Can We Keep Her?
Relationship(s): Xaden Riorson & sister!reader, Xaden Riorson & Bodhi Durran & Garrick Tavis
Summary: How a ten year old Xaden found a little girl abandoned in the woods and brought her home to be his sister.
Warnings: References to past child abuse/neglect, child abandonment, reader has selective mutism
Written for @empyreanevents's Tyrrendor Week Day 6: Family. (Posted a few days late because this ended up being more than twice as long as planned)
AO3 Raspberry Riorson masterlist
The forest where they found you was more than an hour on horseback from Aretia, which was why it wasn't very often that they went there to play, despite how much Xaden loved it. In hindsight, he thinks it must have been fate that he, Garrick, and Bodhi were there that day, in the right place at the right time to happen upon you.
The first time they saw you, they only caught a glimpse of you; a small figure curled up on a soft patch of moss one second, darting off into the trees the next. They simply shrugged it off, too focused on their game of catch to dwell on it. If he had thought about it, Xaden simply would have assumed you had come to the forest with your family for a picnic or to pick berries, wandered a little ways off to take a nap in the sun, and ran back to your parents when the boys' loud playing woke you. By the time they returned home, Xaden had as good as forgotten about it.
But a few days later, they saw you again, and this time, you didn't run. They quickly realized why — you'd gotten so tangled up in a raspberry bush that you probably weren't able to get free without help.
You squirmed as they tied their horses to a nearby tree and approached you, eyes wide with fear and following their every move. In your effort to get away, you only ensnared yourself further in the brambles, thorns tearing at your clothes and bare arms.
"Easy, kid," Garrick said as the three of them stopped a few feet away from you, speaking in the same tone one might use to calm a skittish horse. "We just want to help you."
You stopped struggling at the words, gaze fixed on Garrick. Still, that fear remained on your face, making Xaden wonder just how you had ended up in this position. Had someone been chasing you? A wild animal frightened you?
He could ask while they freed you, he decided, taking a step closer with his hands held up to show you his empty palms. Eyes meeting yours, he put all the friendliness he could in his gaze, tried to appear as non-threatening as possible.
Bodhi and Garrick followed, moving just as slowly.
Close enough to start disentangling you, Xaden thought he heard a faint whimper and froze, his hand inches away from the brambles around your arm. Glancing at your face, you were breathing hard, eyes squeezed shut as if bracing for something painful. Another whimper followed, just as quiet, but this time Xaden was sure he heard it.
Softly, he said, "We're not going to hurt you. If you hold still, I think we can get you free without the thorns scratching you much, okay?"
You showed no reaction, but at least you kept still.
Xaden figured that was close enough to permission to help you; after all, they couldn't just leave you like this. They hadn't seen anyone else around, either, no adult you might belong with, who might do a better job of calming you. The fact struck Xaden as strange, since you seemed awfully little to be roaming the woods all by yourself, but he ignored that for now, focusing instead on getting you out of that bush.
With the three of them working together, it didn't take as long as Xaden had feared. Soon he could pick you up under the arms, Bodhi and Garrick pulling away the last of the brambles wrapped around your ankle.
Though you were heavier than you looked, Xaden could feel every single rib beneath his hands. He didn't know much about younger kids — his friends and closer acquaintances were all around his own age, a year or two younger at most — but he doubted your bones were supposed to be protruding like that. No more than five or six years old at the very most by Xaden's unskilled estimate, you should have still had some of that baby fat that made every toddler he had ever seen appear soft and chubby.
Underfed; that was what you were.
Taking a couple steps backward to make sure you were a safe distance from the tangle of raspberries, Xaden carefully set you back on your feet.
You still hadn't spoken a single word, had shown no indication you'd even heard the stream of questions and chatter the boys had tried to distract you with while they freed you. At least you had opened your eyes again.
"What were you even doing out here all alone?" Xaden asked again.
Just like before, you didn't answer, only continued to watch them.
With those too-skinny legs and wide, fearful eyes, you reminded Xaden of a fawn ready to bolt any moment.
"Where are your parents? Should we help you look for them?" Garrick tried.
When the result remained the same, he frowned, stepping closer to Xaden to whisper, "Do you think she's deaf, maybe?"
Xaden shrugged. You looked like you were listening when they spoke, eyes darting between them. Still, he repeated his earlier question to you in sign language, just in case.
No reaction.
Garrick crossed his arms, his frown deepening. "Great, so she doesn't understand us. What are we supposed to do with her now?"
"You don't know if she understands us or not," Xaden argued. "Maybe she just can't answer. Or doesn't want to."
He thought you might simply be too scared to talk to them, but didn't see any point in saying so. It didn't matter why you weren't speaking. Even if you were capable of words, it was your own decision whether or not to use them.
"Anyway it's mean to talk about her like she's not there," Bodhi interrupted. Before they could react, he leaned down to your height and asked, "Do you understand us?"
You nodded, the movement so small Xaden almost missed it.
It didn't surprise him at all that his cousin was the one to finally elicit a reaction from you. He was quieter than Xaden and Garrick, and preferred to trail after the older boys rather than make friends of his own, but he got along with just about everyone, was liked by everyone.
Even as he threw a I told you so-glare at them over his shoulder, he still looked friendly.
"Okay, Mr. Child-Whisperer," Garrick said, rolling his eyes, "but that doesn't help us figure out what to do now."
Garrick was right about that. They still didn't know how you'd ended up stuck in those brambles, why you were alone in the woods, where your family was and whether you needed help to find your way back to them. Without getting answers out of you, they couldn't decide what to do, and it was late afternoon already, so they would have to head home soon.
Xaden sat down in a crouch before you. If he made himself smaller than you, maybe you would be less intimidated. With yes or no questions, they should be able to figure out what they could do for you.
And yes — though still hesitant, you answered at least some of the questions they asked with nods or shakes of your head. Yes, you were alone. No, you hadn't been running from anyone or anything when you got tangled in the raspberries. No, you did not want them to look for your parents. No, nobody was coming to pick you up.
When Bodhi asked if you wanted them to take you to the nearby village where they assumed you must have come from, you shook your head again, but didn't let on whether that guess was correct or not.
Xaden suggested one of them should ride there to ask if anyone was missing a little girl while the other two remained with you, but you shook your head, more frantically this time.
Once again, Xaden wondered what you were so frightened of. Someone from the village, maybe?
"Okay, okay," Xaden placated. "No going to the village. Got it."
Indeed, you calmed at that.
"But we'll have to go home soon, you see. We could take you home first, but we'd have to know where it is to do that."
No reply to that, not even a shrug.
Out of ideas, the boys shared a helpless look.
You weren't acting like you were lost — or at least not how Xaden thought a small child who was lost would act. Though you still seemed on guard, you had relaxed a little, as if getting used to their presence. As strange as the situation was, nothing about your behavior suggested you needed help. What Xaden had interpreted as fear might have well been simple shyness, and if you needed help, surely you would have given them a sign of it. Even if you were unable or unwilling to communicate what exactly was wrong, you would have surely shown signs of distress at their mention of having to leave — would have started crying, or grabbed for them.
Maybe there was a perfectly harmless explanation — maybe one or both of your parents were woodsmen, maybe they had a cottage nearby that the boys didn't know of, and the reason you hadn't wanted Xaden to go into the village was simply that it would have been unnecessary since you didn't belong there. If you were used to the woods, it might not be so strange for you to be left unsupervised here for so long; how would he know?
Xaden tried to make himself believe that story, but only half succeeded. You looked dirty and tired — much more so than being stuck in those raspberries could explain. Like you'd been wandering though the forest for days.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. "If we leave you here?"
You nodded — not very convincingly, Xaden thought, but calling you a liar wouldn't change anything, so he kept his mouth shut. They had no choice but to go home and hope you really would be okay.
As they rode back to Aretia, Xaden's thoughts kept drifting back to you. He felt bad leaving you behind like they had, but what else could they have done? Kidnapped you? Stayed out until nightfall, making their own parents worry? They had lingered as long as they could. If they were late for supper, his dad or aunt might decide not to let them ride this far again anytime soon, and Xaden was determined to return the next day, to see if you would be there again and make sure you were alright. Fortunately it was the weekend, and Garrick was staying over at their place.
"Do you think the girl made it home?" Bodhi broke the heavy silence as they neared Riorson House.
"Hopefully," Xaden replied, glad he wasn't the only one who couldn't stop thinking about it.
"Do you think we should tell Mom or your dad? They could send someone to make sure she's okay. An adult, I mean."
Xaden considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "There's no point when we don't know if anything is actually wrong. We'll go back to check on the girl ourselves tomorrow."
Maybe it was selfish of him, but they were the ones who'd found you and earned a fraction your trust. If his father sent guards to look for you, they would only scare you. Likely as not, you would run and hide from them, as you had ran when the boys first saw you a few days ago. And if you really did live in the forest with your family, all the fuss would be for nothing.
"She's probably fine," Garrick said. "She didn't look like she minded when we left."
Xaden nodded. You had seemed content to remain in the woods.
He still didn't like it.
"I wish we knew her name," he changed the topic. "Then we could ask around if anyone knows her. And it's stupid having to call her the girl."
"Yeah, well, she wasn't exactly talkative."
"What if we call her Raspberry?" Bodhi suggested.
"We are not calling her raspberry."
"We have to call her something, though," his cousin insisted. "You just said it's stupid having to call her the girl."
"That doesn't mean we have to give her some ridiculous nickname. If we see her again tomorrow, we'll try if we can get her to tell us her actual name."
"If she can," Garrick added. "What do you think, is she mute?"
"I dunno. When we first got close to her, I'm pretty sure she whimpered."
Bodhi nodded. "And once or twice it looked like she wanted to say something, but then got too scared."
"Maybe she's got that thing you have, Bodhi." Xaden couldn't remember what it was called. "You know, where the words just won't come out sometimes."
It was something his cousin had struggled with a lot when he first started school, but thanks to therapy, it didn't seem to be as much of a problem anymore.
"Yeah, maybe."
The next day, they ate a rushed breakfast, saddled their horses and rode out to look for you, leaving the house even before their parents.
When they reached the tangle of raspberry bushes, you weren't there. Nor did they find you in the clearing where they'd first glimpsed you. Xaden didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. If you were safe at home it would be good, but what if you were still wandering around somewhere? The forest was big, and you could have been anywhere inside it.
Even when Garrick and Bodhi started to grumble, saying you clearly weren't there anymore, he insisted they keep looking. After an hour and a half, doubt crept in. Maybe his friends were right, and he was chasing them through the woods for nothing. Even if you had been lost, your family would have found you by now and you were probably at home, telling your friends about your adventure.
Xaden didn't want to admit he was wrong, though. Stubbornly ignoring the increasingly exasperated glances passing between Bodhi and Garrick, he led his horse deeper into the forest.
His persistence payed off.
There you were, sitting by a small stream that trickled through the trees. You still wore the clothes from the day before, dirty and ripped from the thorns in places. Your face was still dirty too, Xaden noted as you turned to face them. Surprise shone in your eyes to see them, but you remained where you sat, didn't tense in fear. They really had earned some of your trust, then.
"Hi Raspberry," Bodhi greeted you.
Xaden elbowed his cousin, but you only blinked at the nickname, lifting a hand. It wasn't quite a wave, but close enough.
You seemed livelier than the day before, more open.
Xaden hoped that meant they'd be able to get some answers from you today somehow. He didn't think you were old enough to know how to write, but had brought a notepad and pencil all the same. Maybe you could draw them an explanation, if you weren't comfortable communicating any other way.
The boys sat down in the grass near you so the four of you formed a loose circle. Close to you, but not close enough to invade your space or make you feel cornered.
"What's your name?" Xaden asked after telling you his own and those of his companions, which he'd realized this morning they'd completely forgotten to do yesterday.
He was prepared for more of that silence, but to his surprise, you actually answered — so softly he almost didn't catch it, but you did answer.
"So she can speak!" Garrick shouted excitedly.
You flinched at the volume, and Xaden glared at his best friend, hissing at him not to be an ass.
Garrick had the decency to wince. "Sorry."
"What were you doing?" Bodhi wanted to know from you, but only received a shrug in answer.
Nothing, then.
"Did you go home last night?" Xaden asked.
You blinked, head cocked to the side, almost as if to say you didn't have such a thing.
Xaden tried again, rewording the question. "Did you sleep out here?"
When you nodded, he swallowed hard. They shouldn't have left you, should have tried harder to figure out how to help you. Should have told their parents about you like Bodhi had suggested.
"Why?" Garrick asked. "Are you lost?"
Inexplicably, you shook your head.
Xaden, Bodhi, and Garrick shared a confused look. If you weren't lost, then why in Amari's name would you be sleeping in the woods?
When Garrick asked as much, you only shrugged.
"Did you run away from home?"
You shook your head.
It didn't make sense. In fairy-tales like the ones Xaden's mother had read him when he'd been younger, children might live alone in the woods, raised by wolves or watched over by tree ghosts, but in real life, things like that weren't possible. In real life, the woods would be creepy and lonely at night. In real life, there were no friendly ghosts to keep an abandoned child from starving. In real life, there was no motherly love that might drive a wolf or bear to adopt a tiny human that somehow wandered into their territory. In real life, mothers left without explaining why they didn't love you anymore.
Xaden stilled, thoughts scratching to a stop.
Abandoned children, mothers that left... Could that be what had happened? A child being cast into the woods by their parents was another thing he would have assumed only happened in stories, but maybe he was wrong about that. It would explain why you were alone out here, why you hadn't wanted them to help you look for your parents.
"But you slept out here all alone, right?" Bodhi's voice interrupted his thoughts.
This time, you nodded, and his cousin asked, "Weren't you scared?"
Only another shrug at that. It seemed you really didn't like to speak; since telling them your name, you hadn't said a single word.
"How long have you been out here?" Xaden asked, dreading the answer.
You lifted your hand, hesitated, then held up four fingers — like you weren't entirely sure of the answer.
"Four days?"
A verbal answer this time, barely above a whisper. "Think so."
Xaden let out a curse his father would have probably grounded him for if he heard him say it. Four days alone in this forest. Maybe more, since you weren't certain of your count. Now he understood why you looked so dirty and exhausted.
Bodhi and Garrick also seemed alarmed, and Xaden knew they were all thinking the same thing: They were not leaving this forest without you today. Somehow, they would help you.
"Isn't there anyone who misses you?" Xaden pushed. "Someone who might be searching for you?"
"Nuh-uh."
"You don't have anywhere to go back to?"
Yet another shake of your head.
They would have to take you to Aretia with them, then. His father would know what to do, what authorities to invoke. In the meantime, you could stay with them at Riorson House. Maybe— Xaden started at the idea. Maybe you could even stay with them forever. If he could convince his father to adopt you...
Gods, how amazing that would be! A little sibling, just like he always wanted!
But he could think about it later. For now, they should try to get some more answers from you. The more they knew, the better they would be able to explain everything to the adults — and it would be them who would have to explain it, Xaden was sure. You would probably go all silent again when they brought you into a new situation, with new people you didn't know.
Piece by piece, they managed to get the story out of you, using yes or no questions as much as they could and giving you as much time as you needed when something required a spoken explanation. When you finished, Xaden was shaking with quiet rage, his mood matching the dark clouds that had rolled in to hide the sun.
Earlier this week, your mother had led you from the house at sunset, offering no explanation as to why — not until you'd been deep in the woods, where she'd declared she was leaving you there since she was tired of your behavior. When Xaden asked what exactly she had meant by that, you only shrugged. Difficult children deserved to be taken into the woods to be devoured by monsters; that's what your mother had apparently told you time and time again, and four days ago, she made true on that threat. She just left you there — left you to die, Xaden realized, even if you didn't. Summer was drawing to an end, the nights slowly getting colder. Even if by some miracle you managed to find enough berries to sustain you, you wouldn't have lasted more than a couple more weeks at most. Soon, the cold autumn winds would start blowing, followed by frost in the nights. If you were still out here by then, you would be dead. And if Xaden was old enough to realize that, then surely your mother had known it, too.
Xaden had never loathed anyone as much as he loathed your mother upon hearing that story. How a parent could do such a thing, he didn't know. His own mother might have left him, too, but there was no comparing that to what yours had done. Xaden, at least, still had his dad, had a home. You had no one and nothing. But you would, Xaden vowed. From now on, you would have him. Despite the differences of your situations, he knew all too well what it was like to be abandoned, what it must have felt like to have your mother turn her back on you without any explanation of what you had done to deserve it. The both of you could heal from those emotional wounds together.
"Okay, so your mom sucks," Garrick summed up. Xaden barely refrained from snapping what an understatement that was. "What about your dad?"
You cocked your head to the side, looking confused.
"Don't have one?" Bodhi guessed.
You nodded.
"That sucks," Garrick said again.
Bodhi gave you a comforting smile. "Don't worry, we'll find you a new home. And a new family. A better one."
"We can be your family," Xaden offered.
You turned your gaze upon him, a tentative smile forming on your lips — the first one they'd seen from you.
Still, when they prepared to ride home, you hesitated.
Xaden understood. After everything you'd been through — he was certain your mother hadn't treated you well even before casting you out — it made sense that you wouldn't trust any adults, and you knew that in the end, what happened to you wouldn't be up to Xaden and his friends, but to their parents.
Xaden was sure they would gladly help you, certainly weren't going to send you back to a mother who clearly didn't care for you. If they tried, Xaden wouldn't let them. As far as he was concerned, she had stopped being your mother the moment she walked away from you. Having done so once, there was no reason she wouldn't do it again if you were returned to her.
You deserved better than that.
Again, he thought that the best solution would be for his own father to adopt you. There were plenty of vacant rooms in the family wing of Riorson House, so space certainly wouldn't be an issue. And he didn't think his dad or aunt would mind having another child in the house. His aunt, especially, would probably be happy to dote on you. Maybe she should be the one to adopt you... But Xaden wanted a sister, not another cousin. When he'd been younger, he'd frequently asked his parents — begged them, really — for a little sibling, but they had only shaken their heads and reminded him he had Bodhi. And sure, the both of them were close, but a little cousin that lived with him just wasn't the same as a little sister of his own, especially since Bodhi was barely a year younger.
He shook his head. First of all, he had to bring you home. Anything else would come afterwards.
Xaden didn't know what it was that finally convinced you — the onset of rain, the prospect of a soft bed and warm meal, his assurance that their parents would not mind your presence, that they were kind, or maybe his promise that he would keep you safe, would make sure you never had to see your mother again. It didn't matter why you finally agreed to come home with them, only that you did.
Getting you onto his horse was comparatively easy. Even though you eyed the animal with the wariness of someone who'd never sat a horse before, you remained calm as Xaden hefted you into the saddle and swung himself up after you.
All the way home, he prayed that his father would agree to take you in. After almost half a year since Xaden's mom had left, his dad and aunt had stopped treading on eggshells around him, but they still tried to make up for her absence in whatever ways they could. He wasn't above taking advantage of that, if he had to. Whatever it took to convince his father to adopt you, Xaden would do it. He had promised to look after you, and he intended to keep that promise.
Xaden's dad was still working when they arrived, but luckily not in the middle of any important meetings. They found him in his office, going through some paperwork with Bodhi's mom. Good — if they were both there, the boys wouldn't have to explain the situation twice.
You kept close to Xaden as he peered into the room after knocking, hiding behind him.
"Dad, do you have a moment? It's important."
When his father nodded, Xaden entered the room, Bodhi and Garrick following. Caught in the middle of the group, you had no choice but to do the same.
Putting a hand on your shoulder, Xaden stepped aside so his father and aunt could see you.
"We found her in the woods," he explained. "Her mother left her there because she didn't want her anymore."
For a moment, they just stared.
All four of you were soaked from the rain, which had only gotten heavier once you'd left the shelter of the trees. With your wet hair plastered to your head, your wide eyes appeared even bigger, bones jutting through the clothes sticking to your skin. At least the rain had washed away most of the dirt.
"Let's get you dried off, then you can tell us everything," his aunt said, leaving the room to return with a stack of towels.
When all of you were wrapped in warm towels and had sat down, Xaden's dad turned to you. "So, my boy says you were left in the forest?"
"I don't think she can speak right now, dad," Xaden said after a quick glance at you. "It took forever for her to feel comfortable enough with us to tell us, and I think adults scare her even more."
"I see." Xaden's dad nodded and motioned for him to go on.
"She's not sure how long she's been out there, but probably about four days. Her mom told her she deserved to be left there because she was 'being difficult'. When we found her she was stuck in a raspberry bush and really scared of us at first."
Bodhi added, "And, well, obviously she can't go back to her mom so we took her with us."
"That was the right thing to do," Bodhi's mom praised, running a hand over his wet curls.
Just then, your stomach growled. Shrinking in on yourself even more, you threw a frightened glance between Xaden's dad and aunt, like you were expecting to be scolded for the sound.
They noticed it too.
"Let's get you something to eat before we do anything else," his dad said to you with a reassuring smile.
Xaden's aunt added, "And all four of you need a warm shower and dry clothes."
While Bodhi, his mom, and Garrick led you away, Xaden lingered in his father's office.
"Can we keep her?" he asked, earning himself a disapproving look from his father.
"She's not a stray dog, Xaden," he reprimanded.
"I know, dad. I didn't mean it like that. But can she stay with us? It's not like she has anywhere else to go. Please!"
Xaden knew it had been stupid of him to get attached to the idea of you becoming his sister before his dad even knew you existed, but the moment the thought had popped into his head, it had sunk its teeth into him and refused to let go. It would be good for both of you. Just like him, you had been abandoned by your mother; that alone already meant you could understand each other in a way no one else did. And Xaden thought he would make a great older brother. He had plenty of practice from being Bodhi's big cousin, which wasn't quite the same, but similar enough. And you'd come to trust him a lot already — Bodhi and Garrick, too, sure, but you were the most comfortable with Xaden. He could be your protector, make sure you would never have to be scared of anything again.
"For tonight, yes. She will stay with us until we find her a permanent home. But whether we can be that permanent home..." Dad thoughtfully shook his head. "I don't know, Xaden. I'll have to think on it."
When he started to argue, his father cut him off.
"I know you would like to have a sister, and I understand that you feel responsible for her since you're the ones who found her, but you have to think about what she needs, too, not just what you want. She needs parents who have a lot time for her, who can help her heal from what she's been through."
"But—"
"I said I would think about it, Xaden. And I promise that if she can't stay with us—" He raised a hand to stop Xaden as he opened his mouth to argue again. "If, Xaden. I'm not saying no yet. But if I decide she can't live with us, I'll try to find a family here in Aretia for her, so you can visit her."
"New people scare her," Xaden muttered — the only argument he could think of.
"I'll take that into consideration. Now go put on some dry clothes."
Xaden understood a dismissal when he heard one, so he turned to go to his room.
Though he wasn't foolish enough to say it, he thought his father's reasoning was stupid. It was true that being the duke of Aretia meant he was often very busy, but he always managed to make a little time for Xaden. Whether that time was spend with him alone or shared with you would hardly make any difference. Even if it did, that didn't mean that parents who didn't work and had more time for you would automatically be better parents.
Xaden didn't bother with a shower, just dried off and put on fresh clothes. When he was done, he went to see where you had gone.
He found you in his cousin's room, where he was trying to find something you could wear, while his mom was getting you something to eat. Luckily, there were a few items that had recently gotten too small for Bodhi, which his mom hadn't yet gotten rid of. They would still be too big on you, but better than anything of Xaden's. Until your own clothes were washed, it would do.
Taking the clothes from Bodhi, Xaden led you back to his own room and into the bathing chamber, let water into the tub and laid out a fresh towel and the clothes for you.
"You, uh— You're old enough to bathe on your own, right?"
He scratched his head, glancing between you and the tub. He'd never really thought about its size, but next to your tiny form, it suddenly seemed awfully big. Big enough to make him fear you might disappear in its depths, if he let it run full.
Your shrug wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Didn't you have a bathtub with your mom?"
"Nh-nh. Just a shower."
No, not reassuring at all.
"Do you know how to swim?"
A futile question, since the bathtub wasn't big enough to swim in, even for you, but if you could swim, it would mean you were at least familiar with water and its dangers.
You shook your head.
"I'll only fill it halfway, then," Xaden decided. After all, he hadn't brought you home just for you to drown in his bathtub. Glancing at it again, he realized it was already a little more than halfway full, and quickly stopped the water. "And I'll leave the door open. If you need anything, just—"
Just yell for me, he'd meant to say, but of course, you might not be able to. Crap.
Looking around, he spotted a fleck of color on top of the bathroom cabinet. He stepped onto the lid of the toilet and reached for the dust-coated rubber duck. It had been years since he even thought of the thing, but if he remembered correctly— Squeak.
Perfect.
Hopping down, he blew the dust from the duck and offered it to you. "If you need me, just squeeze it, okay?"
You nodded, and Xaden nodded back, rather pleased with his own resourcefulness.
"Alright. Go ahead then, before the water gets cold. I'll be right outside."
While you bathed and Xaden sat on his bed listening for sounds of drowning, Bodhi and his mom came in with a bowl of soup for you. Outside, the rain had stopped for the moment, so Garrick had gone home before it could start pouring again.
"I'm going to prepare one of the rooms down the hall for her," Xaden's aunt said. "You'll make sure she eats when she's done in the bath, yes, Xaden?"
Xaden nodded. Of course he would.
Bodhi, who had just sat down beside him, jumped back to his feet to follow his mother. "I'll help you."
She nodded. "Thank you, dear."
A few minutes later, you emerged from the bathing chamber, water still dripping from your hair. As expected, the old shirt you'd gotten from Bodhi was too big on you, but Xaden thought it made a pretty good nightgown. And you did look ready to crawl into bed, even though it wasn't even dinner time yet. You must have not gotten much sleep these past days in the woods.
As you ate, Xaden asked, "Do you know sign language?"
When you only looked at him confused, Xaden explained, "There's different movements you make with your hands that mean the same things as words. See, like this." He repeated what he'd said in sign language — or tried, at least. He wasn't very good at it himself just yet, but determined to get better in case it would help you. "I could teach you. Maybe it'll be easier than talking with your mouth."
You nodded, eyes shining with excitement.
Xaden wondered if your mother had ever bothered to offer you alternative ways of communication. Considering what he knew about her so far, he doubted it. The thought angered him. Even Xaden's dad, who didn't even know you, made more of an effort to make you feel safe and understood than your own mother ever had.
Soon the soup was gone, and your eyelids started to droop.
"Do you want to take a nap?" Xaden asked.
You shrugged, but obediently lay down in Xaden's bed and let him tuck you in when he tried.
"Sleep," he said, getting comfortable beside you. "I'll watch over you."
"You won't leave me alone?"
The question came out tentatively, but Xaden's heart still surged with pride that you felt safe enough with him to ask it at all.
"Never," he promised. "I'll always take care of you, no matter what."
"Even when I'm being difficult?"
"Especially then," Xaden assured you.
He figured that the moments when you behaved in a way your mother had deemed difficult were the ones where you needed caring for the most. That's how it was for him, at least. In the weeks and months after his mom had left, he'd acted plenty difficult — sulking around and snapping at everyone who came near, even as he desperately craved their comforting words and hugs, wanted to be reassured they wouldn't abandon him too.
With a relieved smile, you closed your eyes and soon drifted off.
Outside Xaden's room, his dad and aunt had overhead the conversation, which swayed them toward a decision.
"It would be cruel to send her away when she feels so safe here already," Bodhi's mom was saying.
Xaden's dad nodded. "I'm just worried she'll need more time and affection than I can give."
"Who says you have to raise her alone? We'll take care of her together, just like of our boys. It might be good for them, too — having a girl around."
He looked through the half-open door again, shaking his head. "We're just kidding ourselves if we pretend it hasn't already been decided, aren't we?"
"Indeed."
A quiet tapping sound made Xaden look to the open door. His father stood in the doorway, smiling slightly, and gestured for Xaden to come to him. He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake you.
Once he had joined his father in the hall, door closed behind him, Dad said, "I've decided."
Xaden blinked in surprise. It had only been a few hours. Not sure if the fact that his father had made his decision much faster than expected was a good thing, Xaden held his breath.
"It will take some time to get all the necessary papers, but once that's taken care of, you'll officially have a little sister."
Xaden threw himself at his father in a hug. "Thank you!"
"Not so loud," his dad chuckled, patting his back. "You'll wake her up."
The next morning, Xaden was awake earlier than you.
You looked even more fragile in your sleep than you did awake, your little fingers curled around the edge of the pillowcase, face truly relaxed for the first time since Xaden had met you. He would do his best to ensure you would always feel this safe in the future. As your big brother, that would be his job, to keep you safe, and never ever let anybody hurt you, like your mother had, and Xaden was determined to take that responsibility very seriously.
Impatiently waiting to tell you the good news, he lay awake and watched your slumbering form. He knew better than to wake you up. The days alone in the woods had exhausted you, and you needed every minute of sleep you could get to recover. They'd even let you sleep through dinner last night, and when Xaden had climbed into bed beside you, you hadn't so much as stirred. At least you hadn't seemed to have any nightmares. Maybe that would come later — the following night, you would have to sleep in your own room, alone. Dad had allowed you to remain in Xaden's room the past night because he hadn't wanted to risk waking you, but he would not let this become a habit, Xaden knew.
Finally, you stirred. Xaden threw aside the illustrated book about weapons he'd grabbed from his bedside table after getting bored, and sat up.
"Guess what," he said by way of good morning.
"Huh?"
"My dad is adopting you!" He paused, suddenly realizing he hadn't really asked your opinion on the matter. "If you'd like that, I mean."
You slowly blinked up at him, eyes still heavy with sleep. "I— I can stay? Here?"
Xaden nodded, cheeks straining with how wide he was smiling. Gods, he hadn't smiled like this since before his mother had left. "This can be your home, if you want. And I'll be your brother."
Slowly, a smile lit up your face.
"Would you like that?" Xaden asked. He saw the answer on your face, but wanted confirmation.
You nodded, putting your little hand into his. "Brother."
The whispered word was the most beautiful sound Xaden had ever heard.
"Sister," he replied, closing his fingers around your own to give a gentle squeeze.