hired him before he left to go back to Venezuela. You didn’t know?”
“No. She never told me that.”
“I brought her to you through sunflowers. My favorite.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered, remembering Bailey’s words from my dream.
We talked about Mario and Eva often, but life got in the way and we’d lost touch. Faith always stayed in our hearts, she’d always been a part of me, and Bailey knew it too.
Bailey’s words now made sense. More than I could have ever understood before, as if she was saying them to me right then and there.
“I love her. I’ve always loved her, and you have too. It’s why I chose her for you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
<>Camila<>
I sat there in a state of shock, trying my hardest to take everything in. I was beyond confused and had so many questions with no answers. My parents always had a love for children. Half of my siblings were blood related, and the other half were foster kids, but they never felt any different.
When Aiden shared he’d grown up in foster homes, I never imagined my parents were the family he was talking about. The only home that loved him for the first time in his life.
Watching the way they were together, the way they all looked at each other.
The love.
The family unity.
The connection between them.
I felt it all deep in my bones. Only adding to the emotions running high in my body. I watched with a captivated regard, wanting to know what the hell he was thinking.
What the hell was going through his mind…
His scent masking the air all around me. Working my nerves into a frenzy. Feeling the anxiety for what was to come flourishing, breathing, living inside me. It soared in my veins, stirring memories I didn’t know I had.
“Hola, mi amor,” Mom greeted, “Hello, my love,” as she tucked me in bed.
“Mama! Tell me again! Tell me the story again!” I shouted from the rooftops, practicing my English with her so the kids at school wouldn’t hurt my feelings anymore.
I hated school. Kindergarten was so hard.
“Baby, I’ve told you this story so many times. Que tal y te digo otro cuento?” she asked, “How about I tell you another story?”
“No, Momma! Please!” I gave her my sad puppy eyes, they always worked.
She sighed. “Okay, Faith, let me get the photo album.”
I smiled, feeling happy I won. I waited for her in my bed like a good little girl, running my fingers through my hair. Trying to make it more straight and less Fraggle Rock like the kids at school teased me.
“Faith, stop messing with your hair. Mi vida, eres hermosa tal como eres,” she complimented, “My love, you’re gorgeous just the way you are.”
She always said that. I rolled my eyes when she wasn’t looking while she turned the pages of the oldest photo album in the world. Going right to my favorite pictures. They were hard to see because our camera wasn’t the best, but it didn’t matter. I loved them anyway.
“That’s you when you were born, and that’s who delivered you.”
I wish I could see his face better, but I pretended anyway.
“In the shower.”
“Yes, you came one afternoon while I was going to take a shower and your sister Everly went and got help for me.”
“Everly is so silly.”
“She is.”
“And the ambulance, Momma! The ambulance came and went vroom, vroom, vroom! With big bright red lights!”
“Yes, and then they rushed me to the hospital.”
“And Daddy met us there!”
“He did, he was very happy to finally meet you.”
“Because I was the angel baby.”
“You are our angel baby.”
I smiled. I loved this story.
“Tu inglés está mejorando,” she celebrated, “Your English is getting better.”
“Momma, am I ever going to meet him?”
“No lo sé, mi amor,” she replied, “I don’t know, my love.”
“Where is he?”
“We lost touch over the years.”
“But I thought he was family.”
“Sometimes family loses touch, but he loved you very much, Faith.”
“He named me.”
“He did. It’s a very special name.”
“I hate it.”
“Faith, no digas eso,” she reprimanded, “Faith, don’t say that.”
“But the kids at school, Momma! With their dumb song! ‘Faith, Faith, Faith is here. Don’t say anything in front of her or God will hear.’” I rolled my eyes again. “I don’t even know God.”
“You don’t have to know God because he lives in your heart.”
“Yeah… me and God are like this.” I crossed my fingers, making her laugh. “Wel,l I want to meet him.”
“Oh yeah? Why?”
“Because he brought me into the world, and I want to tell him thank you and