THE CONTRACT BRIDE

AMARA'S POV One of the new children at the orphanage called out to me, "Tanya." "Miss Marva would like to see you." Unconcerned, I raised an eyebrow. "Are you aware of the reasons behind her desire to see me?" With her pigtails bouncing, Tanya shrugged. "Are you not interested?" I gave her a smile. "Why should I be interested?" She rolled her eyes. "I know no more inquisitive person than you." I shook my head and laughed. Tanya was one of those curious children who never stopped asking questions. Me? I failed to see the purpose. They would tell me if they wanted me to know something. It's as easy as that. In my pocket, my phone buzzed. When I looked at it, I noticed a message from the librarian, Mr. Delroy. He also wanted me to go to Miss Marva's office. That was my cue to go. I picked up my books and gestured to Mr. Delroy, who was arranging the bookshelves. He nodded courteously as usual, his eyes partially obscured by his thick glasses. I inhaled deeply before beginning the brief stroll to Miss Marva's office. I couldn't help but look at the vibrant artwork hanging on the library's walls as I walked down the quiet hallway. A few of the children were truly talented. I didn't mind not being as talented. Upon arriving at the office, I discovered Nia, the assistant, seated at her desk, diligently typing on her computer. As I walked in, she looked up. "Amara, Miss Marva will be with you shortly. Sit down. I picked the chair nearest the window and nodded. I always felt more at ease when I looked out at the orphanage garden. I could hear the children laughing in the distance, and the flowers were in full bloom. Even though things weren't always ideal, this place was serene. I waited, watching the seconds pass. Then Miss Marva entered through the open door. She exuded the same serene vitality as usual. She was now in her mid-fifties and still had a strong appearance, with soft grey hair that complemented her wise eyes. She smiled gently at me and said, "Amara," with warmth. "How are you today?" I got to my feet and returned her smile, attempting to match her enthusiasm. "Miss Marva, I'm fine. What about you? She adjusted her glasses and said, "I'm doing well." "I would like you to meet a few people. Come in, please. I was shocked to see two new faces seated across from her when I followed her into the office. The two new faces were a woman and a man. The man had dark brown hair, a robust build, and appeared to be about my age, if not older. The woman's eyes sparkled with kindness, her face was friendly, and her features were soft. She immediately gave off the impression of being trustworthy. Miss Marva introduced them as Mr. Winston Marley and Mrs. Yvette Marley. "They own Kingston Builders Ltd." A beat skipped in my chest. Are there builders in Kingston? It was one of Kingston's largest construction firms. They had projects in Portmore, Montego Bay, the Caribbean Islands, and even Europe. Of course, I had heard of them. Who hadn't? I had a weird déjà vu feeling as I stood there attempting to comprehend this. I couldn't place it, but there was something familiar about the man's face. He got up and smiled warmly as he held out his hand to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Amara," he said. He had a deep, authoritative voice with a hint of kindness. Still perplexed, I extended my hand to shake his. "Well, it's good to meet you, Mr. Marley." His grin widened. "Call me Winston, please." I nodded and then looked at Mrs. Yvette Marley, who had a gentle expression on her face. "And you must be Amara," she said softly. "I'm so glad to have met you at last. We've heard a lot about you. I smiled shyly at her. "Mrs. Marley, it's good to meet you as well." "Call me Yvette, please," she demanded. Mrs. Marley gives the impression that I'm much older than I actually am. I couldn't contain my laughter. "All right, Yvette." The expression on Miss Marva's face convinced me that the occasion was something significant, even though I was still trying to understand why they were here. Something significant. She seemed to be concealing a secret of some sort. But she spoke again before I could ask. "For many years, Winston and Yvette have been providing assistance to Hope Haven. They have consistently made sure we have everything we need to care for the kids here, making them the greatest supporters of this place. They made a very kind choice, which is why they wanted to meet you today." Even though I was still trying to understand everything, I remained silent and waited for Miss Marva to elaborate. She also did. With emotion in her voice, she whispered, "Winston and Yvette want to adopt you, Amara." "They have chosen to include you in their family now that you are of legal age." I went cold. Take me in? My heart thumped in my chest. This isn't possible. Why would they want to adopt someone like me? Suddenly, my world began to swirl. My thoughts were racing as I glanced at Winston and Yvette. Yvette gave me a smile, her eyes gentle and perceptive. "Amara, you've been with us for a very long time. We seem to have known you for ages. And we formally and legally want you to be our daughter." I struggled to articulate my feelings. It was both exciting and terrifying to consider adoption and having a family that genuinely cared about me. The idea of belonging to a family felt strange to me because I hadn't done so in such a long time. However, there was a reassuring quality to Yvette's delivery. She sounded warm and confident. She sounded as though she were extending an invitation to something delightful. I looked at Miss Marva, and she nodded reassuringly. "Amara, take your time. Although this is a significant choice, we think it's the right one. The papers on the desk before me caught my attention. These official adoption documents already boldly listed my new last name, Marley. Marley Amara. It sounded odd, but sort of correct. "Is this scenario real?" I muttered more to myself than to anyone else. Winston gave a nod. "Amara, it's true. We've been holding off on telling you until the right moment. Today seemed like the right day. A lump started to grow in my throat. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I merely nodded. I knew deep down that the present was the chance of a lifetime, even though it was difficult to believe. With trembling hands, I picked up the pen and signed the documents.