The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of the guest room, casting long, gray shadows across the floor.
Izzy slipped out of bed. The sheets were too soft, the room too quiet. Her stomach was a hollow ache, but the thought of going downstairs, of facing Conrad and Evette over the breakfast table, made her throat close up.
She crept out of the room, her bare feet silent on the carpet. She wandered down the hallway, away from the smell of coffee and bacon, until she reached the back of the house.
A door was cracked open. Warm, humid air spilled out, carrying the scent of damp earth and green things growing.
Izzy pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The greenhouse was a glass sanctuary. Sunlight streamed through the panes, turning the air golden. Plants of every size and shape filled the room, their leaves reaching toward the light.
And they were talking.
Hello, little one.
Welcome back.
You smell like sadness.
The voices overlapped, a chorus of rustling leaves and humming sap. It was a comforting noise, like a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders.
Izzy walked down the narrow path, her fingers trailing over the soft ferns and the waxy leaves of the rubber plants. She stopped in front of a large orchid sitting on a wooden pedestal. Its petals were a deep, vibrant purple, the color of royalty.
The orchid leaned toward her, its stem bending gracefully. You have very clear eyes, the orchid said, its voice like the chiming of a small bell. Eyes that see the truth.
Izzy's lips twitched. A small, shy smile touched her face, the first one in days. She reached out, her fingertip gently stroking the edge of the soft petal. It felt like silk.
"What are you doing?"
The sharp voice shattered the peace.
Izzy jumped, pulling her hand back. Katelynn stood at the entrance of the greenhouse, her hands on her hips. She was wearing another pristine dress, this one blue, with a matching ribbon in her hair.
"That's my orchid," Katelynn snarled, marching down the path. "You're not allowed to touch it. Everything in here is mine."
"I'm sorry," Izzy whispered, stepping back.
"You're sorry? You're always sorry," Katelynn sneered. She stopped right in front of Izzy, her face twisting with malice. "You're a thief. You're dirty, and you're a thief."
Katelynn shoved her. Hard.
Izzy's arms windmilled as she lost her balance. She fell backward, her elbow hitting the edge of a terracotta pot. A sharp, biting pain shot up her arm. She cried out, clutching her elbow. A drop of blood beaded on her skin.
The orchid above her shook violently, though there was no wind. Its leaves slashed through the air, thrashing in fury. How dare she! How dare she hurt you!
"What is going on here?" Evette's voice rang out.
Conrad and Evette appeared in the doorway. They took in the scene-Izzy on the ground, clutching her arm, and Katelynn standing over her, looking wronged.
"She pushed me!" Katelynn lied, her lower lip trembling perfectly. "She was trying to steal my orchid, and when I told her to stop, she pushed me!"
"That's not true," Izzy said, her voice shaking. "I didn't-"
"Shut up!" Evette screeched, her face red. "You lying, horrible little beast! How dare you come into our home and attack my daughter?"
Conrad stepped forward, his shadow falling over Izzy. "Apologize to Katelynn. Now."
Izzy stared up at him. Her elbow throbbed. Her chest ached. She bit her lip, hard enough to taste copper, but she didn't bow her head. She didn't say the words.
"I said, apologize!" Conrad bellowed, his voice bouncing off the glass walls.
Izzy shook her head.
Conrad's eyes narrowed to slits. "If you don't apologize, I'll call the social worker right now. I'll have you put back in the system. I'll send you to a group home. Or maybe just out on the street. Is that what you want?"
The word 'street' hit Izzy like a bucket of ice water. The cold fear of being alone, of being unwanted, of being sent back to the dark places, clawed at her throat. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
The door to the greenhouse banged open.
Bryan stormed in, his boots crunching on the gravel path. Arthur was right behind him, leaning heavily on his cane, his face like thunder.
Bryan reached down and pulled Izzy to her feet. He looked at her bleeding elbow, and his jaw muscles jumped. He pulled a clean rag from his back pocket and gently dabbed the blood away.
"You're a real piece of work, Conrad," Bryan said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Beating up on a five-year-old to protect a liar."
"How dare you!" Evette screeched. "Katelynn is the victim here! You always take the side of the outsider. You always-"
"Then take her!" Conrad shouted, his composure breaking. "If you care so much, Bryan, why don't you adopt her? You're so great, you raise her!"
The plants in the greenhouse erupted. The ferns rustled, the orchids swayed, the heavy leaves of the elephant ears flapped like wings. A cacophony of voices filled Izzy's head-Choose him! Choose the big one! He is safe! Choose him!
Izzy looked up at Bryan. His face was hard, but his eyes were soft as they looked down at her. She looked at the orchid, which was nodding its head vigorously.
She made her choice.
Izzy let go of Bryan's hand. She walked past Conrad and Evette, ignoring their shocked faces. She walked out of the greenhouse and into the living room. She went straight to the large coffee table in the center of the room.
She climbed up onto a chair, then onto the table itself. She stood there, her small frame trembling, but her chin held high.
"I don't want Conrad to be my daddy!"
The words ripped through the house. The silence that followed was absolute. Conrad's face turned purple. Evette clapped a hand over her mouth.
Izzy pointed a shaking finger at Bryan, who had just walked into the room. Her voice was thin, but it was clear. It was final.
"I want Uncle Bryan to be my new daddy."
"You ungrateful little-" Conrad lunged forward, his hand raised.
Bryan moved faster. He stepped in front of the table, blocking Conrad's path. He caught Conrad's wrist in mid-air, his grip like a vise.
"Don't touch her," Bryan warned, his voice a low rumble of pure threat.
CRACK. CRACK.
Arthur's cane hit the floor twice. The old man stood in the doorway, his chest heaving. He looked at his eldest son with profound disappointment, then at his youngest with a weary resignation.
"Enough," Arthur said. He sighed, the sound heavy with years of regret. "If that's what the girl wants, and if you two are so eager to be rid of her... then we settle this today. Right now."
Izzy climbed down from the table. She ran to Bryan and wrapped her arms around his leg, burying her face in his denim. She held on tight. She had fought her first battle.
