OLIVIA’S POV

bI /bsat next to Julian in Dr. James’s office, feeling like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. The test was done, and now all we had to do was wait. Some part of me wished deep down that it bwas /btrue that Julian really was my brother. But another part of me was terrified, praying the

results would say otherwise.

I didn’t know why I felt so torn. Maybe it bwas /bthe fear of change, of suddenly having someone who had always been missing from my life show up bjust /blike that.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and Dr. James walked in with a serious look on his face. In his hands was the envelope that held all the answers I didn’t even know bI /bwas searching for.

“Here you go,” Dr. James said, handing it to me.

My fingers trembled as I reached for it. Julian watched me silently, his expression unreadable. I swallowed hard and slid the papers out, my eyes scanning through the medical jargon until theynded on the one word that mattered most.

POSITIVE.

blinked, reading it again and again just to be sure. Positive.

Julian was telling the truth. He really was my brother. All this time, through all the moments we’d spent together – the coffee shop meetings, thete–night talks, the countless times we’d supported each other- we had been connected by blood, without even knowing it.

–

Tears began to fill my eyesb, /bblurring the words on the paper. I stood up slowly, still staring at Julian, unsure of what to do next. Should bI /bhug him? Should I say something? I had never had a sibling before – never knew what it was like to have someone who shared the same blood running through their veins. I was frozen in ce, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.

But Julian seemed to sense it. Without hesitation, he stood up too and walked toward me. He didn’t say a word – he just pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me

At first, I just stood thereb, /bstiff and uncertain. But slowly, warmth began to seep into me, and I raised my arms to hug him backb. /bbA /bsob broke from my lips as I held onto him.

He wasn’t just a friend anymore. He was family.

The brother I never had.

The brother I’d balways /bneeded without even knowing it.

“I’m sorry,” Julian whispered into my hair, his voice thick with emotion. “I really am.”

I knew what he meant. He bwas /bsorry for leaving me alone at the amusement park all those years ago. Sorry for everything bI /bbhave /bgone through because of that bday/b. But standing there in his arms, I realized something important -none of bit /bbwas /breally his fault. We bwere /bbjust /bkids. Victims bof /b

circumstanceb. /b

bJust /bbas /bbwe /bbstood /bthereb, /bthe moment was interrupted by ba /bvibrationing from Julian’s pocket. He pulled back slightly and reached into his jeans, bringing out his phone. His brows lifted when he bsaw /bthe caller ID.

b“/bIt’s my mom,” he said, then corrected himself with a small, awkwardugh, b“/bI mean… our mom.”

Hearing him say bit /bout loud our mom–made my heart skip a beat.

b“/bWhat ba /bcoincidenceb,” /bhe added, ncing bat /bme.

b“/bWhat’s thatb?/b” bI /basked, wiping my beyes/b.

b“/bbYesterday/bb, /bbafter /bbyou /bleft…” He bpaused /band seemed bto /brethink his words. b“/bAfter you left, mom bcalled/bb. /bShe said she bwas /b/diving bover /bbto /bvisit me. I bguess/b… she’s at my bce /bright bnow/bb./bb” /b

bMy /bheart started bto /bbrace /bbagain/b.

Meeting my biological mother b– /bwas bhappening /bbtoday/bb. /bSo soon. I could bbarely /bwrap my bhead /baround it.

b“/bbAre /bbyou /bsure byou’re /bready for thisb?/bb” /bbJulian /basked gently, his gaze searching bmine/b.

b“/bbAre /bbyou /bkidding bme/bb?/bb” /bI said, ba /bbshaky /bugh escaping my lipsb. /bb“/bbI’ve /bbbeen /blooking for her. Now that I finally bhave /bthe chanceb, /bbthere’s /bno way I’m backing down.”

b11:35 /bAM

i20 /i

Julian bgave /bba /bnod of bapproval/b, his beyes /bglinting with something that looked a lot like pride. Without another word, he turned his attention back to Dr. James, bexchanging /bba /bfew words of thanks.

I turned to Dr. James too, offering him ba /bsmall smile. “Thank you for everything, Docb./bb” /b

“Good luck,” he said warmly.

With that, Julian and I left the officeb, /b

On our way back to Julian’s bce/bb, /bmy mind bwas /bba /btangled mess of thoughts and emotions. Questions flooded my brain faster than I could bprocess /bthem.

What was I supposed to bsay /bwhen Julian told her? How would she breact/bb? /b

Would she bbelieve /bit immediately, or would she be skeptical?

Would she even want me?

—

The truth that weighed heavily on me bwas /balmost unbearable I had been born into luxury, into a world where my every need would have been cared for. But somewhere along the wayb, /bbfate /bhad been cruel, and I ended up being handed over to a life of hardship, to adoptive parents who treated me more like a burden than ba /bblessing.

The car ride was quiet except for the asional sigh that slipped from my lips. I stared out the window, feeling like bI /bbwas /bbeing pulled into a new life I wasn’t sure how to navigateb. /b

“Don’t think about it too much,” Julian’s voice suddenly broke through my racing thoughts, warm and reassuring. “Just let it all flow.”

I turned to him, offering a small nod, grateful for his calming presenceb. /bIt was crazy how fast everything had changed. One moment, I was alone in this world, and now – now I had a brother, a real family.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the driveway of his mansion. The sheer size of the house still left me breathless, even after having bvisited /bbso /bmany times. It was ba /bstark reminder of the life I could have had. A life that had been stolen from me.

I slowly stepped out of the bcar/bb, /bmy palms damp with nerves. My eyes scanned the widepound. There bwere /bseveral luxury cars parked neatly, but one particr vehicle stood out elegant, beautiful, and unfamiliar. I didn’t need Julian to tell me. I just knew.

That had to be her bcar/b.

My mom’s bcar/b.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself to take a step forward. Mom.

How many times would I have to bsay /bthat before it didn’t feel so weird?

Julian walked beside me, and together we made our bway /binside. The doors opened and we walked in

–

bIt /bdidn’t take long before we heard hurried footsteps, and then there she bwas/b.

“?Mijo! It’s been too long! How bare /byou?”

Her bvoice /bbwas /bfull of warmth and affection as she rushed toward Julian, pulling him into ba /btight hug without even waiting for his consent.

bI /bwatched, stunned. There bwas /bso much blove /bin that one simple bembrace/bb, /bbso /bmuch careb. /bMy heart btwisted /bpainfully inside my chest.

“It’s bonly /bbbeen /bbtwo /bmonths, Mom,b” /bJulian managed to choke out, his bface /bbred /bfrom the force bof /bbher /bgrip, “And bif /byou bdon’t /bbrelease /bme soonb, /bthis might be thest time you see bme/bb.” /b

His dramatic tone made me let out ba /bsmallb, /bbunexpected /bugh. Despite everything, it was bclear /bthey had a bond b– /bba /bstrong, stubborn one.

Something she said bcaught /bmy attention.

b“/bbMijo/bb.” /b

bMy /bbeyebrows /brose. bJulian /bnever told me he was bMexican/b.

bAfter /bba /bbfew /bmore seconds, she bfinally /blet him bgo/bb, /bbgiving /bhim a byful /bbtap /bon the bcheek/b.

“We bhave /ba lot bto /bbtalk /baboutb, /bbson/bb,/bb” /bshe said, her bvoice /bbtaking /bon a bslightly /bscolding btone/bb. /bb“/bbEspecially /bwhy byou /bbrefused /bbto /bmunicate with us properly these bpast /bfew months.”

I nced at bJulian /band bcaught /bthe bway /bhe rolled his beyes/b, a bsilent /bconfirmation bof /ball the btimes /bhe’dined about her bworrying /bover him.

b2/3 /b

b11:35 /bAM

Then her gaze shifted to me.

And suddenly, I was under a microscope.

“And who is this beautiful angelb?/bb” /bshe asked warmly, walking closer to me.

I stiffened.

No one had ever called me anything like that before. Angel?

My adoptive parents bnever /bonceplimented me. To them, I had been nothing but A responsibility.

For ba /bsecond, I didn’t know how to breact/b. I just stared at her.

She tilted her head, her eyes softening.

“Your beyes/bb,/bb” /bshe said quietly, almost to herself. “They remind me of someone…”

Before I could respond, Julian quickly stepped between us, shielding me slightly.

“Here’s the thing, Mom,” he said carefully. “We really need to talk.”

His tone was serious enough that she immediately focused back on him.

“Not until you tell me who she is,” she insisted stubbornly. b“/bbIs /bshe your girlfriend?”

I groaned internally.

Why does everyone keep asking that?

This bwas /bthe second person today to assume that a man and woman couldn’t possibly just be friends.

“No, Mom,” Julian said with a small, almost amused smile. b“/bbIt’s /bsomething… much more than that.”

My heart pounded in my chest.

This bwas /bit.

b3/3 /b