Chapter Text
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. "Hi, Dad," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. The man in front of me, his red hair streaked with gray, freezes, his eyes filled with shock. In the kitchen, a woman with the same red hair turns to look at me. A mixing bowl slips from her hands and crashes onto the floor.
I sit stiffly on the couch, my eyes shifting between my half-siblings, Liam and Makayla, while my dad and stepmom argue in the next room.
"You told me you never had a kid with her!" my stepmom yells.
"Because I didn’t," my dad replies, frustration clear in his voice.
"Then how do you explain the fifteen-year-old girl sitting in our living room?"
"We don’t know for sure that she’s mine."
"Oh, come on, Alex. She looks exactly like you."
My dad sighs heavily and rubs his temples. "I had no idea."
My stepmom exhales sharply. Her voice softens, shifting from anger to something more practical. "Alright. Then we’ll have to figure out how to fit her into our budget."
A few minutes later, they walk back into the room. "Liam, Makayla, this is your half-sister. I—uh, sorry, what’s your name again?"
"Roxie," I say.
"Alright, Roxie. Now that you're here, there are some rules you need to follow," she says, her tone firm.
House Rules
Rule 1: No shoes inside the house. You’ll have a pair of indoor slippers just for home.
Rule 2: Everyone has chores, and you’ll be expected to do your share every day.
Rule 3: Homework must be finished as soon as you get home—no exceptions.
Rule 4: Your room must be organized and clean at all times
Rule 5: You have to do your own laundry cause we do our own laundry in this house
I nod slowly, letting the words sink in. This isn’t going to be easy. My life is about to change in ways I never expected.
I waited for a few minutes while my new room is being fixed up