanage, Mr. Carter sighed to the Bennett couple, "If my wife hadn't insisted on Lily, I really would've hated to let Sophie go."

Still, in the end, he let me go anyway.

The Carter family was already in my past. That was the first time I ever tried to depend on someone and trust them, but it ended in heartbreak.

A tear glistened in my eye, and I quickly lowered my head, pretending to straighten my clothes.

Mr. Bennett gently patted my head, his touch warm and reassuring.

He said, "John, let's not bring this up in front of the kids. Sometimes, the connection between parents and children is all about fate. Since we've made our choices, let's just move on and wish each other the best."

Refined and dignified, that was my very first impression of Mr. Bennett.

Suddenly, I remembered how, back at the Carter family, I was always watching the adults for cues, constantly on edge. Mrs. Carter would say I was too petty, never good enough in her eyes.

I never knew how to please them. Whatever I did, it always felt like I was trying too hard and only making things worse.

So I just shrank into myself, trying not to stand out.

But then, I thought I finally got it.

Being unwanted always meant being lost.

I hesitated, then gently tugged at Mr. Bennett's sleeve, wanting to thank him for caring about how I felt.

Mr. Bennett crouched down and said softly, "Sophie, if you ever hear something you don't want to hear, just cover your ears. You're a kid, and it's okay to answer back if you want."

In that moment, everything around me felt like it was shining.

I finally understood what the adults meant, being loved really gave one the confidence to face anything.