Chapter Four: The Perfect Place
Mr. Jones packed the last bag into his car and walked toward the children.
"Hi, Rachel. Hi, Andrew. Hi, son. Hi, daughter," he said warmly.
They all responded with smiles, but Moon felt her chest tighten. A strange nervousness crept over her, and she didn't understand why.
"Moon, don't be hard on yourself, my daughter," Mr. Jones said gently, noticing her unease. "You'll get used to it in no time."
He turned to Rachel and Andrew and asked how they were doing and how they were coping with their studies. They admitted school was stressful, but they were managing. They were working hard because they wanted to make their parents proud.
Mr. Jones asked which university they hoped to attend. Rachel and Andrew exchanged a look and said they hadn't decided yet. They explained that they didn't want to be separated—that they wanted all four of them, including Jacob and Moon, to attend the same university.
"We started together," Rachel said. "We want to finish together."
Mr. Jones smiled, clearly moved. "I love the way you all look out for each other," he said. "Keep being good to one another. Whatever you want within my power, I'll provide it."
He thanked them for taking care of Jacob and being kind to him while he and his wife were away.
"You don't have to thank us, sir," Andrew replied. "Jacob is family."
Mr. Jones nodded, then turned to Moon. "We should get going," he said softly. "Your new mom is waiting for you at the child services office."
He picked up her school bag and lunch bag, carried them to the car, and opened the door for her.
Moon froze.
She hadn't been treated with that kind of care before—at least, not that she could remember. Her eyes burned with emotion, but she blinked it away, refusing to let anyone notice.
As she got into the car, Mr. Jones closed the door gently and turned to Jacob.
"We'll see you at home," he said.
"Bye, Dad," Jacob replied, waving as they drove off.
Inside the car, Mr. Jones asked, "What's your favorite song?"
"The Snowman," Moon replied quietly.
He laughed. "Really? I love playing that song during Christmas."
He turned on the music, and as the song filled the car, Moon slowly relaxed. The tension in her body eased, and for the first time, everything felt calm—safe.
At the child services office, Mr. Jones parked and led Moon inside, where his wife was waiting.
Moon bowed her head politely. "Hello, ma'am."
Mrs. Jones smiled and held her hands. "Oh, my child, you can call me Mom. After today, you are officially my daughter."
Moon's breath caught.
"I want you to feel free with me," Mrs. Jones continued. "You can talk to me about anything. You don't have to be afraid anymore—we're your family now."
She pulled Moon into a gentle embrace.
An officer brought out the documents and placed them on the table.
"Moon," Mrs. Jones said carefully, "once you sign this, there's no going back. You will no longer be a Carter—you will be a Jones. Is this what you want?"
Moon didn't hesitate. She picked up the pen and signed.
When the documents were finalized, the officer smiled. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. You are now the legal guardians of Moon Jones."
The tension in the room melted away. Mr. and Mrs. Jones hugged each other and then drew Moon into their arms.
"Jacob will be so happy," Mrs. Jones said through tears.
Soon after, Mrs. Jones excused herself, her excitement impossible to hide. She called Jacob and asked him to invite some friends, contacted a few close acquaintances, bought Moon a beautiful dress, and made sure the house was ready.
When they finally arrived home, the mansion was filled with guests and warm laughter. Before Moon could ask what was happening, Mrs. Jones helped her into the new dress.
As they entered the living room, the lights were off.
Moon opened her mouth to speak—
"Surprise!" Jacob shouted.
"Welcome home, Moon Jones!"
The lights flashed on. Cheers filled the room.
Moon broke down in tears as her new family surrounded her.
"I've got you for life," her mom whispered.
Rachel hugged her tightly. "This is a new beginning."
Upstairs, Rachel showed Moon her room. Moon gasped. It was everything she had ever dreamed of—warm, beautiful, perfect.
"I can't believe this is mine," Moon whispered.
"It's real," Rachel replied softly.
Later, they returned downstairs, where Andrew spotted her immediately.
"There you are," he said with a grin. "My baby."
"I've been looking for you forever," Moon replied, smiling.
Andrew studied her face. "How are you adapting to your new life?"
"It feels unreal," she admitted. "I've never been treated this kindly before."
Andrew squeezed her hand. "This is real. You're finally where you belong."
Andrew looked at her for a long moment without speaking. Their eyes locked. Moon felt her cheeks warm as she blushed.
"You look so beautiful," he whispered, touching her blonde hair.
Moon looked away shyly, but Andrew gently lifted her chin.
"You really do," he continued. "That dress… you look amazing."
Her heart raced as Andrew leaned in and kissed her.
Moon pulled back slightly, startled.
"I'm sorry," Andrew said quickly. "I won't force you if you're not ready. I didn't mean to rush—"
Before he could finish, Moon reached up, held his face, and kissed him deeply.
Andrew froze for a second, shocked, then kissed her back with equal passion. In the middle of the kiss, he whispered, "I'll never hurt you. I'll never do anything to upset you."
Moon smiled against his lips, still kissing him. The moment lasted several minutes—until a loud voice broke the silence.
"HEY!" Rachel shouted.
They jumped apart and burst into laughter, running away together.
"She didn't see that, did she?" Moon asked shyly.
"Even if she did," Andrew said, smiling, "you're my girlfriend."
Moon hugged him tightly as Andrew took her hand and led her back toward Rachel.
"Well, well," Rachel teased. "What have you two been up to, lovebirds?"
"I was spending time with my girlfriend," Andrew said casually, "until you ruined it."
He turned to Moon. "Your mom needs you."
"Okay," Moon replied and hurried off.
The party was almost over when Mr. and Mrs. Jones brought Moon forward to introduce her to some of their friends.
"There she is," Mrs. Jones said proudly as Moon entered the room.
She took Moon's hand. "I'd like you to meet some people."
Mr. Jones was speaking with an old friend when he turned.
"Thomas," he said warmly, "I'd like you to meet the newest member of my family—my daughter, Moon."
"Hello, sir," Moon said politely.
"Hello," Professor Thomas Reeds replied with a smile. He congratulated her on her performance during Founder's Day and praised her talent.
"I was very impressed," he said. "If you continue working hard, you'll go very far—especially in art."
Moon nodded, grateful, as her mother gently led her away to meet others.
That night, surrounded by warmth, kindness, and love, Moon finally understood something she had never known before.
She was home.
The party was finally over, and most of the guests had already left. Outside, Rachel, Andrew, Jacob, and Moon remained behind, sitting together and laughing under the night sky.
Moon took the moment to thank Jacob. "Thank you for making all of this happen."
Jacob smiled and shrugged. "It's nothing. Besides, I finally have someone to share that huge mansion with."
They all laughed.
Rachel smirked and teased, "So, Jacob… what about that boy you used to like in Grade Twelve?"
Jacob instantly turned red. "Rachel—"
Andrew laughed. "Come on, tell us. We want to hear."
Moon giggled. "Wait… are you saying my brother had a crush?"
Jacob groaned, far too shy to admit anything. He quickly changed the subject. "What about you, Rachel? Are you seeing someone?"
Rachel shook her head. "No, but there's this boy in Andrew's class—"
Before she could finish, everyone burst into laughter.
"There's this boy," Jacob repeated jokingly, and they all laughed again.
From a distance, Mr. and Mrs. Jones watched them quietly.
"It's been a long time since I've seen the children this happy," Mrs. Jones said softly.
Mr. Jones nodded. "They make Jacob feel safe. They accept him—no judgment, no conditions."
"Hey, kiddo," Mr. Jones called out gently. "It's getting late. Andrew, before your parents start calling."
"Yes, sir," Andrew replied. "Thank you so much for tonight."
Jacob and Moon walked them to the car. Andrew kissed Moon softly.
"See you tomorrow," he said.
"See you," Moon replied, smiling as they drove away.
On the way back to the mansion, Rachel teased Andrew. "Moon is already in love with you. Don't break my best friend's heart."
Andrew smiled. "I promise."
Back at the Jones mansion, Moon and Jacob walked inside hand in hand, still laughing, when Mrs. Jones stopped them.
"Moon," she asked gently, "what kind of food would you like for breakfast? I'll have it added to the menu."
Moon froze.
No one had ever asked her that before.
"I—I'm sorry, ma'am," she whispered.
Mrs. Jones smiled warmly. "It's okay, sweetheart. You'll get used to it."
Moon nodded and went upstairs. After taking a bath, she lay on the large bed, staring up at the ceiling. For the first time, she knew she wouldn't have to suffer anymore. She smiled, thinking about her first kiss with Andrew, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning was quiet and peaceful.
Moon was still sleeping while Jacob and the rest of the family waited downstairs for breakfast. Mr. and Mrs. Jones would be returning to the States later that day.
"I'll wake her," Mrs. Jones said softly.
She entered Moon's room and sat beside her. "Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty."
Moon's eyes flew open. For a moment, panic crossed her face. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to wake up late—"
Mrs. Jones understood immediately. She pulled Moon into her arms. "Shh… you didn't do anything wrong."
Moon relaxed as her new mother held her.
"We're waiting for you downstairs," Mrs. Jones said gently. "We want to have breakfast together before we leave."
Moon nodded.
"Take your time," Mrs. Jones added, kissing her forehead. "And remember—you and Jacob should always look out for each other."
After getting ready, Moon went downstairs.
"Good morning, Moon," Mr. Jones said warmly.
"Good morning, sir," she replied.
"One day," he smiled, "you'll call me Dad."
Jacob grinned. "Morning."
Moon bumped his shoulder playfully. "Wassup."
They laughed and talked about school while eating, until their mom reminded them not to be late.
As they were about to leave, Mr. Jones stopped them. "Wait a moment."
He returned with a package and handed it to Moon. "This is for you."
Moon opened it—and froze.
"A MacBook?" she gasped.
She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly, then hugged Mrs. Jones as well.
On the drive to school, Moon and Jacob argued playfully about who would sit in front.
"Let your sister sit," Mrs. Jones said, laughing.
At the school gate, Mr. Jones hugged them both. "Take care of each other."
As they walked inside, Moon said softly, "Sometimes I still can't believe this is my life. I'm really Moon Jones."
Jacob smiled. "It's a good thing. The Carters didn't know what they lost."
Rachel came running toward them. "Moon! I've been calling your name!"
Andrew followed, hugging Moon and kissing her cheek. "Come cheer me on at my football game this afternoon."
"I'll be there," Moon promised.
That day, everyone treated Moon differently. The girl who was once bullied was now admired. She felt like a queen.
When the test results were released, Moon scored an A+, Rachel an A-, and Jacob a C.
Jacob sighed. "This will really affect me."
Moon squeezed his hand. "Don't worry. I'll help you with everything."
After school, Moon went to Andrew's football game. His team was losing, and frustration showed on his face.
She shouted, "You can do this, baby!"
Andrew heard her voice and pushed himself harder. He scored twice.
They won 2–1.
Andrew ran straight to Moon and pulled her into a hug. "Your voice gave me strength," he said. "I don't know what I would've done without you."
Hand in hand, they walked toward the locker room together.