Waking up every day in this orphanage was no longer fun. I've been here for 16 years now, Hazel thought sadly.
No family has ever come to adopt me. Am I cursed or something? She sighed, wishing she had a mother to care for her, someone to call her own.
"Hazel!!"
Hazel jolted awake at the sound of her name. It was Rose, her only true friend at the orphanage.
"Were you lost in your thoughts again?" Rose asked, her voice filled with gentle concern.
Rose was one of the sisters in the orphanage who had taken a special liking to Hazel from the very day she arrived.
Over the years, they had grown close. Being the head matron, Rose often ensured Hazel got treated a little better not out of favoritism,
But because Hazel's respectful and kind behavior had won the hearts of many sisters in the orphanage.
"Sister Aurora wants to see you in her office," Rose said with a mixture of excitement and sadness in her voice. "Some couples are here to adopt you."
"What?!" Hazel gasped, hardly believing what she had just heard. "Are you serious?"
Out of excitement, she quickly rushed out of the room. But as she reached the door, she stopped and turned back, seeing Rose's eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Hazel's own eyes welled up. "Please don't cry. I promise I'll visit you," she whispered as they hugged tightly.
Breaking the silence, Rose softly said, "Go now, your parents are waiting for you."
Hazel smiled and walked towards Sister Aurora's office. She knocked gently on the door.
"Come in," Madame Aurora's calm voice called from inside.
As Hazel stepped into the office, she saw a smiling couple sitting eagerly, waiting to meet her.
The woman looked to be in her late thirties with beautiful brunette hair, but her youthful face made her look almost like a teenager.
As Hazel quietly observed them, Sister Aurora spoke up:
"Hazel, meet the Brookes."
"Hi," Hazel greeted politely, her voice soft but respectful.
They exchanged greetings, and as the conversation went on, Hazel's heart filled with hope.
The Brookes seemed like kind people. Maybe, just maybe, this was the family she had been dreaming of for so long.
MEETING THE BROOKES:
As they drove to the new place she would now call home, Hazel couldn't help but imagine the life ahead of her.
Finally, she thought, I will experience love and care, just like I always wished for.
Sitting in the back seat, she gazed out the window, watching the world pass by.
The silence inside the car was long and heavy, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
"We have a beautiful home. You'll love it when we get there," Mrs. Brookes said softly, almost like a whisper.
Hazel simply smiled in response, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The journey continued in peaceful silence.
When the car finally pulled into the driveway, Hazel gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Before her stood a magnificent mansion, grand and beautiful beyond anything she had ever imagined.
She stepped out of the car, completely lost in admiration of the house.
A maid quickly approached her, gently pulling her back from her thoughts. "You are welcome," the maid said kindly.
"Thank you," Hazel replied, a wide smile spreading across her face.
"Hazel, follow Ashley inside. She will show you to your room," Mrs. Brookes instructed.
"Okay," Hazel answered politely. As she and the maid walked into the house, Hazel decided to break the silence between them.
"I'm Hazel," she introduced herself in a calm voice.
"I'm Ashley," the maid replied with a warm smile.
"How long have you been working here?" Hazel asked curiously.
"I've been living here since I was a child. My mother used to work for the Brookes," Ashley answered, then paused, letting out a long sigh. "Hmm…"
"What happened?" Hazel asked gently, sensing the sadness in Ashley's voice.
"Before she died," Ashley added quietly.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Hazel said sincerely.
"Thank you," Ashley replied, her voice soft and grateful.
The rest of the walk was filled with silence, both girls lost in their own thoughts.
Hazel felt a pang of guilt for reminding Ashley of her late mother.
Still, she was grateful to have made a small connection on her very first day in her new home.