‹ Prequel: Love Works in Mysterious Ways
Welcome to Anna's World
Chapter 4 - Welcome Home
John's PoV:
We were standing by the reception at the orphanage. Mrs Jane came up to us with a surprised expression on her face. With wide opened eyes she began to talk: "Mr and Mr Rocket, I didn't expect you back here so soon." - "We've made a decision", I stated. She raised her eyebrows. Ryan continued: "We would love to adopt Anna." - "Wonderful! Let's go to my office so you can sign the papers", she said while smiling widely. She turned and we walked along with her to her office. She motioned us to sit in the same two chairs in front of her desk again and she sat down on her own. She then picked up the phone and dialled three numbers. "Yes William", she spoke into the phone, " please go up to room 12 and tell Anna to pack her stuff and then to come downstairs, thank you." She put the phone back down and handed us some papers. She was explaining them to us, when suddenly we heard a knock on the door and a man stumbled in. Mrs Jane raised her eyebrows at him and said: "Yes, William?" - "Mrs Jane", he began, obviously out of breath, "room 12 is empty. I cannot find her anywhere." I looked over at Ryan who looked at Mrs Jane who muttered a "not again" under her breath. "Would you two excuse me for a bit?", she asked us politely. We both nodded, so she stood up and left the room along with the man who I assumed to be William. "What was all that about?", Ryan asked me. "Maybe she's a little runaway", I said and quietly smiled, remembering that I was once one myself. Mrs Jane walked in again mumbling something that she forgot her keys and walked out again. Before she closed the door we could hear her say: "Oh God, where is she now?" Ryan looked over at me and squeezed my hand. "Yep, she most defiantly is a runaway ", he laughed and continued, "just like you were."
About 15 minutes later the door opened again and Mrs Jane walked back in with Anna, grabbed by her wrist. I looked up at her and her beautiful red hair that made her blue eyes sparkle. I got snapped back to reality when Mrs Jane spoke up: "Well, I'm sorry for that little incident. So, now that we are through with the papers one of you has to stay here, fill them out and sign them. I would be glad if the other one can go and pack Anna's things with her meanwhile." So Ryan went with Anna while I was signing.
Anna's Pov:
I ripped my wrist out of Mrs Jane's grip. I looked at the taller man while rubbing my now red wrist. He stood up and looked at it with confusion and worry. I motioned him to follow me out of the office and up the stairs to my room, before he could say anything. I'm not in the mood for talking about the new red scars on my wrist. Before I opened the door to my room I looked behind me to see if he could catch up with me. He was surprisingly close to me and reached out to touch my hurt wrist but I moved it away quickly and shoved the sleeve of my pullover over it. I opened the door to my room and walked inside. He followed, closed the door and looked around while I pulled out my suitcase from under the bed. I could hear him whisper a "wow" and turned around. I couldn't help but stare at him. His face had something. Something that made me feel well accepted, protected, maybe even loved. Or maybe that's just all my imagination. It probably is. I looked away again and sighed. "Uhmm... I-I'm Ryan", he said and stretched his hand out for me to shake it. I hesitated, eventually did so but kept my mouth shut. I looked at the all the pictures I've drawn on all four walls and started to pull them off. Without much success. "Wait, how about I take your drawings off of the walls while you pack all your other stuff?", he suggested. I nodded still too shy to talk. "You know, those are very good", he continued talking to me while we both worked on emptying the room. I knew he was just trying to build up a conversation, because my drawings weren't that good at all. So I didn't answer him and continued to get my stuff together.
John's PoV:
When I was finished signing the papers, I looked at Mrs Jane and asked her: "Does Anna have a friend here? Maybe one that we could adopt as a sibling to her?" She hesitated before she answered: "Yes she had one friend. But he's not available right now, but he will be back here in about 2 weeks. I can contact you when he's here." - "Cool thank you", I replied.
Anna's PoV again:
After about half an hour (I don't have that much stuff to pack, but there were a lot of drawings on my walls to take off) we were finished and Ryan took my suitcase downstairs. I silently followed him. There was the other man waiting for us. He was smaller than Ryan. "Hi I'm John", he greeted me with a friendly smile. I forced a smile. Ryan, John and I walked out to their car followed by Mrs Jane. When my belongings were in the trunk Mrs Jane gave me a hug and wished me all the bests. Ryan opened the door to the backseats for me and I slipped into the car. I watched as Ryan and John shook hands and listened to Mrs Jane's final words to them.
She said: "You know, Anna is a great kid, she really is. And I really hope, she gets the right home she deserves. I love her very much; of course I love all the kids here but she's always been a special kid. Treat her well." Ryan and John both nodded, shook her hand again and climbed into the car.
The drive began. Then in the middle of it, Ryan who sat in the passenger seat turned over at me and said: "You can call us whatever you want to. You know like dad, papa or our names, whatever you like. " I nodded and looked out of the window. It was afternoon by now and we were driving along the coast side. I watched as the ocean was glistening in the sun light. Then an hour or so later we began driving past several huge mansions, each looking bigger than the others. I watched them passing by and I couldn't believe what John said then: "We'll be there in 5 minutes." I raised my eyebrows and whispered a "wow" to myself. I could hear them both smile and I saw them interlock their fingers with one hand. That's good , I thought to myself. It's good that they can show their love for each other. It means they can show it to other people as well.
I was snapped back to reality when the car stopped. "We're here", John said smiling the whole time. I stepped out of the car and stood there in awe. The house I was standing in front of was huge and there was a yard that was stretched out to the beach. I could hear the waves and smell the salty water of the Pacific Ocean. There were trees and green grass on each side of this mansion. The whole house was white and it had lots of windows in no particular order with different sizes. The front door was wooden and doubled. John walked past me with my suitcase but Ryan stood beside me. Again I didn't realize how close he was, so I nearly jumped when he took my hand in his. "Welcome home", he said. I smiled, and it wasn't a fake smile or something, it was real. Ryan lightly kissed my hair and pulled me inside.
We were standing by the reception at the orphanage. Mrs Jane came up to us with a surprised expression on her face. With wide opened eyes she began to talk: "Mr and Mr Rocket, I didn't expect you back here so soon." - "We've made a decision", I stated. She raised her eyebrows. Ryan continued: "We would love to adopt Anna." - "Wonderful! Let's go to my office so you can sign the papers", she said while smiling widely. She turned and we walked along with her to her office. She motioned us to sit in the same two chairs in front of her desk again and she sat down on her own. She then picked up the phone and dialled three numbers. "Yes William", she spoke into the phone, " please go up to room 12 and tell Anna to pack her stuff and then to come downstairs, thank you." She put the phone back down and handed us some papers. She was explaining them to us, when suddenly we heard a knock on the door and a man stumbled in. Mrs Jane raised her eyebrows at him and said: "Yes, William?" - "Mrs Jane", he began, obviously out of breath, "room 12 is empty. I cannot find her anywhere." I looked over at Ryan who looked at Mrs Jane who muttered a "not again" under her breath. "Would you two excuse me for a bit?", she asked us politely. We both nodded, so she stood up and left the room along with the man who I assumed to be William. "What was all that about?", Ryan asked me. "Maybe she's a little runaway", I said and quietly smiled, remembering that I was once one myself. Mrs Jane walked in again mumbling something that she forgot her keys and walked out again. Before she closed the door we could hear her say: "Oh God, where is she now?" Ryan looked over at me and squeezed my hand. "Yep, she most defiantly is a runaway ", he laughed and continued, "just like you were."
About 15 minutes later the door opened again and Mrs Jane walked back in with Anna, grabbed by her wrist. I looked up at her and her beautiful red hair that made her blue eyes sparkle. I got snapped back to reality when Mrs Jane spoke up: "Well, I'm sorry for that little incident. So, now that we are through with the papers one of you has to stay here, fill them out and sign them. I would be glad if the other one can go and pack Anna's things with her meanwhile." So Ryan went with Anna while I was signing.
Anna's Pov:
I ripped my wrist out of Mrs Jane's grip. I looked at the taller man while rubbing my now red wrist. He stood up and looked at it with confusion and worry. I motioned him to follow me out of the office and up the stairs to my room, before he could say anything. I'm not in the mood for talking about the new red scars on my wrist. Before I opened the door to my room I looked behind me to see if he could catch up with me. He was surprisingly close to me and reached out to touch my hurt wrist but I moved it away quickly and shoved the sleeve of my pullover over it. I opened the door to my room and walked inside. He followed, closed the door and looked around while I pulled out my suitcase from under the bed. I could hear him whisper a "wow" and turned around. I couldn't help but stare at him. His face had something. Something that made me feel well accepted, protected, maybe even loved. Or maybe that's just all my imagination. It probably is. I looked away again and sighed. "Uhmm... I-I'm Ryan", he said and stretched his hand out for me to shake it. I hesitated, eventually did so but kept my mouth shut. I looked at the all the pictures I've drawn on all four walls and started to pull them off. Without much success. "Wait, how about I take your drawings off of the walls while you pack all your other stuff?", he suggested. I nodded still too shy to talk. "You know, those are very good", he continued talking to me while we both worked on emptying the room. I knew he was just trying to build up a conversation, because my drawings weren't that good at all. So I didn't answer him and continued to get my stuff together.
John's PoV:
When I was finished signing the papers, I looked at Mrs Jane and asked her: "Does Anna have a friend here? Maybe one that we could adopt as a sibling to her?" She hesitated before she answered: "Yes she had one friend. But he's not available right now, but he will be back here in about 2 weeks. I can contact you when he's here." - "Cool thank you", I replied.
Anna's PoV again:
After about half an hour (I don't have that much stuff to pack, but there were a lot of drawings on my walls to take off) we were finished and Ryan took my suitcase downstairs. I silently followed him. There was the other man waiting for us. He was smaller than Ryan. "Hi I'm John", he greeted me with a friendly smile. I forced a smile. Ryan, John and I walked out to their car followed by Mrs Jane. When my belongings were in the trunk Mrs Jane gave me a hug and wished me all the bests. Ryan opened the door to the backseats for me and I slipped into the car. I watched as Ryan and John shook hands and listened to Mrs Jane's final words to them.
She said: "You know, Anna is a great kid, she really is. And I really hope, she gets the right home she deserves. I love her very much; of course I love all the kids here but she's always been a special kid. Treat her well." Ryan and John both nodded, shook her hand again and climbed into the car.
The drive began. Then in the middle of it, Ryan who sat in the passenger seat turned over at me and said: "You can call us whatever you want to. You know like dad, papa or our names, whatever you like. " I nodded and looked out of the window. It was afternoon by now and we were driving along the coast side. I watched as the ocean was glistening in the sun light. Then an hour or so later we began driving past several huge mansions, each looking bigger than the others. I watched them passing by and I couldn't believe what John said then: "We'll be there in 5 minutes." I raised my eyebrows and whispered a "wow" to myself. I could hear them both smile and I saw them interlock their fingers with one hand. That's good , I thought to myself. It's good that they can show their love for each other. It means they can show it to other people as well.
I was snapped back to reality when the car stopped. "We're here", John said smiling the whole time. I stepped out of the car and stood there in awe. The house I was standing in front of was huge and there was a yard that was stretched out to the beach. I could hear the waves and smell the salty water of the Pacific Ocean. There were trees and green grass on each side of this mansion. The whole house was white and it had lots of windows in no particular order with different sizes. The front door was wooden and doubled. John walked past me with my suitcase but Ryan stood beside me. Again I didn't realize how close he was, so I nearly jumped when he took my hand in his. "Welcome home", he said. I smiled, and it wasn't a fake smile or something, it was real. Ryan lightly kissed my hair and pulled me inside.