Page 2 of Bound By Crimson
Beneath the blanket were a handful of papers, sealed inside a crinkling plastic sleeve.
She pulled them out, hands clumsy now, breath quick.
At the top of the first document were the words:
Certificate of Adoption
And there—typed neatly, under “Given Name”—
Lyric
Date of Birth: April 14
No surname.
No biological mother listed.
No biological father listed.
Only: Parents unknown.
The adoption was finalized when she was less than a year old.
Lyric stared at the papers until the letters blurred.
For a long time, she didn’t move.
The room seemed to tilt around her—the familiar bedspread, the soft whir of the ceiling fan, the framed photo still angled toward the door.
All of it felt wrong now.
Like a play she’d been acting in without knowing the script.
They had loved her.
Of that, she was certain.
No legal form could undo the bedtime stories, the kitchen dances, or the countless small moments that proved their love.
But somehow, sitting here now, it felt like she had lost them twice.
Once when their lives were stolen, and now again—to a truth she never knew was waiting.
She thought back to all the times she’d stared into the mirror, trying to find her mother’s softness or her father’s smile. But there was always something… off. Her mother had a striking presence—fair skin, soft curls the color of autumn leaves, and gentle green eyes that always seemed to be smiling. Her father was tall and rugged, with weathered features and sharp blue eyes that could either soften a room or silence it. But Lyric didn’t share their coloring or their expressions. Her own eyes were golden—unusual, warm, and bright, like sunlight hitting honey. No one in her family had eyes like that.
A fresh pain opened up inside her, raw and aching, and too big to fit anywhere safe.
Not anger.
Just... sadness.
Why hadn’t they told her?
Did they plan on telling her?
Were they waiting for the right time?
Were they protecting her from something?
