Come in 20
Posted on July 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapter 20

After hanging up, Zinnia settled into her balcony swing chair with some medical textbooks. Her mentor always said even experts need refreshers.

New to Jinston, Zinnia had no friends. Her "real family" didn't give a crapโ€”their rejection stung worse than any stranger's indifference.

She spent the afternoon reading and napping. When she woke up, it was dusk. As she opened her bedroom door to head downstairs, she heard raised voices below.

โ€œMom, whenโ€™s Zinnia waking up? Maybe sheโ€™s up but avoiding us. Let me check!โ€ Maelis kept peeking upstairs. The Shaw family had waited all afternoon but still hadnโ€™t seen Zinnia.

Betty frowned, โ€œMom, do you think Zinnia still hasnโ€™t forgiven me?โ€

Then Betty turned to Sofia. โ€œGrandma, let me go apologize to her. I was the one who messed up last time. I wanted to say sorry to Zinnia earlier, but I got sick and she left before I could,โ€ she said, her pretty face full of regret.

โ€œZinniaโ€™s the best kid. If she didnโ€™t do it, she didnโ€™t. Sheโ€™s always honest. The people who framed her should be the ones apologizing,โ€ Sofia said, glancing at Betty. Then she looked at Maelis and Howard, who were fidgeting on the couch like they couldnโ€™t sit still.

โ€œYeah, Mom, I was wrong last time. But with Zinniaโ€™s past, we jumped to conclusions. Weโ€™ll apologize to her properly this time,โ€ Maelis said. She hadnโ€™t seen Zinnia for days. She tried to visit yesterday, but Sofia refused her.

โ€œIf thereโ€™s a misunderstanding now, maybe there were misunderstandings before? Making one mistake doesnโ€™t mean you canโ€™t make another. Are you sure youโ€™re always right?โ€ Sofia sighed and shook her head. Maelis wasnโ€™t the brightest.

Sofia then glanced sideways at Betty, who had come along.

โ€œGrandma, Mom didnโ€™t mean to. They were just worried about me,โ€ Betty explained, freezing under Sofiaโ€™s stare and feeling like she was being targeted. Her smile wavered.

โ€œThey cared about Zinnia too. Last time Zinnia was sick, Mom tried to see her. But Betty got a sudden headache, so we stayed with her first.

โ€œBy the time we got to the hospital, Zinnia had already checked herself out after making a scene,โ€ Howard said, feeling the tension.

He looked up at the silent bedroom upstairs and clenched his jaw, thinking, โ€˜She really is a painโ€”still dead asleep after napping all day.โ€™

โ€œReally? What a coincidence! What good were you during Bettyโ€™s headache? Zinnia was right downstairs for hours getting tests. Couldnโ€™t even send one person?

โ€œBetty, youโ€™re not a baby anymoreโ€”do you need the whole family hovering over you?โ€ Sofia said, shaking her head at the clueless Howard.

Then she turned to Betty with a faint smirk. What a coincidenceโ€”Zinnia got sick, Howard went looking for her parents, and suddenly Betty got a headache.

โ€œGrandmaโ€ฆ itโ€™s not needed. Mom and Dad just overreacted yesterday. After our checkup, we went to see Zinnia right away. But she left too quickly,โ€ Betty said, sensing Sofiaโ€™s dislike.

She felt like Sofia saw through her act. She shot Howard a pleading look, silently begging him to speak up for her.

Howard was usually the dependable one. โ€œGrandma, Bettyโ€™s not a baby. Weโ€™re smothering herโ€ฆโ€ His voice faded. It hit himโ€”If they were this worried about Betty, what about Zinnia? No one had even thought about her.

โ€œHuh? I thought Zinnia and Betty were the same age. If Bettyโ€™s not a kid, Zinnia doesnโ€™t need babysitting either,โ€ Sofia said, squinting.

Howard froze. Betty and Zinnia were the same ageโ€”Zinnia was actually the younger sister. Sheโ€™d had a 104ยฐF fever. The doctor warned a fever that high could cause brain damage. Heโ€™d gone looking for their parents but he hadnโ€™t returned. Suddenly, guilt clawed at his chest.

Howard had come today because he was blocked, ready to confront Zinnia. But now he felt like someone dropped a pebble in his shoe. He didnโ€™t notice it until he focusedโ€”then it was all he felt.

Betty and Zinnia were the same age, but everyone fussed over Betty. No one remembered Zinnia in the next room, passed out from fever. For the first time, Howard felt a twinge of guilt.

โ€œMom, Bettyโ€™s always been delicate. Thatโ€™s why I watch her closer. It doesnโ€™t mean I love Zinnia less,โ€ Maelis argued. โ€œAfter Bettyโ€™s tests, I checked on Zinnia. I thought she was faking itโ€”thatโ€™s what Iโ€™d heard. I never expected she was actually sick.โ€

Maelisโ€™s face tightened. When Howard mentioned Zinniaโ€™s fever, sheโ€™d brushed it off. Only when Betty complained of a headache did she bother to check on Zinniaโ€”after taking care of Betty first.

Sofia sighed, โ€œMaelis, Zinniaโ€™s your own kidโ€”the daughter you found. Sheโ€™s still adjusting and needs you. Even if she faked it, it was to get noticed. How can you doubt her?โ€

Sofia glared at Maelis and Howard, who were still defending Betty. A headache pulsed at her temples. The Shaw family was clueless.

โ€œMom, I know I messed up. Thanks for looking after Zinnia. When I take her home, Iโ€™ll make time for her,โ€ Maelis said, guilt and sorrow mixing.

Betty was the daughter sheโ€™d raised, but Zinnia was her biological childโ€”the one sheโ€™d miraculously gotten back. After bringing Zinnia home, sheโ€™d been so focused on Bettyโ€™s feelings that sheโ€™d ignored how Zinnia was still adjusting to this new life.

Two days without Zinnia made the house feel hollow like a puzzle piece was missing. Maelis was so lonely it hurt. She called Sofia again, desperate to see Zinnia.

After another scolding, Sofia finally gave in. Maelis rushed over with Betty, hoping they could fix things and bring Zinnia home.


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