Chapter Text
Saturday was Adora’s usual cleaning day. Housework had always been a source of relaxation for her. After all, everything seemed easier when a place was clean, tidy, and orderly. She usually felt like she could breathe better in a spotless place, but even cleaning wasn’t enough to calm her down this time. Nothing had calmed her down in ten days, and she thought she would never relax again.
As Adora finished cleaning her bathroom, she checked her phone for the tenth time. Since this morning, she had mopped the entire apartment and her bedroom twice. However, during her cleaning frenzy, Adora didn't clean her children's rooms because they were old enough to take care of their own spaces. At least one of her twins seemed to be able to do so, but the other lived in a total mess. Yet, she didn’t name anyone.
"Maia!" Adora called as she heard the front door open.
"Wrong twin," Fynn answered from the doorway as he entered with his sports bag. "But I’ll keep note of which of us is your favorite child."
"I don’t have a favorite," Adora said, stepping out of her room with a mop in hand. "Your sister is at the library doing her homework, but she was supposed to come back early this afternoon to clean her room."
"She's probably with her new girlfriend," Fynn said, shrugging as he headed for her room. "I’ll get changed and go to Grandpa’s."
Her children had to help clear out their grandparents’ basement that afternoon. Adora couldn’t understand how Micah could have convinced them when she couldn't even get half of them to clean their own rooms. Anyway, it was for the best. She absolutely had to talk to Glimmer today, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Aren’t you waiting for your sister?" Adora asked as she put her mop away in the living room closet.
"Maia just texted me. She'll meet me there later," Fynn said from his room.
"What does she mean by later?" Adora huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I’m not the right person to answer that question."
Grabbing her phone, Adora tried to call her daughter. When Maia didn’t pick up, Adora sent her a text asking her to call back. Some days, she wondered how her sweet little girl had become such an infuriating teenager. They had always been close, talking about everything and playing board games for hours. Adora really missed those moments. Now, her daughter barely seemed to want to talk to her.
Adora was still staring at her phone, waiting for a response, when she heard the doorbell ring. Despite herself, she stiffened instantly. She felt a lump in her throat and sat down on the sofa. For the tenth time that day, she decided that she wasn’t ready for this discussion.
Fynn emerged from his room, ready to go. He had changed out of his sportswear and into a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He immediately headed for the door and opened it.
"Hi, Auntie," he greeted Glimmer, stepping aside to let her in.
"You're going to clean out the cellar today, aren't you?" Glimmer asked cheerfully, stepping into the apartment. They had always called it the cursed cellar because things never came back from there. Micah was the kind of person who kept everything, even the most useless items.
"Today, we're deciding what to keep," Fynn said, grabbing her shoes. "Grandpa said there were lots of interesting things to save."
"Sure he does," Glimmer scoffed, shaking her head. "The only way to empty that place is to burn it all down."
"You and Mom can come help us, too, right?" she asked, cocking her head.
"Fat chance. Grandchildren were made for this kind of chore," Glimmer said with a wry smile.
Chuckling and rolling her eyes, Fynn put on his shoes. Glimmer gave him some last-minute advice so his grandpa wouldn't keep anything in the basement. Fynn finally greeted them and left.
When the door closed, Glimmer turned around and stood in the living room with a neutral expression. She stared at Adora for a while without saying a word. She was shorter and stockier than Adora. Of Asian origin, she had a tanned complexion and deep gray eyes. Her short purple hair fell just below her ears. She wore light pants and a salmon-pink blouse.
"You look exhausted," Glimmer finally said as she slowly made her way toward the sofa.
"I haven't been sleeping well," Adora explained, running a hand through her hair. The dark circles under her eyes had been growing worse for a week.
Glimmer nodded slightly as she sat down on the sofa. "Do you at least eat?"
"Oh gosh, you're worse than Angella," Adora groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Don’t compare me to Mom."
Her sister's behavior was so similar to their mother's that Adora sometimes found it laughable. Angella was also her mother, but Adora had never called her that. The Moons had taken her in as foster parents when she was nine and adopted her two years later. Angella and Mike were her parents, whatever terminology Adora used.
They quietly chatted for a while about the cleaning out of the cellar and other small talk. Everything seemed better than the discussion that Glimmer had come for.
When Adora’s phone buzzed on the coffee table, she picked it up and read Maia’s text. 'Sorry, I didn't see your call. I’m on my way to Grandpa’s. Talk later!' Adora took a deep breath as she put down the phone.
"Maia?" Glimmer asked with a knowing look.
"Yeah, I don't know what to do with her sometimes. On top of that, she has a new girlfriend now," Adora said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Of course she drives you crazy. She’s sixteen. We drove Mom and Dad crazy back then, too. Most teenagers are like that," Glimmer said calmly, smiling knowingly.
"I wasn’t like that."
"Sure, you didn’t. You’re a people pleaser. But I did."
The banter brought a bit of normality to the flood of panic that had gripped her since that phone call last week. Her sister had said she had news, but Adora wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it. After all, if they didn’t talk about the problem, maybe it would just go away on its own. Pretending nothing had happened seemed like a healthy option.
"So?" Adora finally asked, staring at her hands in her lap.
"I called this woman and did some digging," Glimmer said, sitting up straight on the sofa.
"Is it true?" Adora asked in a strained voice, rubbing her hands together.
"There's still a lot to be clarified," Glimmer answered carefully, taking her phone out of her pocket to read her notes. "She hired a private investigation company, and they led her to Maia and Fynn."
"Maybe they made a mistake."
They sent me their documents, and I’ve already worked with them. The company is competent, but they used their client's information. So it all depends on this woman’s sincerity."
"Oh gosh."
Clenching her fists, Adora felt the lump in her throat grow. Even though she didn’t really believe it, she had hoped the whole situation was just a very bad joke. Maybe the woman had called her by mistake and was looking for another Adora Gray with twins. Otherwise, the woman was insane, and her story had no basis in fact.
"I also did some investigating. I obtained her criminal record and some old arrest reports," Glimmer said, looking at her screen.
"Is it even legal?" Adora asked, looking up and frowning slightly at her sister.
"Are you really interested in the answer?" Glimmer asked, raising an eyebrow.
Adora shook her head and beckoned her to continue. After all, where her sister had found her information didn't matter. Nothing mattered except her children.
"She was arrested in Bright City for drug possession. An arrest record indicates that she appeared to be pregnant. This information coincides with the birth of Maia and Fynn."
Jumping up from the sofa, Adora began to pace hysterically around the living room. "I don't want that junkie near my kids."
Her twins were born prematurely and had withdrawal syndrome, among other health problems. Even though Adora adopted them at age four, she was well aware of their birth medical history. Their health had been fragile throughout their entire childhood. Fortunately, they had grown into healthy teenagers.
However, if she ever met the woman who had given birth to them, Adora wasn’t sure she could stop herself from punching her. She had always been a pacifist, but she couldn’t forgive someone for hurting Maia and Fynn this way.
Glimmer stood up and stepped around the coffee table. She placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders to stop her. "No one will come near your children. No one."
"Is this true? Are they her biological children?" Adora asked in a slightly panicked voice, looking Glimmer in the eyes.
"We only have circumstantial evidence. We need to request a DNA test to be sure."
"Cut the lawyer bullshit, Glim! Do you think it’s true or not?"
Glimmer bit her bottom lip for a few seconds, then said, "Yes, it's credible—really credible."
"Oh gosh, I can't lose my kids," Adora said, her eyes moist.
"Stop spiraling!" Glimmer said firmly, shaking her shoulder. "It's just an irrational fear. They’re your children, and nothing can change that."
After nearly ten days of barely sleeping and constant anxiety, Adora broke down. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks and sobs filling her chest. Her sister pulled her into a firm hug and rubbed her back. They stood in the living room for a while.
Glimmer finally pulled away gently and led her sister to the couch. She wrapped an arm around Adora's shoulder, and they sat in silence together for a long time.
With her head resting on her sister’s shoulder, Adora felt completely empty. She hadn’t cried like this in years, perhaps since her teenage years when her family took her in. Nothing had changed, but Adora felt a little less panicked. Her mind seemed clearer, and the weight on her chest felt just a tad lighter.
"What am I going to do?" Adora finally asked, not moving.
"There are a few possibilities, Dora," Glimmer said, squirming slightly on the sofa beside her.
"I’m afraid for them."
"I know," Glimmer said, squeezing her sister's shoulder. "Listen, I talked with that woman, and she seemed sensible. She has absolutely no rights and understands it.
"Fine. I don’t want that woman coming anywhere near them."
"If you don’t want her to, she won’t. But—"
"But?" Adora said in an exhausted voice. She let out a deep sigh and ran her hand over her face.
Straightening up, she turned a tired gaze toward her sister. She didn’t want any buts; she hated them. The last few days had been a nightmare. She just wanted to forget about it and move on with their lives. Obviously, it was impossible, but she could try to pretend a little longer.
"Maia and Fynn will come of age in just over a year. Then that woman will be allowed to contact them without asking," Glimmer continued, pursing her lips in a thin line. "They probably won't like the fact that you've kept this from them."
"I’m terrified they’ll get hurt by all this," Adora said in a trembling voice, shaking her head.
"I understand, but that’s their history. They deserve to know, and I think they're old enough to handle it with your support."
Adora knew her sister was right, but she hated it. She wanted to protect her children more than anything. They shouldn't have to suffer because of that awful, selfish, heartless woman who abandoned them sixteen years earlier. Her daughter deserved to enjoy her new girlfriend and continue driving her mother crazy. Her son deserved to enjoy his athletic training and make the most of his time in secondary school.
"I'll talk to them," Adora sighed, resting her head on her sister's shoulder again.
She felt it was the right thing to do, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject. She decided to simply be honest and be there for them as she had always tried to be for her children. She had held her daughter’s hand when Maia woke up from her appendectomy at eight years old. She had comforted Fynn when he broke his leg at the age of eleven.
She couldn’t protect them from everything, but she would always be with them, ready to support and comfort them. However, if that woman tried to hurt them, Adora would also be ready to defend them.