A Queen Returns

I couldn’t believe I had finally made it to graduation. We all stood as our valedictorian, Temperence Smith, walked onto the stage. When she reached the microphone, she tapped it twice, probably to make sure it was working. Once everyone settled into their seats, she cleared her throat and began. “Hi, Class of 2030. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Temperence Smith. I moved here a few years ago, and at first, I didn’t know anybody, so I kept to myself for a long time. Eventually, I made some friends, and because of them, I’m standing in front of you today. They encouraged me in my studies and helped me become who I am. “Even though we’re graduating today, our lives are only just beginning. From this day forward, we’ll all take our own paths into adulthood. Congratulations, Class of 2030!” The entire auditorium erupted into applause. Once everyone finally settled down, our principal stepped up to the microphone and began calling names one by one. One thing I was grateful for was that my last name landed near the top of the list. “Victoria Ambers.” I rose from my seat and walked across the stage. I spotted my parents in the crowd, clapping proudly, and I smiled at them. Reaching the principal, I shook his hand and accepted my diploma before crossing to the other side of the stage and returning to my seat. The ceremony continued for another half hour before the last diploma was handed out. The principal stepped back to the microphone once more. “Let’s give another round of applause to the Class of 2030!” The crowd cheered loudly as my classmates and I stood and tossed our caps into the air. Once everything calmed down, we reunited with our families. I walked over to my father, who was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so proud of you, my little bug. And you even graduated early. So, what do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?” I shrugged. My mother laughed. “We’ll figure something out!” We had just started walking away when I heard someone calling my name. Turning around, I saw Temperence rushing toward me. She practically launched herself into my arms. “Oh my God, Victoria, I can’t believe we did it! I told you you’d graduate before your birthday!” I laughed softly. “So,” she asked, “what are we doing for your birthday tomorrow?” I shrugged again. Temperence rolled her eyes playfully. “We should throw a party, Victoria. It’s not every day my best friend turns eighteen.” Laughing, I nodded. “That sounds fine. My parents just asked me the same thing.” She hugged me tightly. “Perfect. I’ll tell everyone. See you tomorrow night!” I laughed again before turning back toward my parents. Once we reached the car, the ride home was unusually quiet. The moment we got home, I headed upstairs to change. “Victoria, can you come here?” my mother called from downstairs. I hurried back down and found both of my parents sitting in the living room. “What’s up? You sounded serious.” They exchanged uneasy glances before my mother spoke. “Victoria, sit down. Your father and I need to tell you something.” That tone immediately made my stomach twist. I slowly walked over and sat between them on the couch. “What’s going on?” My father spoke first. “Bug, you know your mother and I love you with all our hearts. That’s why we waited until after graduation to tell you this.” My mother took a shaky breath before continuing. “Do you remember asking us years ago why you didn’t look like us?” I nodded. “We told you that you looked like your father’s mother when she was younger.” I nodded again, silently urging them to continue. My dad stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and returned with a photo album I had never seen before. “Bug…” His voice cracked slightly. “We adopted you when you were just a baby.” I froze. As he handed me the album, a folded piece of paper slipped out and fluttered onto my lap. My hands trembled as I picked it up and unfolded it. Adoption papers. My chest tightened as I opened the album. Inside was my original birth certificate. But where my parents’ names should have been, there was only one name listed: Victoria Flame. And beneath “Father,” it simply read: Unknown. Tears blurred my vision as I looked up at them. “Why did you wait so long to tell me?” My father sighed heavily. “We wanted you to live your life without questioning everything too early. We promised ourselves we’d tell you on your graduation day.” My mother was already crying. I stood slowly, my emotions twisting into anger, confusion, and heartbreak all at once. Before heading upstairs, I turned back toward them. “Did you know my biological mother?” Both of them shook their heads. Without another word, I walked back to my room and collapsed onto my bed. How could they keep this from me for so long? After a few minutes, I crossed the room to the hidden panel in my wall and pressed my hand against it, revealing the private phone my father had installed years ago. I quietly spoke my name, and the screen lit up as it dialed Temperence. The moment she appeared, her expression shifted with concern. “Victoria? What’s wrong?” I shook my head, struggling to speak. “Can you come get me? Please. Right now.” “Of course,” she said immediately before ending the call. I made sure the hidden panel was closed before grabbing my coat and slipping out the window. A few minutes later, I climbed into Temperence’s car. “Just drive,” I whispered. She didn’t ask questions. She simply nodded and pulled away. We drove to our secret cave, a hidden place we had discovered a few years ago shortly after she moved here. She parked a few miles away so no one would notice the car, and together we walked the rest of the way through the trees. Once inside, we sat down in the homemade chairs we had built together years earlier. Temperence turned toward me. “Alright, Victoria. Tell me what happened. Why did you need to get out of there so fast?” The tears started all over again. Immediately, she crossed the small space between us and wrapped me in a hug. “Victoria, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.” I swallowed hard. “I’m adopted. My parents have been hiding it from me my whole life.” Her eyes widened. “What? There’s no way—” I pulled the folded papers from my pocket and handed them to her. As she read them, her expression fell. Without saying a word, she hugged me again. “I’m so sorry, Victoria. Why would they keep this from you?” “They said they wanted me to have a normal life before I started questioning everything.” She stayed quiet for a moment, letting me cry against her shoulder. Finally, she spoke softly. “Do they know who your birth mother is?” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Victoria. But they are still your parents. Just because they aren’t your biological parents doesn’t make them any less your family.” Lowering my gaze, I sighed shakily. “I know. But now I have so many questions.” Temperence placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. But tomorrow is your birthday, and you deserve at least one happy day before all of this takes over.” I gave a small nod. “Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s get you home before your parents check your room and panic.” I stayed quiet on the drive back, watching the trees blur past the windows. Once we reached my house, I waved goodbye to Temperence before climbing the lattice back up to my bedroom window. I peeked inside first to make sure my parents hadn’t come in. They hadn’t. I slipped quietly into my room and sat down at my computer. Maybe I could find out who she was before tomorrow. Maybe that would finally give me some answers.