Chapter Text
The staggering volume of paperwork needed in the adoption process still took Konn Torin by surprise.
After countless childcare classes, home visitations, behavioural interviews and a thorough examination of their finances, Torin and Suho still had to go over 43 pages of legal documents before they were officially fathers to Linh Pearl and Linh Peony.
They were seated in the bright and cheery office surrounded by cartoon characters on the wall and many leafy plants all over the floor. It was a pleasant, soothing space that did little to calm the nervous excitement in his heart.
“A few more documents actually,” said Ms More the hassled but bright director of the Golden Phoenix Orphanage. “This process is a lot more involved than most parents realise.”
Each signature felt like a rock peaked to the dream he had shared with Suho for over a decade of togetherness. The sisters had been a perfect match. Torin and Suho knew that they wanted to adopt older children who would not have as much of a chance as a newborn. Adopting siblings would also help them have a confidant in the challenging process of becoming a family. Looking at their sweet faces and wide smiles, Torin knew instantly that they would be a happy home.
“Is that the last of it?” Suho asked beside him, shaking his hand out, “How do you do this all day, love? My wrist is cramping.”
“I suppose it is a matter of practice then,” he replied, finishing his own set of papers. “Although I am usually the one requesting the signatures.”
“With that, I can empathise,” smiled Ms More, “Now, you just need to come tomorrow evening to bring the girls home - We will have vetted all your documents by then - but we can actually meet them today.”
Suho caught his hand as they followed Ms More to one of the playrooms. It was a bright and well-lit space with well-loved toys strewn all over. Children chattered all over and attendants wove through the tables with a large smile. Torin spotted two girls playing a game on an old port screen and squeezed Suho’s hand. Linh Pearl and Linh Peony, so similar in appearance that they might be peas in a pod, they both had curly ringlets and sweet faces.
It was one of the dozen applications that took simple enough games and rebranded them with popular celebrities and icons. A decidedly aged up Prince Kaito battled with a tank in a game of dodge. He stifled a laugh - Even if the growing attention on the young prince had been a headache at work, he still found it quite amusing to think of.
“Pearl? Peony?” Ms More called, “Someone special is here to meet you.”
His heart skipped a beat. The two girls turned expectant, eyes wide as they came to stand before them. The older one, Pearl, pulled the younger, Peony, to her feet.
Torin suddenly felt awkward. They had brought flowers and two plush animals along as a gift but standing there Torin could just think if the flowers were the wrong colour or the animals the wrong species.
What was wrong with him? He was a consummate politician with decades of experience yet the prospect of meeting his new daughters had his second-guessing like a teenager.
“I am Ahn Suho,” said his husband earnestly, “And this is my husband Konn Torin. We are hoping to be your new parents.”
Pearl nudged Peony up and the two fell into a clumsy curtsy. “We are so happy to meet you,” said Pearl, honey sweet, “We had never thought that we would have a family again.”
The knowledge of the deaths of Linh Garan and Linh Adri made his heart clench. No matter how happy he was to be building his home, it had come at the cost of them losing theirs. “We can never take the place of Garan and Adri, of course, but we will do our best to keep you happy.”
At another nudge from Pearl, Peony said, “We are grateful, really, that you chose us.”
Torin handed them their bouquets, the tall blooms giant in their little hands, “No. We are grateful to be able to care for you.”
“We aren’t quite sure what girls your age like.” Suho cut in. “You can tell us if you dislike them.”
An awkward silence passed while they all sized each other up. Suho shuffled his feet in the manner Torin knew was anxiety. What does one even say to a little girl? Let alone two.
“We do think we can give you a good home.” Torin made himself smile wide. “We have wanted children for so long and we are overjoyed to be able to take care you.”
Pearl clutched Peony closer and nodded. Pearl was clearly showing the protective streak of an older sibling, he mused.
“We have a room prepared for you,” Suho said, “We haven’t painted it yet. We thought you could decide.”
“We can decorate it together, however you want. Pink or blue or green.”
“Teal. Purple.”
“Or even black - if you want.”
Ms More cleared her throat, flashing a tight smile.
“Right. That’s not important now.” Torin cleared his throat. “Peony, Pearl, you have been through things worse than either one of us. We cannot begin to imagine your pain. But we do want to make your future better and to take care of you.”
“Is there anything you both want to ask us? Anything you want to do?
“Oh, no we are quite -“
“What - What about our other-?”
Pearl grabbed her sister’s arm. “Peony, we talked about this,” she hissed under her breath, “Please,” she said brightly to them, “Don’t worry about us, we are just happy to have a new home.”
Ms More cleared her throat. Torin glanced at her, surprised at her sudden nervous expression and pale cheeks. Pearl’s reaction has been unexpected but this adult somehow seemed complicit too.
He narrowed his eyes. Surely the orphanage had not hidden something important away to improve the chances of adoption. “Is there something we should know, Pearl and Peony?”
Pearl bit her lip and glanced at Ms More. Torin turned to her with a raised eye brow.
After a beat, she sighed. “They are talking about the other girl,” defended Ms More, “Their father brought her home. The paperwork was still under processing when they died, she was only with them for a few weeks.”
Torin’s blood ran cold. How could they have hidden a whole child from them? What possible reason could there have been for it that made any sense?
“Daddy said she was our new sister, Pearl. She is so nice.” Peony looked near tears. “They wouldn’t let us speak to her.”
“For good reason,” grumbled Pearl, “Peony, we talked about this. She is not-“
“She is alone, Pearly,” cried Peony, “We have each other but she is alone!”
Pearl frowned, clearly unconvinced of Peony’s opinion of this girl.
“Pearl,” coaxed Suho, “Please. You can tell us anything.”
She frowned and crossed her arms petulantly. “She isn’t our sister.”
“Don’t say that about Cinder! I like her.”
As the girls began to squabble Torin and Suho made their way to Ms More with a hard question in their eyes. She winced and pinched her nose.
“You have to understand, she is a cyborg.”