Chapter 7 - The True Meaning of Family
Two weeks after the accident, Daisy was officially cleared for discharge. She would need a few months of outpatient physical therapy, but she was going to make a 100% full recovery.
The day we left the hospital, the sun was shining brightly, a stark contrast to the stormy night we arrived. Ethan drove us home in his car, which he had meticulously cleaned and fitted with a brand-new, top-of-the-line booster seat for Daisy.
When we arrived at our little house, I gasped.
The front lawn was covered in brightly colored signs that read: “Welcome Home, Daisy!”
Dozens of people were standing in the yard—Daisy’s classmates, their parents, the school principal, and even some of the nurses from the hospital who were off-duty. In the center of it all was a giant table filled with food, balloons, and a massive, beautiful cake.
"We wanted to throw her the party she actually deserved," Ethan said, smiling warmly down at Daisy, who was squealing with delight.
The community we had built, the people who actually cared, had gathered to lift us up. For the next few hours, our backyard was filled with laughter, joy, and the sweet sound of children playing. Daisy was pampered like a queen by her friends.
As the sun began to set, the guests slowly trickled out, leaving Ethan and me sitting on the back porch steps, watching Daisy sleep peacefully on the outdoor lounge chair, exhausted from the excitement.
"I don't know how to thank you, Ethan," I murmured, leaning my head against his shoulder. "You saved us. In more ways than one."
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. "You didn't need saving. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. I just provided a little backup."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a restricted number, but I answered it, knowing Marcus had already secured our legal safety.
It was my mother. But the arrogant, demanding voice was gone. She sounded broken, desperate, and utterly pathetic.
"Please," she sobbed into the phone. "Please tell your lawyer to drop the charges. Your father is going to jail. They’re foreclosing on the house to pay back the fifty thousand dollars. Madison’s husband is divorcing her because of the public scandal. We have nothing left. Please, we’re your family."
I looked at Ethan. Then I looked at Daisy, sleeping safely under the warm evening sky. Then I looked at the beautiful remnants of the party thrown by people who actually loved us.
May you like
"No," I said cleanly. "You were a biological accident. My real family is right here."
I hung up and blocked the number permanently.
