Strings of Fate

207- Guests and gathering Since that meeting went much faster than we anticipated, we decide to return and join the others in preparing for dinner. But first we ask Kiara to cand speak with us in the office. She looks nervous. Actually, she looks like she is going to be sick. | shut the door so we can all speak privately and then | quickly reassure her.

“Kiara, | would never send you anywhere that you aren't wanted.” | start. Her shoulders relax a little bit. | suspect that while it is unlikely her parents told her a lot about their relationship with her grandfather since she is only nine years old, that it is highly possible that she knows SOMETHING. Kids are smart, she would know that it’s odd she’s never met him and probably has noticed that her parents don’t get along with him. They wouldn't have had to tell her, one irritated sigh or off tone could probably tell her that. | make eye contact with Bellamy and he nods forto take the lead in speaking with Kiara. | take a deep breath to calm my nerves. What if she is upset about it? What if she doesn’t want to stay with me? “Kiara, your grandfather is not in a position to be able to take care of you and honestly, | don’t think | would be comfortable sending you to him. According to Alex you don’t have any other relatives you could go and stay with. Your grandfather has left it up to Bellamy and | to decide where you live from now on.” | start. Kiara seems to curl up in on herself. She pulls her knees up onto the chair she’s sitting on and hugs them to her chest. She then mostly hides her face against them. All | can see is the glint of her eyes peeking out at me.

“Please, | don’t want you to worry. | promised | would keep you safe and | would never lie to you. Bellamy and | talked about it and we decided... Well, we wanted to ask you if... if you would like to stay with us. Not temporarily that is. You could make your hhere with us. That is, if you want to...” | trail off. Kiara’s head darts up and she is staring atwith wide eyes. She looks as if she doesn’t quite believe what I’ve just told her.

She turns to Bellamy who gives an encouraging smile.

“We would love to have you join our family Kiara.” He tells her softly.

“You can take stto think about it if you would like. You don’t have to decide right now.” | reluctantly tell her. | don’t want that. | want her to immediately respond because waiting is the absolute worst. | feel a twinge of guilt because this wait is just a small hint of what I've ended up putting Bellamy through with being all anxious about our relationship. | probably need to sit down and have a proper think about that one.

1/3 207- Guests and gathering “Also Kiara, no matter what you decide. You'll always have us. Even if you choose not to stay it doesn’t mean we're banishing you. We will always be here if you need us.” | add. | freeze in place and my eyes widen as for the second tin my life, my vision flickers for a moment and reveals two new threads. Bellamy and | are both now connected to Kiara with green threads. My eyes sting as | try not to cry. Fate has decided that we ARE meant to be a part of her life. Now it’s just up to her to decide how big a part she wants that to be.

“Kiara do you want to take stto think about all this?” Bellamy offers gently. Kiara shakes her head so quickly I'm surprised she doesn’t tip off of her seat.

“Oh, so you know what you want to do? Kiara... do you want to stay with us?” I ask nervously. Kiara seems to take a couple of deep breaths. | watch her intently, not wanting to miss her response.

“Yes.” Her voice is small and croaky. She sounds anxious, but she doesn’t hesitate in her out of response. | gasp and grin at her. She finally spoke! | don’t want to make too big a deal it. | don’t want to make her uncomfortable, but | am so relieved to hear her little voice again.

“I'm so glad! | am sorry that so many awful things happened to you, but | am so happy that you will be staying with us.” | tell her, opening my arms to her. In a second she is out of her chair and climbing into my lap for a hug and | can’t stop myself from clutching her tight.

“We will have to arrange another shopping trip.” Bellamy muses.

“You will need to pick out sthings to make your bedroom nice. We can repaint it for you if you want too. On the paperwork | am going to put myself and Ryann down as your legal guardians, but there are plenty of others here who will be very excited that you're going to stay u with us. Shall we tell everyone tonight? At dinner?” He suggests. Kiara gives an eager nod. Her face is a strange combination of elated and sad. | assbecause she is thinking about her parents and her old home.

“Sweetheart? When you're ready, let us know and we can arrange a trip back to your house so that you can collect anything you want. The house belonged to your parents and we will keep it safe for you until you are old enough to know what you want to do with it, okay?” I tell her. She gives a sad nod and | stroke a hand through her hair.

“Should we go get ready for dinner?Maggie and Logan will arrive in an hour or so.” | remind 2/3 207- Guests and gathering her. This seems to perk her up. That's good. I'll take any chance | can to remind her of the good things she still has left.

Right on time, Maggie and Logan arrive. Kiara has been eyeing the front door for the last half hour. She hasn't spoken again and seems to have returned to her silence. But that’s okay. | know she CAN still talk, and when she is ready she can use her voice again. In the meantime, she and Logan can work on their secret language and she can learn her place in this home. Maggie hands over a large plastic container with samazing looking chocolate cake inside. Logan greetscheerfully then dashes to meet Kiara. Amber arrives not long after, Shaun in tow. | think he went to pick her up because they seem like they're mid conversation. Cam arrives next with Harry trailing after her. She has a very pleasant and very forced expression on her face. | get the feeling that turning up together was not something she intended. Cam holds up a reusable bag that clinks as she lifts it.

“I brought drinks.” She tells me, her expression softening to one of actual happiness and | grin.

“I knew | liked you.” | hug her and she freezes a little in surprise, but does hugback. Alpha Kohen, his wife who he introduces as Marie and his newborn daughter Mikaela are the last to arrive. His wife is a cheerful woman with chocolate brown hair and eyes. She's much taller thanand has a curvy figure that | would associate with a bear Shifter. | instantly like her. She has a calming atmosphere around her and | am not in the slightest bit surprised to see the red thread between Marie and her husband. We usher everyone into the dining room where Megan is just putting the last of the food out on the table.